Columbus, OH

Yep, this is me at my regular day job.

This is something I just have to get to. It runs through the end of the year. I have this half fascinated, half apprehensive feeling about going to see an exhibit like this. I’ve had a desire to go to this for quite a while now. Funny the things we have to get the nerve up to see, isn’t it? Anyway, I thought I’d share this amazing YouTube video with you. Hopefully it will get you in the daring and inquisitive mood too.

Bodies - The Exhibition
Easton Market Center
3749 Easton Market, Columbus
Hours: Friday-Saturday 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Contact Phone: 866-640-0303
Admission: Adults $22. Seniors and students $20. Children 12 and under $17.

Columbus, OH, Ohio, Bodies, Bodies the Exhibition

This weekend in Columbus, OH even the grown-up fun is all geared toward Halloween.

If you missed out on the opportunity to get some exercise at the Columbus Marathon last weekend, you can still get in a good 5K. Tomorrow at Flannagan’s in Dublin you can get in a great run through the picturesque city of Dublin, then dance the night away at the WNCI/Flannagan’s annual Halloween bash. The 10,000 Maroonicas (The Morning Zoo) will be there to entertain, and cap off the night with the annual WNCI Halloween Costume Contest.

If you’d like a chance to get the wits scared out of you, go to Cooper Stadium where Terror Park rocks the night. Terror Park is one of the biggest haunts in the area and has a little something for everyone. If you have the heart, take the official Terror Park tour, I just can’t promise you it will still be beating when you exit. If you’d like something a little milder, ask for the flashlight tour, where you get the full Terror Park experience, but without the scares. This is a great way to gently introduce new terror seekers to the haunted attraction experience. Terror Park also has a supervised area just for kids.

If you need something to interest the younger set, head up to Powell for the “Boo at the Zoo” and pumpkin smash. Kids are encouraged to dress in their best costumes and come out to see the animals at the Columbus Zoo. There will be treat stations, rides and lots of hands on activities for kids. On Saturday morning, you can experience the Pumpkin Smash and see what happens when zoo animals are presented with their very own Halloween pumpkins.

Of course, if you are heading out to Flannagan’s or any other adult venue this weekend remember–Columbus and her nightclubs want you back, happy and healthy and without a $6000 DUI (or worse) hanging over your head. If you are going to drink, don’t drive.

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This morning I was listening to the Morning Zoo show on WNCI. I have to say, those guys (and gals) are incredibly funny. This morning however, poor Jimmy seemed to be in quite a slump. He was one grumpy DJ.

The Morning Zoo is in the middle of their annual “Who Do You Know?” contest. The basics of the contest are:

You get a celebrity that you know to call the radio station.
The zoo chooses from among the best.
They call convenience stores from across the nation to see who convenience store clerks would pick as the biggest celebrity.
If your celebrity is chosen, then you win $2000.

Unfortunately for Jimmy, the biggest celebrity to call so far seems to be Mel B (Scary) from the Spice Girls. Not too shabby. But poor Jimmy–he is praying for George Clooney or Paris Hilton.

In the past the Zoo has had some pretty big celebrities call in, but it tends to be toward the end of the week. The normal number of former Buckeye players hasn’t called in this year either, and being a huge buckeye fan, that seems to be tough on old Jimmy.

On the other hand, the lack of major stars has led to some really funny moments, like this morning when a 1987 county pork queen called in, followed by a high school student who happened to be the sports announcer for his school.

If you happen to know someone, Brad or Angie perhaps, tomorrow morning would be a great time to have them call in. The thrill it would give the DJs over there would be enough to entertain their listeners all morning. And, you could win $2000 for yourself or your favorite charity. If it stays like this though, I’ll be rooting for the pork queen.

“O-H!”

Do you feel a strong urge to yell “I-O” at your computer?

The older I get and the more places I travel, the more I realize the fact that Ohioans and adopted Ohioans in the form of Ohio State students, alumni and fans are everywhere. It always impresses me when I go on vacation to see the number of Ohio State t-shirts and sweatshirts that I see. Even when traveling overseas to England and Ireland I could see them.

The last vacation I took included a short Royal Caribbean cruise. Were there Buckeyes? Oh yes, dozens.

Every time I’m out of state and in a theater, it seems before the show an emcee stands on stage and asks, “How many people are here from __________?” It doesn’t matter where I am, Chicago, Miami, wherever; when they get to “Anybody from Ohio?” there are always plenty of us. And honestly, I don’t bring them all with me.

This desire to travel extends strongly into the realm of Ohio State students, alumni and fans. This is one of the reasons it is so beneficial to the hosting city when OSU winds up playing in a bowl game there. The folks in Texas and Arizona can attest to the fact that Buckeyes–we travel well, we support our team–we bring money. Wherever our Buckeyes go–football, basketball, hockey, whatever–OSU fans go in such numbers that we literally wash the hosting city in scarlet and gray.

So anyway, sometimes when I’m out of town and in a group of strangers I get the urge to just yell “O-H” into the crowd and see who responds. Honestly, I’m getting sillier as I get older, so one day soon I will probably just start doing it.

So one day, when you find yourself in a crowded elevator in Vegas, and a voice from the back calls out “O-H,” don’t fight the urge. Answer back proudly.

And if people just look at me like I’m crazy I’ll just smile and say, “I’m part of the Great Ohio State Experiment.”

There is so much cool stuff to do this weekend, I hardly know how to pick just three.

First of all, you could head south to the Circleville Pumpkin Show. This is Ohio’s biggest fall festival and oh so much fun. You can try pumpkin bread, pumpkin fudge, pumpkin cake and of course pumpkin pie! If it can be made with pumpkin, you can bet you will find it here. There are pumpkins for sale, jack o’lanterns by the dozens and pumpkin seeds in every variety so you can grow your own next year. Oh, and don’t forget the judging and weigh-ins. They are seriously looking at what may be a record weight pumpkin this year!

Then again, if you would like to just sit back and be entertained with what is probably the best classic of the Halloween season, head down to the Capitol Theatre, where Ballet Met is putting on Dracula. Now, of all the things that go on here around Halloween, I would have to say this is my #1 want to see it but haven’t yet thing. I have on the other hand seen other Ballet Met productions and they were all beautiful. The fact that so much can be expressed through dance alone–brilliant!

Finally, if you are really in shape, or if you just want to get a good look at a lot of people who are, the Columbus Marathon is downtown this weekend. There is a trade show at the Columbus Convention Center tonight and tomorrow, then the race takes off at 7 (walkers) or 8 (runners) the next morning. Unfortunately, the 10,000 runner cap has already been reached for competitors this year. But I figure anyone who wants to run a marathon or half marathon has probably made that decision long before the actual race. Still, it would be a lot of fun to get down there and see the runners and cheer them on.

For more great things happening this weekend, check the Experience Columbus website.

If you are on a ghost hunt for Columbus’ most notorious ghosts, you cannot afford to miss having a meal at the Elevator Restaurant on High Street. Head north out of downtown and look left. This restaurant is impossible to miss because of the huge clock that stands in front of it. For many years this restaurant was known as The Clock Restaurant because of that feature. Until its recent replacement, the clock out front was stuck at 10:05. Why was the clock left so? This is the legend . . .

Elevator Restaurant promotional photo

In the cold winter of 1909 one Colonel Prichard, a known womanizer and rather abusive man, was entering the restaurant (then known as the Bott Brothers Saloon) when one of his scorned lovers approached him and stabbed him to death there in the entranceway. According to this time honored tale, Colonel Prichard bled out on the cold hard floor and at 10:05, the moment of his death, the clock hands stopped. The woman ran out into the snow, only to freeze to death herself. She left only footprints.

According to many sources, Colonel Prichard and the Scorned Woman both haunt the Elevator Restaurant. Colonel Prichard appears as a floating ball of bright energy, while the Scorned Lover sometimes leaves footprints in the snow when no one has been there.

On a personal note, I must recommend you try the Elevator if you have the opportunity. On the occasions that I have had the chance to eat there the food and drinks have been very good, though the service has been just sufficent. I saw one of my favorite quotes there for the first time . . .

“I feel sorry for people who do not drink. When they get up, that’s the best they are going to feel all day.” ~Frank Sinatra

I’m not much of a drinker these days, but it still makes me laugh.

If you have the opportunity to dine at the Elevator, take a moment to ask your server about Colonel Prichard and his Scorned Lover. Who knows, he might have his own encounter to tell you about.

To read more about this tale~

Forgotten Ohio
Ohio Exploration Society

As always, if you do visit the Elevator, don’t drink and drive.

Columbus, Ohio, OH, hauntings, Colonel Prichard, Colonel Pritchard, Elevator Restaurant, Clock Restautant, Bott Brothers

This morning on 10TV they reported that Skybus is canceling its west coast routes. Sadly this means that some flights that have already been scheduled and paid for will also be cancelled. While the airline is refunding the fares paid, it also means that many people will not get to enjoy the trips they have planned.

It also means alternative airlines will be rushed for tickets, and the combination of last minute planning and high demand will make those tickets very highly priced.

I took Skybus on my round trip flight to Ft. Lauderdale recently. In all honesty, I was fairly impressed. The new planes had leather seats and were of normal size. On the way down, I paid $2 for a very tiny bottle of water, but that did not surprise me. (I was a little surprised by the fact that they give you a shopping catalog onboard and the fact that you could “corporate sponsor” the in flight announcements–but hey, my ticket was under $80 round trip) I liked the way we got on and off quickly and flights were in the air on time. Personally, I would have given Skybus a very “thumbs up” type of review.

But canceling flights anywhere makes me a little scared to book Skybus. According to WBNS Skybus’ reason for canceling flights was that gas fill ups to the west coast were too expensive. Well, gas fill ups to south Florida can’t be cheap. What’s up with that?

In my experience it seems that when a start-up quickly changes the way they do things and damages their reputation with customers quickly, that often has long term negative consequences for the company. I also note that, while I love Columbus and this is a great place to live, airlines seem to have a little trouble here. Southeast and the shortly lived but greatly touted Hooters air both flew for just a few years out of Rickenbacker before they shut down. America West, while still going strong as an airline, pulled their hub from CMH just a few years ago as well.

What does that mean for Skybus? I honestly do not know. I simply hope for the sake of passengers already booked on Skybus flights that no more routes are cancelled anytime soon.

Note: To be fair, while Skybus is canceling these western routes, they have added routes to the east.

Columbus, Ohio, OH, air travel, Skybus, CMH, Columbus airport, Port Columbus, Ft. Lauderdale, flight cancellations

Well readers, I was at the hospital until about 6 this morning, so I just don’t have a whole lot of good Columbus info to give you today. But I will ask a favor of you ~

Be a blood donor.

Be a tissue donor.

Be an organ donor.

I do have a little info on these:

Blood donors can save up to three lives with a single donation.
Less than 30% of first time blood donors ever give again.
Tissue donors save lives and give science a chance to develop new treatments.
A single organ and tissue donor can save seven lives, help two people see again and help burn victims.

If you want to be an organ and tissue donor, make this decision known to your family. No matter what you have filled out on your driver’s license, it is up to them to make the final decision. If they know ahead of time that donation was your wish, it will make that decision easier for them and they will know they are doing right by you.

A transplant receipient, their friends and family will all be grateful to you and your family for the rest of their lives. And in this way a small part of you or your loved one lives on.

For transplant receipients:

My friend is suffering a gulity concience right now, because someone had to pass away for him to receive a new kidney. This is true, but receipents should know this: if you receive an organ from someone who has gone on, they are still gone. If someone else receives an organ from that person, they are still gone. If perfectly good organs are buried along with that person, they are still gone.

The best way to honor the donor is to take the donation and live a good life with it. By doing that you are fulfilling that person’s final wish.

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Columbus, OH

This morning I’d like to take a moment to thank the wonderful staff over at Ohio State University hospitals. Over the weekend my good friend was called with the news that a kidney was available and he was going to get his transplant. He has been on dialysis for over two years.

A while back I wrote a post about medical emergencies in Columbus and where I would take my family in an emergency. At that time I included Ohio State in my short list of preferred hospitals. I am doubly sure of that decision now.

Before the surgery they were kind but straightforward while explaining what my friend was about to go through. His surgery went through without complications.

What most impressed me though was the level of post-procedure care. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not congratulating the staff for nothing more than doing their job. The post procedure care is very intense for all transplant patients I am sure. But the doctors and nurses in the Ohio State center made us feel as though they cared for these patients like they were members of their own families. Keeping the transplant patients as comfortable as possible post surgery, quickly answering call lights and making sure they were doing all they could do for the patients in their care were clearly high priorities for these people who clearly both love what they do and understand the seriousness of their jobs at the same time.

This is actually my second experience with a transplant at OSU hospitals. In 1989 another good friend received a cornea transplant there. I am happy to report that she still has that cornea today.

Though I was not the person under hospital care, I certainly feel a debt of gratitude to the staff of Ohio State Hospitals transplant center. Thank you for all you do. Many Ohioans would not be here if not for your efforts.

Columbus, Ohio, OH, Ohio State University Medical Center, OSU, dialysis, kidney transplant, transplant surgery, transplant center, Columbus hospitals

Columbus, OH

If you have an entire day to kill any weekend before the end of the month, take a trip south to Harveysburg where the Ohio Renaissance Festival is going on every weekend through October.

The festival is held in a permanent “city” built on approximately 30 acres. It is intended to look like a 16th. century English village. There are shops, stages, a pirate ship, a “castle” filled with midevil torture devices and even some “thrill” rides. You can try your hand at jousting, watch a gypsy show and then go and chow down on enormous turkey legs. Never had mead? This is your chance–aah, nothing like a nice glass of fermented honey. It’s enough to make you want to join the Society for Creative Anachronism.

Some things you will not want to miss at the Festival are:

The Joust: Queen Elizabeth I herself watches over the knights as they joust for her, and your, entertainment.

Steven K. Smith: on the mountain dulcimer. If you’ve never heard one of these played, you will never forget it once you have. Steven K. Smith is Ohio’s reigning master.

The Mudde Show: at the mudde pit. Do yourself a favor and settle for the back row, unless you are wearing full rain gear that is. You will laugh your arse off.

Entertainment abounds at the Aleing Knight Pub & Lorely Tavern Biergarten, the food is incredible (leave your diet at home) and the shopping is amazing. Speaking of shopping, this is the place I like to go to purchase gifts for those hard to shop for people. Even when buying for those people who seem to have everything (you know who I mean, for me it’s my aunt and uncle, everyone has at least one) I know that they probably don’t have anything like the gifts I get them here. Many of the shops sell one of a kind and handcrafted items.

Good to know before you go:

The festival is held outdoors, dress for the weather. If it is wet, wear shoes you don’t mind losing to the mud.

The atmosphere is midevil, but the prices are thoroughly modern. Take plenty of money if you intend to eat and drink, and plenty more if you intend to shop. Most shops are ‘a takin’ the plastic’ though, and there is an ATM just as you enter.

No pets, no matter how adorable-leave Fido at home.

Besides mead, they do serve beer and wine. Plenty of non-alcoholic refreshments as well.

Be prepared to see people in all manner of dress. If you have some fairy wings you’d like to pull out of the closet, feel free to wear them.

If you think this would be a fun place to be married, you can! See the website for details.

Ohio Renaissance Festival
Sat. & Sun. through October
10:30 AM to 6 PM Rain or Shine

From Columbus take I71 S to the Waynesville Exit (45), and follow the signs.

Tickets at the gate are $16.99 for adults & $9.99 for kids. Kids under 5 are free.
If you can, purchase your tickets ahead of time online for a nice discount.
Click HERE for online ticket information.

On the north side of Columbus, right on 161 you will find Plush. Plush is one of the new breed of strip clubs in the Columbus area. A decade ago, you could find clubs that served alcohol, and dancers that kept both tops and bottoms on, OR you could go to strictly juice bars where the girls took everything off.

Now we have topless clubs like Columbus Gold and BYOB nude clubs like Plush. Yep, BYOB. In a club like Plush, you will find that not only do you pay a crazy cover charge, but you have to bring your own booze as well. A cover of $20 is normal. Once inside, the servers bring you cups and mixers, which you are also charged for. It is done this way because the club does not have a liquor license, but as private property without one, you are allowed to bring your own. The cover, cups and mixers are how the club makes its money.

At Plush the girls are going to be 18-35. You do find the occasional “doll” here, but overall these are the girls who do not make great money simply working in a topless club. Plush is open later than the topless clubs though, as all alcohol serving establishments have to be closed up by 2:30am. Oftentimes, you will find girls who will leave the topless clubs and work the very late shifts, so both the number and “quality” of girls improves as the night wears on.

A few interesting things about Plush

This is a late night place. They don’t even open until midnight.

This club used to be the very nicely kept Remington’s and Club Cabaret before that. It is a well maintained establishment.

As with most of the BYOB establishments, the club used to serve alcohol, but lost a valid liquor license after too many liquor control violations. Liquor control violations can range from pretty bad (repeated underage service) to pretty silly (like a dancer asked a customer to buy her a drink), and the license was in jeopardy long before the current owner took over.

The parking lot is well lit, well maintained and patrolled regularly by both club and shopping center security.

The club is also right on busy 161. This is not the place to go if you don’t want people to see your car in the parking lot of a “girlie club.”

Plush Gentlemen’s Club
5638 Columbus Sq.
In the Columbus Square Shopping Center on 161

12-5 AM Mon.-Thurs.
12-6 AM Fri. & Sat.

(614) 890-6050

As always, whether you are bringing alcohol or having it served to you, Columbus clubs want you back healthy and happy and without a $6000 DUI hanging over your head. If you are going to drink, PLEASE do not drive.

Big events are happening this weekend at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

First, the HOF is introducing a new batch of inductees. There will be a big induction dinner and a chance to meet all of the current inductees, as well as mingle with some of the honorees from past years. I cannot say who exactly you might run into, but previous inductees include Jeremy McGrath, Jay Leno, Dot Robinson and a whole mess of Harleys and Davidsons.

This year’s inductees are:
Rex Beauchamp, flat-track racer
Bob Greene, magazine editor and off-road racer and organizer
Pat Hennen, the first American to win a 500cc World Grand Prix
Professor Hugh H. “Harry” Hurt, award-winning author and leader of the groundbreaking “Hurt Report” study of motorcycle crashes
Mike Kiedrowski, four-time AMA Motocross champion
Sammy Miller, trials competitor, designer and historian
Trampas Parker, two-time World Motocross champion
Derek and Don Rickman, designers of the famed motorcycle frames that carry their name
Orie Steele, Sr., national hillclimb champion in the 1920s
Billy Uhl, ISDT medal winner, off-road instructor and activist
Ed Waldheim, off-road motorcycle activist

If that isn’t enough to get you interested, on the 6th. the annual Concours d’Elegance will be held at the museum. Over 100 of the very best bikes of their style (the proverbial “Best in Show” types) will be on display. You will have the opportunity to see true classics from every marquis out there. Then you can go inside the museum and see the modern marvel that is the Motocross America exhibit.

Tickets to both events are limited, but still available.
Call 614-856-2222 Ext. 1234 for details.

Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum
13515 Yarmouth Dr.
Pickerington, OH 43147

As Halloween approaches here in Columbus, our thoughts turn to those who have gone on, and to those who cannot, or will not, go.

If you happen to be in the Worthington area one evening, stop in to the Worthington Inn and have dinner. This is one of the more well-known and historic restaurants in the Columbus area. Yes, the Worthington Inn actually used to be an inn, or what we might refer to today as a B&B.

After having dinner if you are among the last patrons to leave, ask your server about the ghost of the inn. Legend has it that the Worthington Inn is haunted by the ghost of one of the previous owners. By the “look” of him, they guess it is William Bishop who aquired the property in 1854 and was the first to operate the location as an inn.

The ghost of the Worthington Inn is a friendly guy who does no damage to the Inn and only occasionally spooks the employees as they are finishing up for the night. He will move things about, cause employees to walk through cold spots and check over their shoulders again and again and sometimes can be seen at the end of the night, smoking his pipe and crossing the restaurant to check the till for the day’s receipts.

The Worthington Inn is no longer an inn as the rooms have all been renovated into high-end condos. Let’s hope for the new condo owners’ sakes that Mr. Bishop approves of the change.

The Worthington Inn is centrally located on High St. in Worthington, just south of St. Rt. 161.

And by the way, the food is actually pretty good. The restaurant garners many local resaturant awards year after year, so the spirits must be happy here.

649 High St
Call (614) 885-2600 or click HERE for reservations.

The Ohio Reformatory at Mansfield is actually a beautiful piece of classic architecture. This is such a strange situation, because the former prison now has its own non-profit organization that dedicates itself to maintaining and restoring the buildings. So lovely is it, that many people actually get married there.

People intentionally wanting to get married at the prison. Freaky huh?

But not as freaky as what happens there every October. Each year the reformatory is taken over by spooks and spirits, freaks and zombies and monsters of every kind.

This year the haunted prison theme is “The Night ‘They’ Came Home.” This is the longest haunted attraction in Ohio and one of the best. In past years they have done things like split up your party separating the guys from the gals. They are advertising “Cell Block Hell” so who knows what kind of surprises they have in store for visitors this year?

Good To Know Before You Go:

This is one of the longest running and most popular Haunted Attractions in Ohio. Prepare to wait for two hours or more before entering the prison. The closer it gets to Halloween, the longer you will have to wait.

This is not for small children, leave them at home.

NO REFUNDS

Do not enter the haunt unless you want to finish it. This is not a run through and finish it in five minutes kind of thing. It will take about 45 minutes for you to complete the haunt.

The idea behind the haunt is “Special FX meets the Supernatural.” Yes, the prison is actually supposed to be haunted, so while there are actors there to “boo” you, you never know who else might actually be there.

Admission is $15, they do not run out of tickets, but you may run out of time.

The website lists a VIP waiting area. As with Dead Acres, I have no idea what constitutes a VIP.

Through Halloween:
Thursdays 7-11, Fridays and Saturdays 7-12, Sundays 7-10

Note: If the “Halloween Haunted Attraction” thing really isn’t for you, you can wait until after the commercial haunting season is over and take either a Ghost Hunt or go on a Ghost Walk through the prison. The Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society offers them throughout the year.

BTW–if you think the prison looks familiar you are probably right. This is the location where they filmed the Stephen King film, The Shawshank Redemption.

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Columbus, OH