Extended StayAmerica Columbus-Worthington

Westerville, Ohio - Norman Rockwell fun

by tvdandy

About 10 mile Northeast of Columbus, off of interstate 270 is the town of Westerville. This has a postcard perfect feel to it, like the ideal main street USA. You might think you might see Andy, Barney and Aunt Bee. Great little walking town with a great coffeeshop, nice restaurants, galleries and so forth. In nearby Alumni Creek Park there is a stage area where summer music festivals are performed. This is also somewhat of a collegetown itself with Otterbein College about a block from 'uptown'. A nice place to spend half a day and grab a meal, or a full day if there is a festival.

Breakfast and Dinner at

by deecat about The Plaza Restaurant and Lounge

The hotel has a wonderful restaurant called The Plaza Restaurant and Lounge where we ate two breakfasts and one dinner. It is considered "one of the best restaurants in Columbus". I can see why. There is a stunning view of an outdoor fountain courtyard or a view of the State Capitol Building.

They offer afternoon tea Monday-Saturday, and The Lounge has a vast array of wines-by-the-glass.

Breakfast Hours:
Monday-Saturday 6:30am-11:30am

Brunch:
Sunday 10:30 am-2:00 pm

Lunch:
Monday-Saturday 11:30 am-1:30 pm

Dinner:
Sunday-Saturday 6 pm-10 pm%s For breakfast, the orange juice was freshly squeezed. Our complimentary breakfast was a combination of sweet rolls, muffins, and bread rolls with butter and jam, coffee or tea, and Orange juice.

We were not very hungry we ate dinner at The Plaza Restaurant and Lounge so we shared a meal. The salad was outstanding with lettuce, tomatoes, crumbled feta cheese, candied nuts, and madrin oranges. The portion that you see in the photograph is my half of the salad I shared with JIll. We also shared a pasta that was absolutely delicious...subtle, delicate, yet spicey. We ended the evening with lovely Cappuccino.

Tour the State House

by deecat

Ohio's statehouse was renovated at a cost of $114-million dollars. It has modern "safety features and technological advancements". There is a reproduction stained-glass skylight "with a replica of the 1861 Seal of Ohio" I was amazed to learn that this replica was financed by schoolchildren throughout Ohio!

The Statehouse has Faux finishes, leaded ceilings, and mostly reproduction furniture (1800s).

This building is one of the nation's finest examples of Greek Revival architecture! Since early Ohioans wanted this capitol to symbolize the state's democratic form of government, they looked to the architecture of ancient Greek city-states; thus, they based the "Ohio Statehouse on the design of ancient Greek temples."

The Statehouse has a Ground Floor with the Map Room, The Crypt, The Capitol Cafe, Museum Shop, Travel & Tourism Information Center, and The Light Courts.

It also has the First Floor with The George Washington Williams Memorial Room, The Rotunda, Governor's Ceremonial Office, The Atrium, and the Grand Stair Hall.

The Second Floor houses the Senate Chamber, the House Chamber, North & South Hearing rooms.

The literature says that the Statehouse serves as the seat of government, a working office building, a special event venue, an educational center, and a historic landmark..

As you tour this beautiful building, you will see how it serves in all those ways.

The Ohio Historical Society provides guided tours and displays historical artifacts in the Statehouse Education and Visitors Center.
FreeGuided tours from Third St. entrance
Monday-Friday 9:30-3:15 (every 15 minutes
Saturday-Sunday 12:30, 2, and 3

Self-guided tours also available Monday-Friday 9-5; Saturday-Sunday 11-4. Takes about one and a half hours.

Kids enjoy the COSI

by butterflykizzez04

While waiting for the Titanic exhibit to open. The kids were playing with different gadgets.

This is a children's hands-on museum so everything can be touched and tried out.
A nice for change for the kids.

Home of the Buckeyes

by TRimer

My family actually "lived" in Columbus when I was in fourth grade. My dad ran a business there and he kept an apartment in Upper Arlington where he would stay during the work week. The rest of the family stayed in New York and we would fly about once a month to Columbus for the weekend on TWA- yes, I knew all of the stewardesses in First Class. I don't remember a whole lot from that time in my life, except that there were not a lot of restaurant choices- we went to Ponderosa Steak House a lot- and not a ton to do - I remember visiting a museum with minerals/rocks.

"Wonderful Easton"

Now when I visit Columbus (which is about once a month since it is part of my territory at work), I try to stay in Easton as opposed to downtown. From what I have been told, Easton was developed as a test village by The Limited to introduce new products at its concept stores. I know it as a great place with good restaurants (Smith and Wollensky, Mitchells, Ocean Grill), fantastic shopping (can we say GREAT Victoria Secret, Intimisso, Bath and Body) and a few hotels.