Crane
We had the best gyros we’ve had in years last night. Danita was looking for non-chain restaurants with good reviews. She found a place that was a very easy walk from our hotel. (We didn’t even have to cross a street.) We both ordered gyros and were amply rewarded. They got all the basic elements of a gyro right, plus the lamb was plentiful, tender, and very flavorful. Why can’t we get good gyros in Columbia? I’ll never understand.
Unfolded Crane
It was a short ride to Columbus — 75 miles / 60 minutes. We started out at the botanical gardens. It was a perfect day for walking around outside and the were beautiful. We eventually went inside, which was just as nice. They had a special origami exhibit that was all full of unfolded cranes and stuff. But I liked my real crane better. There’s more pictures at the bottom of the post. We got an ice cream from the cafe, then headed off to the history museum and village. They were having an old-time baseball exhibit. We ate lunch under the shade of a tree with the sounds of old-time baseball in the background.
Portable TV
The history museum was much more interesting than I expected. I enjoyed the exhibit on Lustron pre-fab houses, both for the house and for the 1950-era furnishings (including cowboy curtains and PJs with a pattern I found vaguely familiar from an early point in my life). Before Lustron went belly-up, they managed to make quite a few houses. About 2,000 still exist, which makes Lustron much more successful than Buckmaster Fuller’s Dymaxion house, which is displayed at the Henry Ford museum. There was also a 1950-something Chevrolet Bel Air pulling an Airstream trailer. Another highlight was an early portable TV from Philco.
Playground
The village was equally interesting and much more photogenic. They had a recreation of 1898 life, with the usual assortment of stores and such; as well as typical houses for lower class, middle class, and upper class families. The playground had toys that are out of style such as teeter-totters. Re-enactors stayed strictly in character. We heard a barbershop quartet and rode a 1903 Ford Model A. One of my favorites was the bicycle shop.
A Real Thank You
We are staying at lowly Holiday Inn Express Hotels. So far, they have been perfectly adequate. But today our hotel offered a service I have never received before. The manager came to our room. He offered us a letter thanking us for our business and offering personal details such as how many loyalty points we have earned so far. Then he gave us a chocolate bar with our name printed on it. We’ve stayed in much ritzier hotels from time to time, but we’ve never received anything like this before.
Crane
Unfolded Pegasus
Origami Frog
Barbershop Quartet
1903 Model A Ford