Columbus, Ohio's events calendar offers lots of lures to inspire wanderlust: Festival Latino (Aug. 13 and 14), Riverfront Arts Festival (Sept. 30-Oct. 2) or the Ohio State University Buckeyes football season that begins Sept. 3, among them.
Actually, you don't need to wait for a festival or football. Any time is a good time to visit Ohio's state capital and largest city.
Pedestrian friendly neighborhoods such as the Arena District, North Short Arts District and German Village invite exploration and lingering. Diners will encounter an abundance of interesting new restaurants and others that have welcomed patrons since the 1880s. And a plethora of big city museums and attractions offer entertainment and enlightenment to adults and children.
Investigate
COSI (Center of Science and Industry), Columbus's hands-on science center fits more than 300 interactive exhibits in 100,000 square feet of space that offers interactive learning experiences for tots, teens, adults and everyone in between. Visitors can try cracking codes, learn about watersheds, visit an energy efficient home and experiment with electricity.
Through Sept. 5, "Dinosaurs: Explore. Escape. Survive" provides perspectives on the big boys of paleontology with a temporary exhibit of animatronic dinosaurs, computer simulators that let you be a dinosaur and a huge interactive maze. Details: 614-228-2674 or www.cosi.org .
Amble
Past the vintage architecture, wrought iron fences, tree-shaded brick-paved streets in German Village, is a 233-acre neighborhood that dates back to the mid-1800s. Start at the German Village Meeting Haus at 588 S. Third St. to pick up a walking tour. End your visit with a pint and a knockwurst at Schmidt's Restaurant and Sausage Haus, 220 1/2 E. Kossuth St. 614-221-8888 or www.germanvillage.com .
Explore
Short North Arts District, a 20-block stretch of North High Street offers an eclectic mix of restaurants, independent merchants and art galleries. Use the map from the District's website to check out the neighborhood, its colorful murals and the bakery, produce and butchery merchants whose indoor stalls fill the North Market at 59 Spruce St. Details: 614-299-8050 or www.shortnorth.org .
Relax
If Georges Seurat had been a landscaper instead of a painter, he might have created this whimsical Topiary Park garden, which which has been snipped and shaped to represent the artist's Post-Impressionist painting "A Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grand Jatte." Benches, picnic tables and lots of tree-shaded lawn would make it a great site for a picnic on Sunday or any day of the week. Details: 614-645-0197 or www.topiarygarden.org .
Putter
Visit the Jack Nicklaus Museum to learn about the history of golf and the life of a golfing great. Exhibits and videos trace the history of the sport from its Scottish roots and feather balls. Pick up tips on how to design a golf course. Admire trophies, photographs and mementos from Nicklaus's career. Details: 614-247-5959 or www.nicklausmuseum.org .
Splash
Take a dip in or admire Scioto Mile Fountains in John W. Galbreath Bicentennial Park where getting wet is not just allowed, but encouraged. The newly opened fountains employ almost 1,000 computer programmed water jets that synchronize with lighting to make this 15,000 square-foot water fountain spectacular by day or after dark.
Water streams skyward, tumbles, dances, spurts and sways and contributes clouds of mist and fog. Swinging benches, traditional park benches, and card and chess tables encourage lingering as does the nearby Milestone 229 restaurant that overlooks the watery display. On select evenings, the nearby bandshell hosts free concerts and open-air movie screenings. Details: 614-545-4700 or www.sciotomile.com .
Observe
Daily butterfly releases and glass-blowing demonstrations, a collection of Chihuly glass sculptures and more than 400 species of plants are just some of the attractions that fill 88 acres of indoor and outdoor gardens at the Franklin Park Conservatory. Beginning Aug 20 and running through Nov. 6, the exhibit "Hungry Planet: Local Food | Global View" explores what's on dinner tables around the world though photographs and a hands-on interactive area for children. Details: 614-645-8733 or www.fpconservatory.org .
