Picking up Zoe on my way to drop KangKang off in Columbus was the best idea I had in awhile 🙂 She was exactly who I needed to be with to reset.
Zoe will be moving to LA next month and I plan to road trip with her there and help get her situated. A fun memory filled cross country drive is on the calendar with a van rental booked and no return ticket home. Who knows, maybe I will stay awhile. The benefits of working remote!
I googled mapped a trail to hike to help break up the drive home and ended up along the river with a view of the city of Columbus.
We only did the small area in the Audubon Park
As we were walking Zoe started pointing things out to me with her creative vision.
I grabbed her and hugged her because it was exactly what I needed to wake up and see” again. The milky color of the ice and how the clouds reflected beautifully off the still water. My senses came back. My love of nature returned.
The path was fully paved which is not my preference but given the recently melted snow it probably served us better.
My girl. I’ve taught her well. We were wearing the new scarves that KangKang gave us. I was wearing a new hat from my sister, Trisha and a Christmas gift hoodie Zoe got for me. I felt like a kid wearing all my new stuff!
The bare trees can be ugly compared to the bright leaves they wore two months prior, but when you place them against a sunset or a clear backdrop, they become art again.
I really enjoyed our first winter hike. Hoping there are more to come.
There was construction disconnecting the trail from the adjacent side. As we walked up to the higher level we saw a view of the city.
We found the climbing wall and I wished I had the strength still in me to do it. I feel recently as if age has taken a toll on me. Maybe its menopausal or maybe its just winter depression, but I need to get myself back mentally and physically.
As we circled back around there was a nature center. I’m sure this park is booming in warmer weather.
We saw a young man pull up and get his paddle board out. We needed an excuse to see how he was going to get it off the ice. Zoe took a step out to test the solidity.
Hungover to all hell, we managed to mustered up enough energy to take in the art museum. I purchased tickets in advance for their special exhibit. I’d heard, via social media, that they had some VanGoghs on display and Sunday was the last day to see them.
I haven’t visited the Columbus Museum of Art before, so thought this would be a perfect opportunity to check it out before we left the city.
Isn’t this the coolest sign? Love it and it even works as a street lamp.
Some sculpture on display outside. Ground still a bit frozen from the storm that came through earlier that week.
These were slices of glass hanging from the ceiling. I was able to capture this view as I was coming down the staircase.
Van Gogh, a truly recognizable genius.
Amazing texture and simplicity in his complex style.
Mixed in with Van Gogh were other artist’s work. This one I recognized instantly because I was just given a notebook with it on the cover. Was interesting in the write up, they explained how the crest of the waves looked like claws up close and gave the turbulent feel to the aggression of the sea.
I felt at home when looking at this. As if I belonged with them.
This sculpture was my favorite. I absolutely adore the crochet and metal horn /toy mix.
Up close you can even see the bunny.
George pointed out the man hanging upside down inside of this one. I didn’t notice it before. Instead I was just admiring the metal wire’s geometry. Sunny, my Cambly student from Korea, said it expressed modern society and how we are entangled inside of it.
3 dimensional modern art.
I thought this was clever how they were asking people what they thought about a piece of art. What they saw in it. The answers were so interesting to me. I imagine that is what art is all about. Showing how something so simple can mean so many different things to different people. No matter what was intended by its creator, it is truly in the eyes of the beholder.
I’ve always been a fan of collage and this artwork I could have starred at for hours. Each photo was individually held up by thin metal pins. I literally laughed out loud at the mug shot of Hugh Grant.
They had so much diversity in the art they displayed. I was strangely proud of this museum’s ability to represent all forms. This photography display was powerful covering a large wall.
And this portrait was painted by a native Columbus man. He painted another artist who mentored him and damn I think he did him proud! The details and dimension achieved are beautiful.
This sort of had a cubism feel to it in a modern way which included real cloth layers.
I took this photo from an angle in attempt to capture the dimension of the wood cut piece. It had such depth and meaning. It was expressing how children learn and are influenced from social media.
They actually had a section labeled as “queer”. I wasnt sure what to expect, but it had many art pieces from gay artists. Many representing struggles and internal fears.
George pointed out this great piece to me. It was a huge display with many different landscapes. When you look closer, you can see how the artist took a variety of postcards from different places around the globe and then finished painting what he/she envisioned would be around it. What a cool project and masterpiece.
This curvy clear glass sculpture worked absolutely perfectly in the forefront of the stark barren trees outside the window behind it.
After visiting the Otherworld venue, George wanted to visit a few local cider and mead makers to better understand the business he is in. Any alcohol tasting- I’m in!
Our first stop was up north off Cleveland Avenue behind a Somali restaurant and marketplace. It had snowed the night before and the driveways were unplowed. I began to wonder where the heck we were going, but thankful for George’s new tires!
But then we came across a cute super green themed place called Mad Moon Cidery.
An adorable local joint with a very welcoming feel.
We ordered tastings of every flavor of cider available.
Easily emptied. Quite a variety of options, each unique. I would say most were very light and nothing was too offensive. Has a female cider maker which is cool.
Afterwards, we headed south to a Columbus Meadery right off of High Street called Brothers Drake.
Was a bit difficult to find, located behind a Goodwill in a blue like shed. Inside was a well laid out bar complete with a small music venue.
There was quite a variety of flavors which we again tested out. While George chatted with the mead makers I started texting my Findlay friends to see if they could meet us out and they were immediately available and headed our way.
Cannot tell you how excited I was to have these guys for the night! Todd- I’ve known since high school and we worked together at Bill Knapps which is sadly no longer. Joe and Dennis literally lived in my small neighborhood growing up and we have way too many childhood memories together! Then David has had a locker beside mine since junior high (Bond-Bott y’know the alphabetical system) and we lived several years in NYCity together. He showed me the ropes in Manhattan and we knew where to always find the cheapest pitchers of beer! All of them hold a special place in my heart and it was great having George amongst them.
I asked them to pose in front of the “Love is Love” graffiti ! I love how this city embraces and supports this community boldly and proudly.
Our personalities displayed in our beer choices!
Todd looks the same as he always did and his laugh is so deep and memorable. I missed it!
Dennis still sporting his excellent head of hair, now slowly greying.
Anyone that knows me understands that sometimes I see something and I just jump to try it. Very little research is usually done and the experience of it is worth everything, I don’t analyze to see if its worth the monetary costs$, which is why I’m usually broke, and I don’t read reviews to see if I should go or not, unless its an Airbnb and then those reviews are important 🙂
The Otherworld was one of those times. I follow an Instagram site for things to do in Ohio and when I saw a photo of this place, I booked an Airbnb in Columbus and decided to make a road trip out of it.
I found this review on the internet to help describe this place for this blog “Otherworld is an art installation built by more than 40 artists. They filled a 32,000-square-foot facility with large-scale works, secret passages, and playgrounds that blur the line between virtual and digital. Each of Otherworld’s 47 rooms is designed to resemble a science-fiction fantasyland.”
I honestly had no idea that is what I was getting into, but that description sums it up nicely.
What fun right? Nothing but room after room of creativity.
Some rooms you walk into and its difficult to really make anything of it except being in some crazy creative’s head! Which is totally worth the trip in itself.
This room was a cobweb maze of glow in the dark cords, complete with hanging swings which were always occupied.
Sometimes walking into rooms made me feel like I was on a movie set or Avatar.
People of all ages were there. It was an indescribable experience.
When you ducked into this mouth, there was a uvula hanging down.
You could crawl into the mouths of a lot of lower tunnels and find yourself in another fantasy land when you exited.
I was fascinated by all the materials used, the textures, creative use of fabrications. Wondered what I would do if given a room to design.
Of course mirrors played a large part in the visual effects.
I enjoyed walking through these strands of loose everchanging colored lights.
A few rooms were underwater themed with constant movement and walls you could interact with some complete with sound effects.
George and I- lost in the halls of mirrors which seemed like a never-ending tunnel.
Cool to see how color effects your mood.
It was fun to just surround yourself in a new experience with no expectations or agenda.
Tonya Takes Thailand 