HUH COLUMBUS?

By Michael Randall
Times Herald-Record
December 03, 2007

Stewart Airport — After discount airline Skybus announced it would start offering flights to Columbus, Ohio, one question seemed inevitable.
Who's going to want to fly to Columbus? (Even if they do have 10 $10 seats on every flight.)
Plenty of people, says Denis Carvill, Skybus vice president for airport/ground operations, who was in town last week to meet with Stewart International Airport officials.
"It's one of those hidden treasures," Carvill said.
One of the other cities Skybus flies to from its base in Columbus is Los Angeles, and those planes are always full when they return to Columbus, he said.
For passengers willing to drive a way after they land, Columbus is within a reasonable driving distance of other Ohio cities — like Cleveland, which has professional sports teams in baseball, basketball and football, not to mention the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
But what about Columbus itself? After all, it is the state capital. What's there to attract visitors?
Well, for starters, it's home to The Ohio State University, meaning local alums now will have a direct and cheap way to fly in for reunions and games, and parents of current students could only be a $10 ticket away from checking to see their sons and daughters aren't getting too caught up in extracurricular activities. (Rolling Stone magazine four years ago rated Columbus No. 10 in the nation for campus scenes that rock.)
For those into historic preservation, there's the German Village, a restored historical German community. Beth Ervin, a spokeswoman for tourism group Experience Columbus, said while the community is preserved, the population is much more diverse there today.
If art is more your thing, Columbus' Short North Art District offers galleries that feature just about any medium, from glass to ceramics. Last year, AmericanStyle Magazine placed Columbus 9th on the list of top arts cities in the nation.
And, of course, everybody knows "Jungle Jack" Hanna, director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo, from his many appearances on "Late Show with David Letterman" and other programs. Fans now can fly to Columbus and catch one of his personal appearances.
Skybus also gives local fliers an alternative to flying to Atlanta to get to the West Coast, though you have to book each flight separately. Skybus doesn't sell connecting flights; like your meal and everything else, you have to order a la carte.
But maybe, with the fares so cheap, you don't need an excuse to go to Columbus. As John D'Ambrosio, president of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce, put it, "For 10 bucks, I'd fly to Columbus, Ohio to have dinner."
Huh? Columbus?So what else is there to see, do or visit in Columbus? Here are a few more possibilities, courtesy of the tourism agency Explore Columbus.- COSI (Center of Science and Industry) Columbus, a 300,000-square-foot interactive science museum, cxomplete with a seven-story "Extreme Screen" theater and a planetarium.- The Jack Nicklaus Museum, where golfers and golf fans can learn everything they want to know, and probably lots more, about the "Golden Bear" and his career.- The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, located next door to the world headquarters of the American Motorcycle Association. Maybe you'll run into Jay Leno, a noted motorcycle enthusiast.- See the only known topiary interpretation of a painting. In the Old Deaf School Park in downtown Columbus, various shrubs and other plants were sculpted to recreate the images of 54 people, eight boats, three dogs, a monkey and a cat from post-impressionist painter Georges Seurat's famous work, "A Sunday on the Island of La Grande Jatte".- Columbus is home to the National Hockey League's Blue Jackets; the New York Yankees' Triple-A minor league team, the Clippers; the Crew, a charter member of Major League Soccer; and the Arena Football League's Destroyers.