Columbus Ohio Franklin Park Conservatory & German Village Guest House

Accommodations, meals, and activities were provided.

It’s here!!  The day Randy and I have waited for, for years.  We are retired!

We decided to celebrate by going to Cleveland to see our two grandchildren (oh, of course our daughter and son-in-law, too).  There is nothing so rehabilitating as hearing “you’re the best,” coming from these two young people.  Especially, after years in the work force hearing, “you’re the worst.”

After spending 4^th of July weekend with them, we ventured forth to Columbus, Ohio.

Our first stop was at the Franklin Conservatory.

For flower lovers, this was like Christmas morning.  There are flowers and vegetation of every type imaginable, done in a very creative atmosphere.

On top of that, the best gift for us was Chihuly’s glass work.  It was displayed throughout the entire grounds of the Conservatory.

If you have never seen Chihuly, I highly recommend that you go to the Conservatory.  This is the third time we have seen the exhibit, and we never tire of it.

The Conservatory also offers a glassblowing demonstration.  We only caught the last few minutes of it, but what we saw was enthralling. Make sure when you get your tickets you find out how long they will be demonstrating, so you get to see it in it’s entirety.

We were also thrilled to have the opportunity to see Monarch butterflies take their first flight.

We also attended a fascinating lecture on the butterflies. We have a butterfly bush in our garden at home, but did not realize they like rocks to lay on to raise their body heat.  We will be adding that in the future.

We were very interested in knowing they offer a Holidays at the Conservatory program. It has a 10 foot poinsettia tree, 60,00+ twinkling lights, gingerbread competitions and displays a Paul Busse music box model garden railway. As we said when we left, “A couple of hours was not nearly long enough.  We could have spent the whole day.”

After the Conservatory, we headed to our lodging for the next two nights – The German Village Guest House.

I am often asked the question, “Why would you stay a Bed & Breakfast rather than a hotel?” German Village Guest House is a true example of reason.  We love the element of surprise. Every Bed & Breakfast is different whereas almost every hotel in the same chain is basically the same.  Through the years we’ve stayed in some really good B & B’s and some not so good.

Thankfully, the German Village Guest House was one of the best. We were fortunate to be able to stay in Whittier Suite #2. Upon opening the door we were greeted with 800 square feet of comfort.

The living room had a comfortable couch and chair. It also included a desk and chair.  And free Internet service!  Which is a real plus, if you have traveled and stayed at hotels where you paid through the nose for the room only to have to pay in addition for the internet.

The full kitchen had granite counters and a cute eating area.

Waiting for us was a pitcher of iced tea and chocolate chip cookies.  It was as if the hosts could read our minds. We are ice tea fanatics! There was also a bowl of fresh fruit on the counter. Whittier Suite #2 was also stocked with a wide assortment of breakfast items including: fresh cut fruit, juice, hard-boiled eggs, banana bread, bagels, granola and yogurt.  When you include the fruit bars, popcorn, and cereal bars, I could have easily have eaten all three meals there and been happy!

The bedroom was large sized with a comfortable bed.  I am always annoyed when I stay somewhere and the mattress is too hard and thankfully this wasn’t the case at the German Village Guest House.  The furnishings were high-quality and upscale. The bathroom had a large soaking tub and dispensers full of shampoo, rinse and body wash.  Two bathrobes were provided.

They advertise white glove cleaning and I believe it.  It was spotless!

The real plus for me for staying in a bed & breakfast is how quiet they are.  The German Village Guest House didn’t disappoint.  We felt like we were completely alone, even though the houses were close together.

Another plus, is the location.  German Village is a quaint neighborhood town with wonderful restaurants and shopping all within walking distance.  It is also only about a ten minute drive to downtown. If you are looking for a step above the cookie cutter hotels, this is the place for you.

After taking some time to look around and freshening up a bit, it was time to head out to dinner. Barcelona Restaurant in German Village came highly recommended.  However, Tired Grandpa Randy’s first words to me when learning that we would be eating at Barcelona Restaurant was, “We are in German Village and we’re eating at a Spanish Restaurant. What sense does that make?”

But Barcelona should not be missed.  Their award winning patio where we were seated, was reminiscent of New Orleans, with the ironwork and planters of flowers on the walls. It was one of the most romantic patios we have been to. The food is creative and flavorful.  The wait staff is attentive.  Paul, our waiter was very informative and helpful.

The beverage menu is extensive with large list of wines, most surprisingly from Spain.  We were so impressed with Barcelona we returned the next night for drinks.  The Almond Joy martini, desert in itself.  It was worth the short walk from our Bed & Breakfast.

Stay tuned for the next posts in this series which describe our visits to the Columbus Museum of Art, North Market, Pistacia Vera, Topiary Park, & The Book Loft.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like:

• Columbus Ohio Trip Review
• Pistacia Vera Dessert Boutique and the Columbus Topiary Park