Exploring the middle ground
Day 5: Bridges, Heroes, and a Giant Snail in Columbus
We started the morning in Columbus, exploring a few neighborhoods to see if any might feel like “home.” It didn’t take long to decide that, while it’s a nice city to visit, it probably isn’t a place we’d want to settle down. Still, it was worth taking the time to see what it had to offer.
Our next stop was the Dietz Covered Bridge, a lovely old bridge surrounded by peaceful scenery. Ezra was absolutely delighted by the way his footsteps echoed as he ran across it… that hollow, rhythmic sound made him giggle the whole way. The short walk to the bridge was beautiful, though a bit steep coming down from the road. Unfortunately, poor Grammy lost her footing on the embankment and took quite a tumble. She was a trooper, though! We made a quick stop at Dollar Tree to pick up some bandages and got her patched up before continuing our day. She never once complained eventhough we all knew she was in pain.
From there, we visited the 9/11 Memorial. It was a powerful experience: when we arrived, a small crew was there polishing the displays in preparation for the anniversary the next day. They kindly gave us a few moments to ourselves, allowing us to take in the memorial quietly. The kids were thoughtful and curious as we talked about what happened that day. They touched the bent subway tracks, twisted elevator shafts, and warped metal from the towers, listening carefully as we told them about the people who lost their lives and the heroes who rushed in to help. It was a sobering but meaningful stop … one that truly touched their tender hearts.
Afterward, we made our way to the Ohio Statehouse, where the mood lifted again. The kids had a blast pretending to be mayors and learning about how city budgets work though, of course, the gift shop may have been the real highlight.
We came across one of the most unexpected (and hilariously corny) roadside sights we’ve ever seen… a giant field of corn! Row after row of enormous concrete ears, each one perfectly lined up like a surreal art exhibit in the middle of town. We couldn’t resist stopping to take a few photos. The kids thought it was the funniest thing ever. They pretended it bite it and lick it and sang corny songs about corn… “Who plants statue corn?” they asked. It was such a quirky, perfectly Ohio kind of stop.
We took a little hike to a waterfall… let’s call it the waterfall that was not! We got there and it was dry. A man said he had grown up near by and visited it often. This was the first year he had ever seen it dry. It was still a nice walk. Poor Luca was at it again. He tripped while racing his brother and skinned up his knee in the parking lot on the way back to the car. It was oozing but we had Band-Aids thank to events earlier in the day!
We wrapped up the day at the Dublin Art Center, where we met the famous giant snail sculpture. Between the massive ears of corn and the oversized snail, it definitely felt like a day of big art and even bigger memories.
By the time we got back to the hotel, everyone was tired but smiling… grateful for a day that balanced history, humor, and heart. #WeDewTravel
