Right Now Downtown

Columbus could take some inspiration from Lucy the Elephant in Margate City, New Jersey.  Lucy is a 128-year-old, six-story building that has served as a real estate office, summer home, and tavern.  She draws thousands of visitors each year and helps to put Margate “on the map.”

Imagine the visual impact of the Santa Maria dry docked at Rich and High or Nationwide and Neil.  It would certainly draw more visitors than it does hidden in the Scioto River at Battelle Park.  The Santa Maria would make a great Columbus gift shop.

If it were dry docked next to COSI, it could be an added attraction for COSI visitors.  Sell it to Chris Corso or Rajesh Lahoti and see what they can do with it.  Or park it at the Columbus Health Department to create a display about scurvy to freak kids into eating their fruits and vegetables.

Columbus may not have a six-story pachyderm, but the Santa Maria has great potential.

THE LAZY MAN’S GUIDE TO EXPERIENCE COLUMBUS DAYS

There’s a couple ways to approach the three days of festivities known as Experience Columbus Days.  You could do a willy-nilly drive around, frantically hitting as many discount deals as possible.

With that approach comes stress and angst.  Who needs all the drama when the best bang for the buck comes in one concentrated area?  Enter Downtown Columbus…

1.  It starts with a visit to the Santa Maria (the only option with an authentic Christopher Columbus connection).  Guests can explore a real relic and take the official tour at a buy one/get one rate.

2.  Over at the Ohio Statehouse, tours are always FREE.  That said, it’s a great way to celebrate the weekend and the tours of the Statehouse building and museum are going full force on Saturday and Sunday.

3.  When the demands of this rigorous schedule render you too weak to walk, enter SegAway Tours.  Now famous for the fabulously interesting local trivia tidbits, at 50% off, you save a whopping $22.50 per rider.

Of course, you’ll need sustenance to survive our grueling itinerary.  The weekend celebration includes 25% off your tab at local Dine Originals restaurants.  Downtown members include Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails,  Elevator Brewery & Draught Haus, and Due Amici.  Check out experiencecolumbusdays.com for more information and the discount flyer.