Ohio Statehouse

Ohio History

Statehouse from Above

The Rhodes Tower also happens to be just a few blocks from the Ohio Statehouse. This allowed us a front-seat view of the Statehouse from the air. The unusual green roof has always been a characteristic of our statehouse, as well as the rounded cupola on top. The wing on the front (left-hand) side houses the legislature meeting rooms, while the governor's office is near the dome in the main building. The smaller breezeway was built to connect the two, and has beautiful windows and pillars. Yes, now I'm going to have to do a series on the Statehouse!

Not Any Old Trailer

Last of all, we spotted this truck trailer parked in an alley nearby. Made me wonder what its story was. It looked like it was being loaded or something, and would soon be moving on. I guess we were there at just the right moment.

Columbus Aerial View

Ohio History

View From Above

Looking out over the city was like viewing a live miniature diorama or model train layout. There were tiny cars, buses, and pedestrians in constant motion around toothpick-sized roads and buildings. Though a still picture, the photo above has a couple points of interest too. Did you spot the building under construction, covered with green insulation? How about the long highway exit ramps to the left? I believe those belong either to I-70 or 670, which both bisect the city from east to west. I was also surprised at the number of trees Columbus has!

East Broad Street

We had a head-on view down Broad Street, or State Route 40. It runs straight through downtown as far as the eye can see. This was certainly a different experience from our first visit to the Rhodes Tower (you can see it here), during a rainstorm! 

Columbus Horizon

Ohio History

Summer Skyline

My family returned to the Rhodes Tower viewing windows this past summer, several years after our first visit. The sky was bright through puffy white clouds. The view was magnificent, far off into the horizon. It's amazing what difference a little moisture in the air makes! We could see the tall office buildings of the downtown and off into the residential areas. On the far right side of the photo, there was even a bunch of tiny tents set up in an open area. A wedding or festival? We never found out.

Scioto River

Ohio History

Church and River

Soon, the fog had lifted entirely and the cumulus storm clouds were nearly cleared. The sky was almost pink in the hazy afternoon sun. From a smaller window on the opposite side of the Rhodes Tower, we had a clear view of a beautiful church nearby. Just beyond we could see the Scioto River. The Scioto flows north to south through Columbus on its way to the Ohio River. How many bridges can you see over the river from this shot?

Columbus Rainbow

Ohio History

Fog and Rainbows

As the fog lifted, it was amazing to watch the tiny roads and rooftops appear. It was as though a curtain was going up from the front of a stage. We even spotted a rainbow in the bottom of the fog, arching over the city.

Cloud Display

The array of clouds was also breathtaking. The layers of fog seemed to fade into the massive thunderhead far above the city. The sun seemed to be illuminating the upper clouds while the lower ones were very dark and shadowed. I suppose this would be the view if you got to ride up in a weather balloon. It was certainly more pleasant to be safe inside the huge glass windows of the Rhodes Tower!

Retreating Fog

Ohio History

Clearing Sky

We were about to turn back for home as we stared into the bleak fog hanging over Columbus. However, suddenly the cloud began to blow off before our very eyes! It was amazing to watch the mass of water vapor clear away from the city from south to north. We had never seen anything quite like it! It left a beautiful--though not quite sunny--sky and rain-washed city behind.

Rhodes Tower

Ohio History

Columbus Fog

Although we have traveled far and wide across Ohio to find interesting history and geography, we've not yet visited one site in the state's capital city! A couple years ago my family went into Columbus to tour one of its historical places, a replica of the Santa Maria. Sadly, there was a rainstorm and the threat of lightening caused the tall-masted ship to close just as we arrived! We improvised on the spot and changed our destination to the Rhodes Tower in downtown Columbus. This 450-foot skyscraper had a special feature: large glass windows on three sides of the fortieth floor allowed visitors an aerial view of the city.

Aerial View of . . . Fog and Rain?

Of course, bad weather down below also means bad weather up above. When we stepped out of the elevator on the fortieth floor of the Rhodes Tower, we saw a haze of fog obscuring the city skyline. Aerial visibility couldn't have been more than a couple blocks.