March 09, 2010

Bored?

Posted to Columbus Attractions, Phil Giessler

Oh my. It was around 4:00 and I was out walking our red fox lab when two elementary school students passed by. I said hello and asked, “how are you?” The boy, around 4th or 5th grade, without a moment to think answered, “bored.” These children were returning from a long day at school and to give them the benefit of the doubt, I will say they were tired and ready to relax. But bored?

How can a 10 year old be bored in Worthington, Ohio? Not only do we have libraries, parks, playgrounds, after school programs, and any sport you can think of, there are educational websites to relax and play. Bored? So sad that our children need to be entertained 24/7 and require immediate gratification.

So, bored? Visit these sites:

These are just a few of the websites I found. There are so many more.

PLUS, there is nothing like a walk outside or a bike or scooter to avoid boredom. The best sleep follows outside playtime and with the weather getting better each day, push those kids outside! You can grab a book, sit at the front window and watch them having fun.

Posted By: Phil Giessler


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March 05, 2010

Great places to eat in Columbus, Ohio

Posted to Columbus Attractions, Phil Giessler

Our favorite spot to eat and get away from the hectic pace is the North Star Restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. We first visited the original location on High Street around the Short North area. A darling young couple, Katie and Kevin Malhame opened the location several years ago. It was so popular among the Columbus people that they opened the second North Star, further north on High Street, just south of Henderson Rd. Healthy food, freshly squeezed orange juice, great coffee, green tea and the best pancakes in the city and granola and yogurt are just a few of the morning specials. Lunch begins at 11 and dinner is served. Now they are planning another location at Easton. Katie and Kevin really know how to serve their public with healthy and mouth-watering food. Much of the food is purchased from local vendors/farmers. Visit the restaurant group at www.TheNorthstarCafe.com. We highly recommend this as a favorite spot to eat and get away from the maddening crowd.

Posted By: Phil Giessler


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March 02, 2010

North Market Columbus Ohio

Posted to Columbus Attractions, Downtown Columbus, Phil Giessler

Columbus’ only public market with bakeries, candy makers and meat offerings. This outstanding area of north downtown Columbus is comprised of independent shoppes and local farmers who bring their produce to the market. March 3 offers a Chef Series cooking class, March 6, the piano Peddler and March 7, another cooking class with seafood suppers. Columbus trendy short north area is just west of High St. Between Vine and Spruce. It features 35 venders with a variety of offerings. Included are knitted items to fresh fish and poultry. Visit www.northmarket.com.

Posted By: Phil Giessler


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March 02, 2010

Children's Activities

Posted to Columbus Attractions, Phil Giessler

With spring right around the corner here in the central Ohio area, but winter weather still holding on, parents are seeking entertainment ideas for their children. Libraries are a great and free place to entertain kids. Most libraries have children story times for pre-school children and schedules can be found on community websites. Just type into Google the community (Worthington, Upper Arlington, Dublin, Powell, New Albany, Westerville, Hilliard, Grandview, Clintonville, Columbus) you are looking for and select from there. As well, the Franklin Park Conservatory is a wonderful place to take children. Blooms and Butterflies begin March 13 and is awesome, enthralling entertainment for kids of all ages. Check out a multitude of activities here. You will find a calendar of events with suggested age appropriateness. An especially enjoyable place is the Railroad Museum in the Upper Arlington, Northwest Columbus area. This offers a ride in a small train around the site as well as a tour of an authentic train, just like in the old days! Birthday parties are held there as well as community events. You can visit their website here. Remember, spring is just around the corner so hang in there and soon the children will be running outside again! Have fun!

Posted By: Phil Giessler


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March 01, 2010

Schools in Central Ohio

Posted to Columbus Attractions, Phil Giessler

Recently our granddaughter was fortunate to be selected to participate in a reading intervention program at a central Ohio elementary school. Her interest in reading is blooming but her ability to read “chapter books” which seemingly is her goal, is a bit slow. She is taken from the classroom every day of the school week, for 30 minutes one on one participation, with a reading specialist. She tells us they write words in the sand and do lots of fun things. She does not mind at all being taken out of the classroom and is able to make up her missed lessons in the room at another time or as a homework assignment. We see her progressing rapidly and she is almost ready to attack the “chapter books” she so strongly wishes to read. Many of the Columbus area schools and suburbs offer reading intervention in the elementary schools.

Worthington, Upper Arlington, Dublin and Olentangy school systems are outstanding programs and to learn more about the school systems in the central Ohio area visit http://ilrc.ode.state.oh.us.

Posted By: Phil Giessler


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February 25, 2010

The Worthington, Ohio Public Library

Posted to Columbus Attractions, Phil Giessler

I just returned from the Worthington, Ohio public library located in the “Olde Worthington” section of the city. We felt welcomed from the moment we entered the front doors. Our 3 year old granddaughter squealed with delight while her 7 year old sister explained that in a library she needed to whisper. It is wonderful that in the surrounding Columbus, Ohio areas; Worthington, Westerville, Hilliard, Dublin, Clintonville, Powell and New Albany and downtown Columbus, offer so much to children. When the children feel comfortable running and enjoying themselves in the children’s areas, it promotes their enthusiasm for reading.

Central Ohio and suburbs all offer outstanding libraries to the public and we appreciate that. If you are searching for a new home you would be pleased with the Columbus library system. Click here to see a list of Columbus libraries.

Posted By: Phil Giessler


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June 06, 2008

Marathon in Training week two …

Posted to Columbus Attractions, Greg Giessler

Once again I missed the group training session at Thomas Worthington High School. Fortunately, I did not miss the long run for the week. Instead of staying in Columbus for the weekend I had the opportunity to travel to southeast Ohio close to Logan in the Hocking Hills region. Outside of Logan is a year round retreat called Camp Akita. Camp Akita is a mission of the First Community Church, in Columbus, Ohio. The camp can accommodate a wide range of group sizes up to 200 people. Camp Akita has over 1,200 acres, 15 acres of hiking trails, and a 7 acre lake. The land was originally donated by John Galbreath, a local philanthropist, back in 1949.

The weekend was perfect! Great weather and good times had by all. A group of about 10 went down for the weekend to help prepare the camp before the summer sessions begin. We had projects of making a nature center, making flower boxes, and quite a bit of moving furniture from building to building.

I was lucky enough to be able to go for a 10mile run through the camp trails and along some of the winding roads surrounding the camp. The hills made more difficult than running in Columbus on the Olentangy multi-use trail, but it was a nice and welcome change. The only sounds were the sounds of nature and me.

Later in this summer I will be travelling with a group of 15 people through Camp Akita to Luperon in the Dominican Republic to build houses. This will be my third and the third overall mission trip with Akita International to the Dominican Republic. Both times in the past have been unbelievable experiences.

If you have the ability to travel to Camp Akita or travel to the Hocking Hills region of Ohio you will have a memorable experience. For further information check out http://www.campakita.org

Posted By: Greg Giessler


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June 06, 2008

Arena District Kickball - Fun Columbus Sports

Posted to Columbus Attractions, Downtown Columbus, Greg Giessler

What do you get when a cow and a chicken mate? Brown chicken brown cow! (said with a little twang of bow chicka bow wow.) As well, you get the team name of our Arena District Kickball team. Yesterday marked the first game of our summer kickball season! The game was played in McFerson Commons located near North Bank Park, The North Bank Condominiums, and Burnham Square in downtown Columbus. The league is sponsored by the Frog Bear and Wild Boar Bar.

Team Brown Chicken Brown Cow started the season with an unimpressive performance. Somehow, team Saved by the Balls was able to score at will against our inexperienced field play. When it was all said and done team Saved by the Balls had scored eighteen points while team Brown Chicken Brown Cow had a big zero. Some might call that that a goose egg or for our purposes a chicken egg! Despite not scoring a single point Brown Chicken Brown Cow managed to have a good time! Though we have a lot of work to do on the field, I am sure Brown Chicken Brown Cow will be able to make up for it in after game festivities win or lose!

Our team is comprised of over twenty players that are somehow connected through work at, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Camp Akita, or because someone was able to persuade them to come out and play kickball. I mean, who wouldn’t want to come out and play kickball, right? All in all, it was a great time and provided a place to meet new people and reconnect with some old friends!

Interested in learning more checkout the website http://www.arenaathletic.com

Posted By: Greg Giessler


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May 28, 2008

Columbus Area Weekend Trips - A Travel Report

Posted to Columbus Attractions, Greg Giessler

Lake Erie, it's truly one of our Great Lakes! One of the nice amenities of living in Columbus, Ohio is the availability to travel within two hours and be accessible to so many entertaining places. This past Memorial Day weekend I had the opportunity to travel to Ruggles Beach which is located between two port towns of Huron and Vermilion. Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of the summer season on the lake. For many, it is the first weekend to set aside time to work on the boat and get it ready for the summer season. Many times it is the first weekend for friends to get together, enjoy the weather, grill out, and swap stories from the winter lull and share their excitement for being back on the water! It also enables those who enjoy fishing to talk shop about whether to fish for Walleye, Perch, and Small Mouth Bass and/or where the best place is to catch them. You can tell the die hard fisherman because by the time you are ready to go out on your boat they are already gearing up to cook their fish breakfast because they have caught their limit!

Fortunately for me it was the perfect weekend. I caught my largest Walleye ever of 26 inches much to my brother-in-law’s dismay. He is little more of a fanatic about fishing than me….just a wee bit. I think I might have ruffled his feathers a little by continually letting him know about the size of my fish. All in good cheer! I am also currently running with a MIT (marathon in training) group on Saturday mornings. Unfortunately, since I was at Lake Erie I was unable to run on the first Saturday with the club. However, I was able to have an enjoyable an eleven mile run, in the crisp morning air, on the shores of Lake Erie. I would not have changed a thing! You always know you have an enjoyed a weekend when you are sad to leave and I definitely did not want to go home! Hopefully I will be able to go up to the lake sooner than later…

Two websites include http://discoververmilion.com and http://cityofhuron.org if you are interested in learning more. As well, many other attractions are within a stones throw of these two towns including Cedar Point, an amusement park and access to Put-N-Bay and Kelley’s Island.

Posted By: Greg Giessler


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May 22, 2008

Incredible houses on the market in Dublin, Ohio - near Muirfield Village Golf Club

Posted to Columbus Attractions, Columbus Suburbs

incredible houses for sale in dublin, ohio near golf courseDo you love golf? Dublin, Ohio is home to one of the best golf courses and PGA Tournaments in the world. Muirfield Village Golf Club is a Jack Nicklaus designed course. Sometimes called Jack's tournament, the 2008 Memorial Tournament will be played May 26-June 1 in Dublin, Ohio. The tournament features the most elite golfers.

If you are planning on attending the tournament or happen to be visiting Columbus, stop by and see some incredible houses we have on the market.

At 5238 Schuette Dr. in Dublin, you will find this like new, custom built home on 3/4 acre lot. The kitchen features a hearth room along with hardwood floors. The lower level is finished with a wet bar, full bath, study area, media area and game table area.incredible houses for sale in dublin, ohio near golf course

What a great value at 6541 Ballantrae Pl. in Dublin! This house backs to greenspace in the Ballantrae subdivision. The upstairs features 4 bedrooms along with a bonus room. The lower level is finished with a wet bar and full bath.

Please contact Cam Taylor Realtors at 800.848.6996 to schedule a visit!

Posted By: Dawn Tolan


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May 18, 2008

Pioneer Day in Worthington, Ohio

Posted to Columbus Attractions, Columbus Suburbs

What fun it was to drive by the Orange Johnson home in Worthington and see the third graders playing games (typical pioneer games) dressed in costume. The Orange Johnson House is Worthington’s finest example of early architecture. Orange Johnson was born in 1790 and came to Worthington in 1814 as a comb maker.

Today, the Orange Johnson home is a museum open to the public and enjoyed by many students in Worthington and neighboring schools. The Worthington Historical tried to acquire the site but the expense was too great. In 1963 the property was bought by Toll Gate Square upon which Toll Gate Condos were built. They were one of the first condos built in Worthington. They are very popular as you can walk downtown and enjoy our wonderful village.

Posted By: Penny Call and Ellen Hudson


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May 13, 2008

Westerville, Ohio Arts Festival

Posted to Columbus Attractions, Columbus Suburbs, Phil Giessler

Westerville, Ohio will be hosting their annual Arts Festival this year Sat. July 12 and Sun. July 13 in Heritage Park, Westerville. This will be the 35th year for the event where you can hear live music and see the arts. You can find out more about this event by visiting www.westervillechamber.com. Westerville has wonderful housing for all needs including: single family detached residences, condominiums and patio homes ranging in price from under $100,000.00 to $750,000.00.

Posted By: Phil Giessler


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May 01, 2008

Columbus Culture

Posted to Columbus Attractions

For the culturally minded, we have Broadway Theater shows, art museums, Ohio’s Center of Science and Industry, the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium with our Director Emeritus, Jack Hanna. We have a world renown conservatory and botanical garden, Franklin Park COnservatory. We’re in the top 10 of hotspots for nanotechnology. We have “destination malls” for the most discriminating of shoppers and our restaurants are second to none.
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March 31, 2008

Galleries and Performing Arts

Posted to Columbus Attractions

Columbus has an energetic arts community that is always creating, displaying, and entertaining. The Columbus Museum of Art located downtown on East Broad Street houses European and American art up through the modern period, while the Ohio State University’s Wexner Center for the Arts mainly showcases contemporary works. The King Arts Complex is a pioneer arts organization that celebrates the city’s diversity with many cultural exhibits and events. Columbus is home to a large number of performing arts groups, including the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Opera Columbus, BalletMet, and the Contemporary American Theatre Company. The city’s downtown area has three major historical theaters—the Southern, the Ohio, and the Palace. Aside from these theaters, Columbus also boasts large music concert venues, such as the Nationwide Arena, Value City Arena, and Germain Amphitheater.
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March 31, 2008

Columbus Ohio Sports

Posted to Columbus Attractions

Although Columbus’ pride and joy is the NCAA Big Ten Ohio State Buckeyes, the city hosts a variety of other sports such as Major League Soccer’s the Columbus Crew, NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Arena Football League’s the Columbus Destroyers. Golf lovers will find inspiration in Columbus, as it is home to PGA Champion Jack Nicklaus. The course he designed, located in nearby Dublin, is the Muirfield Village Golf Club, which hosts the PGA Memorial Tournament.
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