COLUMBUS, Ohio (defeo.biz) — It was dark when I was driving to Athens. I kept thinking about The Jayhawks’ song, “Somewhere in Ohio.”
It didn’t come on the radio. That would have been too perfect.
Ah, Ohio. “The Heart of it All.” I know what you’re thinking. Corn fields. Flat landscape. Swing state.
Forget it. Ohio is a great place to visit. It’s time we rethink an Ohio getaway. And, here are five reasons why.
Great Museums
From the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on the banks of Lake Erie to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio is home to a diverse range of museums. Makes sense, given how much of the nation’s history either happened here or has ties to the state. Think the Wright Brothers. Coincidentally, there is a museum to them, also in Dayton, their home town.
Phenomenal Food
As a college student, Schmidt’s Sausage Haus Und Restaurant in Columbus’ famed German Village was the perfect restaurant. All-you-can-eat meat. As an adult, the glory is that much greater.
A Sense of History
Ohio is also known as “The Cradle of Presidents” since eight presidents are from the state. But, that’s really just more recent history. People have been coming here since about 13,000 BC, when the first nomads wandered to what is today Ohio. The state has some of the country’s most remarkable Indian Mounds, such as the Newark Earthworks in Newark and Heath.
Unique Events
Every year, base ball teams from across the region converge on Columbus for the Ohio Cup Vintage Base Ball Festival, which features games using rules from the 1860s. That means batters can choose where they want their pitches, balls caught on the first bounce are still an out and sliding is prohibited. It may be just one event, but it’s one of the more quirky events that shows just how much fun Ohio can be.
Random Roadside Oddities
There may be no more random of a place than the field of concrete corn in Dublin, Ohio. It’s a personal favorite. Often known as Cornhenge, the field of 109 six-foot-tall concrete ears of corn plays tribute to the community’s farming past. It’s just one of many random roadies attractions waiting to be discovered.