We joke from time to time about our stay in Rapid City, where we checked into the Hampton Garden Inn so late that the only room left was the “Presidential Suite”.  This evening, checking into the Hampton Inn, Columbus, we made our way to our room and found the nameplate “Presidential Suite” by the door!  Lo and behold, our suite is e-n-o-r-m-o-u-s and we could have a party in the shower!  But what gives the game away is that Mary’s room is immediately beneath ours and, guess what?  There’s a nameplate by her door that states “Presidential Suite” as well.  I suppose “Vice President Suite”  wouldn’t give the right impression   Still, it’s good to know that when the Obamas are in town, the Hampton Inn is ready and waiting for them.

 

 

We set out from Cleveland heading for Columbus this morning, driving through endless suburbs and wondering when, if ever, we were going to reach the open green Ohio landscape we imagined.

 

 

Eventually, there it was, but it took some finding and it didn’t last long.  Once again, we stuck with the ordinary roads, keeping off the interstate and looking for interest in the small towns and villages along the way.  We drove through more Amish communities, past a few Mennonite homes with bible passages by the front gate and bonneted women tending the vegetable patch.

 

 

But we were never far away from industry and of course, there’s a fair bit of agribusiness to support all those farms too.  That bit wasn’t so pretty.

 

 

So we focused on the parts we liked!

 

 

Soon we were in Central Ohio, right bang slap in the middle when we passed through Centerburg, in fact.  Not far to Columbus now, and a rather different destination than we’d usually include on a road trip.  But recently, I’ve been a woman on a mission – to buy a new sewing machine – and I had some research I wanted to do.

 

 

Beth’s Creative Stitchery is the kind of place I wish was just down the road from me at home.  Sadly, it isn’t, so arriving unannounced this afternoon, how lucky I was that not only was the machine right there in the store, but Sharon was also there, ready and able to answer all my questions.  I was able to sit and try the machine, to explore the controls and to ask as many questions as I could think of.

 

 

Oh my goodness, I wanted to pack it up and bring it home with me!  Sadly, I’ll have to wait; to save up even and make one or two decisions once I’m home.  I wish I could bring Sharon home too, though!

 

 

With a couple of hours left this afternoon, there was time to squeeze in a visit to the Ohio Statehouse, downtown Columbus.  We found a parking space in the underground car park and took the lift straight up to the basement entrance.

 

 

A series of lifts and staircases made what ought to have been a simple self guided tour very challenging!

 

 

Still, we saw the Senate House – nothing happening there this afternoon, sadly.

 

 

The House of Representatives was quiet too.

 

 

I wonder which Congressman chooses to have a model of Superman on his desk?  This was the only personal item in the room- every other desk was identical, impersonal.

 

 

The public areas were elegant if sparsely furnished, with virtually no artwork on the walls at all beyond a couple of large oil paintings in the lobby.

 

 

The dome featured a stained glass roundel identical to that in the museum.  There was also something strange about that dome which was only revealed later.

 

 

That same stained glass panel is here – about six feet in diameter, it was hard to imagine that small central dot so high above us featured all that detail!

 

 

Even stranger was, as we drove past on our way to the hotel, we saw that there was no dome at all!  Isn’t that odd?

 

This evening, we’ve been out to supper and enjoyed two Columbus recommendations: Betty’s and Jenis Splendid Ice Cream.  All three of us are sitting here feeling utterly stuffed!