Earlier this year Gene and I were in West Virginia checking out their state capitol building and exploring the area. While in the area, we also decided to take a tour of the Ohio State House as they call it. It is located in the city of Columbus, OH and was a very interesting capitol. It is situated on a 10 acre parcel of land in the Franklinton area on the west side of the Scioto River.
Construction actively began on July 4, 1839 with the ceremonial laying of the cornerstone. Interestingly enough, prison labor from the Ohio Penitentiary was used to construct the foundation and ground floors of the building. Designed with a Greek Revival style, the broad horizontal mass of the building and the even and regular rows of columns resemble such buildings as the . The Statehouse was opened to legislators and the public in 1857 when the House and Senate began meeting in their respective chambers and most of the executive offices were occupied. It was completed in 1861. This amazing building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 31, 1972, and was designated as a US National Historic Landmark on December 22, 1977.
Sadly we came in between tours and only had some much time that day. Thus we grabbed a self-tour guide and made our way into the building. The first thing you can’t help but notice is their huge liberty bell. I love how they have it showcased so proudly to welcome guests and visitors. Of course we had to take a few pictures and made our way to where the tours start (even though we weren’t doing a guided tour, we thought it would be a great place to start). This remarkable room is stated to be one of the most popular elements of the Ohio State House. On the floor in this room you will find a large map of Ohio which illustrates Ohio’s 88 counties. This true-to-scale map allows visitors to pass through all of Ohio’s counties during one visit to the Statehouse in less than 30 seconds. Much quicker than driving through them, lol. It was such an entertaining way to show all the different counties in Ohio. Not to be overshadowed by the flooring, the room itself is constructed of five different types of marble from around the world. It is a truly beautiful room.
One thing that most capitols buildings have is a rotunda, and I wanted to share a little bit before I moved onto the cambers and such. The Ohio State House does indeed have a rotunda, and it is very unique. To start with, the floor of the Statehouse rotunda is composed of almost 5,000 individual pieces of marble, which were cut and fitted by hand. Can you imagine how long that took? Anyway, what is so unique is that the design at the center of the floor traces the development of the United States. There are 13 stones in the center which represent the original colonies and there are three rings symbolizing areas of territory that enlarged the nation. Surrounding the rings is a star burst with 32 points, one for each of the states in the Union when the floor was laid down. Surrounding the entire design is a gray band representing the U.S. Constitution. I thought this was so wonderful and impressed with all the thought that went into the floor of the rotunda.
Of course, while in the rotunda you have to look up and check out the dome from the interior. In the middle of the dome is a hand-painted Great Seal of Ohio, a reproduction of the Seal that was in use in 1861 when the Rotunda was completed It is also quite impressive. It is not just a dome, but it is also what they call a cupola. The cupola is 70 ft. tall and 64 ft. wide and acts as an observation deck for viewing the surrounding city. A note of history, this area is the last original unrenovated area of the Ohio Statehouse. If you want to climb about 300 steps I think, tours are available by special request and visitors traditionally sign their names on the cupola’s walls. We didn’t know about this, thus didn’t go up there, but apparently the oldest signature reads “J. Cook 1870”. Wow, so amazing.
I always love checking out the Senate and House of Representatives at capitols so we decided ot head upstairs and see if we were able to get in without a tour guide. Before I share a little about the chamber, I have to share some information about the grand stairs at the Ohio State House. They are truly amazing and beautiful. They are a matching pair of staircases that were built in 1901 and lead to the second floor. At the top of the stair is an equally amazing stained glass seal which is surrounded by murals which depict some important Ohio themes: art, justice, agriculture, and manufacturing. Lighting made it difficult to get a good picture, but it was so beautiful.
We finally made it to the Senate and the House of Representatives Chambers. The Senate Chamber is approximately the same size as the House Chamber and accommodates Ohio’s 33 Senators, while the House of Representatives accommodates Ohio’s 99 Representatives. The desks on the Senate floor are reproductions of the originals, with the exception that these desks are wired for microphones, telephones and computers. The representatives’ desks rest on a raised platform, which was added at the turn of the twentieth century. This platform now provides representatives with disabilities easier access to the floor and creates space for computer, telephone and microphone wiring. From what it looks and sounds like the color scheme in the Senate and House Chamber is the same as it appeared in 1861 and features approximately 25 different colors of paint, mostly French blue, straw yellow and salmon.
If you are at the capitol try to take some time and check out the grounds. There are a lot of them, but I would be amiss to not mention the statue of Christopher Columbus, the namesake of the Ohio capital city. As the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s first voyage approached in 1892 many Americans sought ways to recognize what many felt was the beginning of the nation’s history. Thus one resident had a statue of the Italian explorer made which is now a fixture of Capitol Square. The base upon which the statue is mounted was created in 1992, the five hundredth anniversary of Columbus’s voyage, and was rededicated on Columbus Day of that year.
I enjoyed learning a little bit about Ohio history and touring this amazing capitol. You can feel how much work and thought went into all the details to make the capitol as beautiful and meaningful as it is today. If you are even in the area, or passing through, it is worth the time to stop and visit, even if it’s just a quick tour. You will not be disappointed. Here is a link to their website with more information. If you have been to this capitol, please drop a line a comment and share your experience. I am interested in what you thought of the building and the grounds. Happy Travels.
Ohio State House Visitor Information
Address:
1 Capitol Square Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone:
614-752-9777
Hours:
Mon. – Fri. 8 a.m. – 5 p.m
Sat. & Sun. 11 a.m. – 5 p.m
Tours:
Guided tours are available every day, except on state holidays. Walk-in tours start on the hour, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays in the Map Room, and on the hour, 12 to 3 p.m. on weekends. Please call 614-728-3726 for more information or to schedule a tour for groups of more than 10 people. Visitors are also welcome to take a self-guided or cell phone tour.
Price:
Free
Parking:
Ohio Statehouse visitors are invited to park in the facility’s underground parking garage. This convenient and affordable parking solution offers direct sheltered access to the Ohio Statehouse and Senate Building. There are fees depending on where you park.
Accessibility:
The Ohio Statehouse is handicapped accessible and senior friendly.
There are designated barrier-free Ohio Statehouse entrances. Accessible entrances are located:
*East side of the CS on Third Street
*Underground Parking Garage South Sliders
Last year, Gene and I spent Christmas and New Years in San Antonio, Texas. One day after spending a few hours at the 
Around 1917 Ray Lambert, the current City Parks Commissioner, visualized an oriental-style garden in the pit of the quarry. He took his vision to engineer W.S. Delery who developed plans for the gardens. To bring his vision to life, Lambert used prison labor to shape the quarry into a complex that included walkways, stone arch bridges, an island and a Japanese pagoda. One unique piece of the garden was the entrance itself.
You can’t really talk about the Japanese Tea Gardens without speaking of Kimi Eizo Jingu, a local Japanese-American artist in 1926. Kimi was alsp a representative of the Shizuoka Tea Association and was considered an expert in the tea business nationally. He and his family moved into the the garden and opened the Bamboo Room, where light lunches and tea were sold.
After Mr. Jingu’s death in the late 1930s, his family continued to operate the tea garden until 1942, when they were evicted because of anti-Japanese sentiment during World War II. It was around this time that the garden was renamed to the Chinese Tea Garden to prevent the razing and vandalism of the tea garden during World War II, as many other cities’ Japanese tea gardens were being vandalized.
In 1984 Mayor Henry Cisneros restored the original “Japanese Tea Garden” designation in a ceremony attended by Jingu’s children as well as representatives of the Japanese government. I personally am SO glad they renamed it back to Japanese and didn’t leave it named Chinese Tea Garden. So sad that they had to do that, but it’s understandable given the circumstances at the time.
Given the Tea Garden’s origin as a rock quarry that played a prominent role in the development of the cement business, as well as its later redevelopment as a garden, the site is designated a Texas Civil Engineering Landmark and a Registered Texas Historic Landmark. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 22, 2004.
Today the Japanese Tea Garden features areas available for rent, which are ideal for small weddings, a memorial service, as well as an area for large corporate gatherings. So happy to share that while we were walking around and checking out the gardens, there was a couple who got engaged right under the beautiful water fall. How sweet and romantic!
We also saw many ponds filled with aquatic plants and many koi fish, some of the largest I have seen. There were also a lot of cute little bridges which I love and took many pictures of, lol. It was such a cool and our furbaby Dolly had a fun time running around and smelling everything shoud could. In all seriousness, it is a very peaceful place. I realy enjoyed taking a bunch of pictures, then just sitting around and relaxing while doing a little people watching. Here is a link to a 
A couple of years ago we only had a few days for our anniversary so we spent a long weekend in 
I am going to share a little history about the mine before I share our experience. According to their website, the Phoenix Gold Mine is a family business was purchased in 1868 by their family of 4th generation Colorado Miners. They estimate that the mine has produced over 100,000 troy ounces of gold. For those of you who didn’t know, like me, one troy ounce is equal to 1.097 standard ounces.
In 1988 they decided to share their passion for prospecting, mining, and panning for gold with others by offering tours. During the tours they talk about geology, history, and mining equipment. You will see 2 different gold veins (gold in its natural setting). Both gold veins are beautiful and quite different because of their mineral content. You will learn about how gold is extracted from the rock and processed to its pure form in our underground mill. It is quite an interesting process.
The day of our tour we got there a little early and waited while the group in front of us finished their tour. We met some of the people that were going to tour with us and were given these fancy hard hats to wear during the tour. You can see our group all ready to go in the picture below.
Our tour guide was not only a guide, but one of the owners. Not surprisingly he was very informative and knew everything about the mine and its working. He explained things in a way that we could understand and really appreciate the impact they have had here in Colorado and area. I felt we were very lucky to have him lead us around and answer any questions we had.
Sadly I don’t remember all the stories he shared, but he was definitely entertaining and I highly suggest doing your own tour and see what you can learn and maybe go home with a trinket of gold if you wish to try your luck at panning for gold.
Tours are given on the hour and each tour is about 1 hour. Tours include a hands-on gold panning lesson with our combo package. Things to note, tours consist of less than 500 feet of walking, but temperature is approximately 45 degrees Fahrenheit. A light jacket or sweatshirt is recommended. One other thing, the Phoenix Mine Company is also dog friendly and more than happy to accommodate your furry friend(s) as long as they are on a leash, get along with other dogs, and are comfortable around other people.
We had a great time touring the mine and definitely learned a lot. If you are in the area, I highly suggest doing a mine tour, especially the Phoenix Gold Mine. Here is a link to their 
While in Little Rock, Arkansas we did a lot of exploring, and enjoyed checking out the Arkansas River. One of the cool things we saw was the Junction Bridge near the 
This $5.8 million rehab project resulted in the 360-foot lift span being permanently fixed at thirty-eight feet above the river, with access provided by stairs or a glass-enclosed elevator. About eighty percent of the project was supplied by federal funds, with Little Rock, North Little Rock, and Pulaski County providing the remainder, as well as ongoing maintenance funding. The Junction Bridge was dedicated for its new use on May 17, 2008, and serves as an important link in the Arkansas River Trail system.
Today Junction Bridge is part of the Arkansas River Trail, and connects the popular River Market with the Argenta Historic District, ALLTEL Arena, and Dickey-Stephens Park. The bridge also completes a loop on the Arkansas River Trail formed by trails on the north and south sides of the river and the pedestrian-friendly Big Dam Bridge located seven miles to the west.
Since it’s completion in 2008, Junction Bridge has won a couple of awards! The Pedestrian Conversion Project was awarded the 08 Best Transportation Project and was also awarded the 08 Merit for Public Design.
One of the best parts of visiting the Junction Bridge is the fact that is part of Riverfront Park. This is such a cool park and definitely worth visiting. There are great views of the bridge and lots of places to take photos, including the silly one above.
Besides the great view of the bridge, you will also find that the history pavilion of the park takes you on a trip back in time. It is also home to an Indian Head statue which was carved by Peter Toth in 1975. This statue was one of approximately sixty Native American likenesses that he carved in all 50 states. The statue represents a tribute to Native Americans.
Riverfront Park is also home to more than 100 works of art across its 30+ acre campus. The highest density is found in the Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden. Sadly we didn’t have much time to check out the art sculptures, but did have a wonderful time walking around, reading some plaques, and watching the kids run around. Even our doggie seemed to have fun being out in the open air.
