This MAPS beats any GPS...

Tucked away on the corner of the tarmac at the Akron-Canton Airport is a gem of history. The Military Aircraft Preservation Society (MAPS) Air Museum (web, map) is a museum/restoration organization (see left, click to enlarge) that while tiny compared to the gargantuan big brother in Dayton (Wright Patterson Air Force Base) has its own neat little niche that brings visitors back periodically.

Originally housed in a small, almost workshop type, building, MAPS appeared to primarily be a restoration organization (see right, click to enlarge). On one visit I parked near a ditch next to a hulking fuselage of a World War II TBF Avenger torpedo/bomber (similar to the one President George H.W. Bush was shot down in), minus its wings, awaiting restoration. On the MAPS website you can follow the restoration process of several planes, including the work on a World War II B-26 Marauder.

Over the years MAPS has sponsored various activities, including for a few years an air show at the Akron-Fulton Municipal Airport (read past news release). In the first decade of the 21st Century, MAPS obtained a hangar across from the small building that has tarmac access which made it easier for the public to view the planes on display and integrate fly-ins with the museum.

While only a fraction of the planes that can be found four hours down the highway in Dayton at the National Museum of the Air Force, there is a unique flair to the collection. One of the more recent additions, a Sopwith Triplane of World War I vintage, was built from scratch by Akron-area pilot Bill Woodall over about 20 years. (see left, click to enlarge)

The gondola from the Goodyear blimp Spirit of Akron (see right, click to enlarge) is on display and one can climb aboard and sit in a seat day-dreaming, as many Akron area residents do, that perhaps someday they will get the opportunity to soar in the blimp over the city. A well placed display of dirigibles and depression-era blimps accompanies the gondola.

Smartly, MAPS was able to borrow from the McKinley Museum (past entry, museum web) a 1908 Martin Glider (see left, click to enlarge), which hangs, almost beckoning, from rafters of the hangar. Having been to the McKinley Museum on several occasions over the past decade, I have never seen nor even a hinting that there was such a craft in their archives. A letter from the mayor of Canton and a few choice photos, including one showing the glider being towed by 1900’s automobile, accompany the display.

A room off the hangar, titled Gallery of Heroes offers static displays of historic artifacts and models of the aviation history with a focus on Northeast Ohio. A tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen features a Cleveland native member of the squad (see left, click to enlarge). One display of World War II bombers includes the paperwork and historic photos of an area airman. Another larger display pays tribute to soldiers from Northeast Ohio who have fallen during our recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. (see above right, click to enlarge)

But what has made MAPS a unique destination over the years are the special fly-ins they promote. For the past several years the Collings Bombers have spent a short week at the museum, offering walk-throughs and (expensive) public flights. It is one thing to walk around a B-17 bomber at Wright-Pat, but it is quite another to walk through one at MAPS, including a perilous tightrope across the bomb bay doors (see left, click to enlarge). Even with the bomb bay doors open, walking a mere 3 feet above the tarmac, it is an anxious shuffling along a floor barely wider than your foot! Inside the Gallery of Heroes one can find a display on bomber artifacts. (see above right, click to enlarge)

On this particular visit, a Ford Tri-Motor airliner (see left and also first photo in this essay, click to enlarge), originally built in 1929, spent a few days in town (video of flight at another location). Offering a reasonable flight experience ($60 compared to a World War II bomber flight experience costing over four times as much) but also the chance to get up close and personal, the Ford Tri-Motor was fresh off time with Hollywood as part of the filming for the summer blockbuster Public Enemies.

This particular bird, operated by Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), is the only one still flying, with less than 10 others in various states of flight-worthiness across the country. Lovingly restored after a windstorm had broken it into three sections in 1973, the Tri-motor conjures up memories for some Ohioans, as flight service from Put-in-Bay to the mainland used a Ford Tri-motor until a crash in the early 1970s. In its day, albeit 80 years ago, the “Tin Goose” was state of the art in comfort and class for air travel. (see above right, click to enlarge)

Thanks to MAPS, the history of flight is not just on display in hangars, but comes alive on the tarmac of a regional airport in the heart of the state where two brothers dreams took wing.

- J.

An Ancient Culture still at risk

2000 years of history are in danger of disappearing, much like the native tribes who inhabited Ohio around 100 B.C. The museum and grounds of the Fort Ancient people (see right, click to enlarge), located near Lebanon, Ohio, are part of the Ohio Historical Society that has seen tremendous budget cutbacks from the Ohio General Assembly. After June 30th, 2009, the site may no longer be open to the public, but is undergoing discussions with area sponsors in hopes of becoming an independent entity.

The Hopewell people first built a series of earthwork mounds between 100 B.C. and 500 A.D. The earthworks still exist (see left, click to enlarge) and are easily viewed throughout the grounds, but nature has taken its toll and trees, shrubs and other flora and fauna have grown along the mounds. Over the 1000 years of native inhabitants, the cultures of natives changed and different names have been given to those who lived in the area throughout that time. Fort Ancient was one of the later groups and it is their name which adorns the site.

The grounds holds a small, but excellent museum showing the adaptations the natives of the area underwent over time (see right & below left, click to enlarge). In such a small area, 2000 years of history unfolds between life-size dioramas, graphics, reproductions and actual artifacts. Unlike many museums where one can wander and not get a sense of time, the corridors wind you through the changes in a logical fashion.

There is on-going archaeological work happening at the site and hopefully it will continue regardless of the status of funding for the museum.






Outside the museum, as part of the exhibits, is a small native garden with plants (see below, click to enlarge) known to be grown by the various cultures that lived at the site and a small reproduction native hut (see right, click to enlarge). There is a sizable room used for outreach and education for local school field trips.

Much like the Serpent Mounds, not far from the Fort Ancient site, history can be confusing. The Serpent Mounds were thought to have been built by the Adena people (800 B.C. to 100 A.D.) with some adaptations by the Fort Ancient people (1000 - 1500), but recent research, including work by those from Fort Ancient site, points to use and adaptations by all the native cultures that inhabited the area.

Unfortunately, many children in Ohio learn of our native cultures through informal, and sometimes incorrect, textbooks. It leads to the misconception that a series of native cultures existed and disappeared throughout Ohio's history, when in truth the cultures transformed as new inhabitants joined the existing culture.

As the Ohio Historical Society is attempting to market and pitch to the public, "History Matters" and it would be a shame for one more site to shut down and leave the learning of Ohio to the inadequate textbooks rather than hands-on interaction.

- J.

Zoaring above it all

In 1817 a group of German separatists took root in Tuscarawas County not far from the river of the same name. They formed a commune and until 1898 successfully separated not only from the German Lutheran religion, but also somewhat from American society as well. A visit to Zoar Village (see right, click to enlarge) brings you into a world almost unto itself, even in the modern 21st century.

Located about 45 minutes south of Akron and not far off I-77 (map), Zoar offers a glimpse of life in the 1800s that was a simpler time fraught with long hours of hard work. But it is a village that sheds the contemporary for its history. Residents are allowed to operate stores on their property, but only if they reside at that location. It increases the dedication of those who live there to the village and the care is evident. There are no rundown, blighted old properties in the village.

Due to Ohio Historical Society budget cuts, legislated by the Ohio General Assembly and done at a deep and lasting manner, the extent of guided tours may be limited and inconsistent with printed or web-posted literature. A guided tour offers a costumed interpreter detailing the nature of the Zoar commune as well as the individual jobs at various buildings.

House #1 is a large brick building that was originally intended for the aged as they moved to a later stage in life. A senior assisted living facility as it were. However stubborn seniors of the day tended to refuse moving into the facility. Wide entries and hallways with extremely high ceilings give a vast open feel to the rooms. Each room today displays various aspects of the Zoarites culture, from baby carriages, clothing, typical bedrooms to even musical instruments including a massive pipe organ. Through a breezeway the kitchen and laundry facilities can be found (see left, click to enlarge).

Several of the homes around Zoar feature clay roofing tiles that were kilned in Zoar (see right, click to enlarge). They have a striking resemblance to cedar shakes. Bricks were also kilned in the village and many pottery items were made there as well. Zoar was quite the self-sufficient commune in many senses of the word.

Central to the town are the gardens, which have religious symbolism in the planning (see left, click to enlarge). At the center tree rises to heaven as the Tree of Life or Christ, surrounded by hedge represnting heaven and 12 others trees which symbolize the 12 apostles. Paths lead from outside the gardens to the center and are representative of the paths people walk in life. At the edge of the garden is an innovative greenhouse, including a furnace that piped in heat via terra cotta pipes from a basement to the main greenhouse.

The bakery still operates on weekends and the freshly baked bread is a local favorite and quite popular (see right, click to enlarge). A large and smaller oven originally produced hundreds of loaves a day. Frequently on their way home children would stop into the bakery to bring home bread to the family. At times it was even passed out the front windows.

Bread making was often a slow process, as a Starter was created and fermented (see left, click to enlarge) many months for the sourdough bread that is so popular in the village. Starters were often begun in January. Men often also cut wood in January as it was the time sap was lowest in the tree (making it easier to cut) and would dry faster for use later in the year.

The blacksmith and tinsmith were two of the more highly skilled trades operating in the village. The tinship shop today (see right, click to enlarge) is loaded with a plethora of highly specific tools for various types of products. While seemingly frail and flexible, many of the tools added strength and durability to the product making it lightweight and built for longevity.


The Springs building (see left, click to enlarge) is one of the locations tin products can be seen as used. Spring water was fed into the room below and behind the town's general store and into pools that drained very slowly. Milk from the adjacent dairy was placed in tin containers in the Spring building to cool and to have the cream skimmed for use in making butter. Each house number was stamped on the tin container denoting the family's milk for the day.

Preservation efforts turned the run-down, decrepit dairy building into a beautifully restored masterpiece over several years between 1988 and 1992. Today the Zoar Community Association preserves and educates about the time, place and principles of the Zoarites.

While some buildings, such as the Treasurers House (see first photo of this essay), are privately owned and not part of a guided tour, others are open to the public regardless of any touring. The former Town Hall (and Firehouse) houses, on separate floors, a learning center and museum that includes Zoar's involvement in the building of the Ohio and Erie Canal through the region (see rleft, click to enlarge).

While state funding continues to decline and slow to a trickle, here's hoping that Zoar continues to soar as a living piece of the history of Ohio for the future to understand how the past created the present.

- J.

How now, John Brown?

On June 23rd, 1859, John Brown made his last stop in Ohio before going onto historic notoriety just months later in a foiled, and insane, attempt to plunder a federal arsenal to arm slaves in a massive revolt against their owners (see left, click to enlarge). In a nation boiling over a sectional crisis that pitted factions for and against slavery and states rights, John Brown became a symbol of animosity of the times.




Brown spent his formative years in Ohio, specifically Northeast Ohio in communities of Akron, Hudson and Richfield. His home in Hudson, on Hines Hill, still stands and was built next to his tannery business he started as a young adult. Brown was also a sheep herder, entering into a co-op with the Perkins family. Simon Perkins is one of Akron's founding fathers and it is the house that Brown briefly lived in that Simon Perkins later owned, that is known as the John Brown House in Akron.

It is not open much to the public these days, but on June 23rd, 2009, a free-admission open house was held to mark the Sesquicentennial celebration of Brown's last stop in Ohio. The house sits on property owned by the Summit County Historical Society, which also operates the Simon Perkins House on the opposite corner to the John Brown House (see right, click to enlarge) at the corner of Copley Road (Route 162) and Diagonal Road, just a hop, skip and chimpanzee jump from the Akron Zoo.

The John Brown House is larger now than when its most known inhabitant lived within, as the Perkins family built on to the house and later in time it served as the clubhouse for the Portage Path Country Club (a 9-hole course).

On display at the nondescript Tuesday night Open House were dozens of newspaper reproductions (from the 1800's and modern time), items from the John Brown educational trunk -- reproduction artifacts used for classroom education (see right, lower picture), a women's aid society (see left, click to enlarge) during the Civil War display and several Civil War era local artifacts, including Major Voris's saddle, a chunk of log from the Civil War battle at Chickamauga -- with musket balls still embedded in the wood (see right, upper picture), other era artifacts, an apparently authentic U.S. 45-star flag (which is long past the Civil War) and two large wooden plaques honoring Civil War battles and dead from the area that reportedly hung at the Akron GAR Hall (see lower right, click to enlarge).

To say John Brown was a radical is an understatement. An extreme abolitionist, Brown often traveled around the Northeastern U.S. preaching to end slavery, bringing along fugitive slaves on his travels. He established a farm in Elba, New York where he housed runaway slaves. Many, but not, of his children shared his abolitionist passion and when the freshly formed Kansas Territory threw open the status of the state as slave or non-slave state to the people, his family was one of many who migrated west within the states borders.

Termed "Bloody Kansas" for the many clashes between slavery and anti-slavery groups, Brown conducted a massacre along the Pottawatomie River near Ossawatomie, Kansas, murdering nearly a dozen pro-slavery individuals in the late 1850s. A statue today exists in a park setting near the high school in Ossawatomie.

Brown's grand plot, that moved him from celebrity to martyrdom (in the eyes of many Northerners, that is) was his attempted raid of the arsenal at Harper's Ferry, Virginia (at that time). In the attempted takeover, Brown was severely wounded and two of his sons killed (along with several other deaths). The entire episode is cloaked in celebrity, as commanding officer of the U.S. Army unit that ended the dispute was Robert E. Lee in one of his last actions as a U.S. soldier. His chief subordinate officer in this matter was J.E.B. Stuart, who along with Lee both gained fame as Confederate generals.

In what was surely the O.J. Simpson trial of its day, Brown was tried for treason and executed on December 2, 1859. Brown's health was critical during the trial and appeared in court lying on a cot, from which he made several grand pronouncements about his views on slavery in defense of his actions. Newspapers, which in the mid and late 1800s were the equivalent of blogs, Twitter and Facebook, printed his commentary from their own bias.

Among the literature handed out at the Open House was a list of events during the summer of 2009 to commemorate 150 years since "crazy old John Brown" emblazoned his name in history. On the Sesquicentennial of his execution, Akron will hold more commemorative events to its most legendary and historic son.

J.

Then and now: Seeing Ohio at 5 mph

Ohio grew from a wild, frontier state to a commercial hub during the 1840s thanks to the building of the Ohio & Erie Canal from Lake Erie at Cleveland to Portsmouth on the Ohio River. The earlier creation of the Erie Canal in upstate New York made it possible to ship goods from the Atlantic the west (at that time Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois) quicker and cheaper. Goods then could flow from the west down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic.

Akron, Massillon, Newark, Chillicothe and Portsmouth all became hubs of activity and grew by leaps and bounds thanks to the canal system. Today when many drive through some of these towns, or other smaller ones, and wonder "why is this city here" or "why are there so many century homes in this town" it is very likely due in part to the canals. Mills especially thrived along the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas Rivers that fed the canals. (see left, click to enlarge)

The superhighway of its time, traveling the canal wasn't exactly like driving with the top down in a roadster clipping along at 7o mph with the wind whipping through your hair. Canal travel topped out at about 5 mph as your mule or horse pulled you through still water along the towpath. But unlike travel elsewhere over land, this was flat, continuous movement.

Today Ohio has been blessed with several organizations and societies (Ohio & Erie Canalway, Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition, Nation Heritage Corridor, Visitor's Guide) that have preserved and reworked canal sections and opened them for tourism and recreation. One of the popular destinations in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park is the Towpath trail (see below, click to enlarge), that follows the old Ohio & Erie Canal. Hikers and Bikers hit the trail in large numbers to take in sun, shade, wildlife, plantlife and a lot of history. Those walking the trail are not far removed from the "speedy" 5 mph pace of days of yore.

The Ohio & Erie Towpath is a stretch of over 100 miles of crushed limestone, asphalt or even at times wood planked boardwalk from Cleveland to New Philadelphia (map of trail, detailed towpath descriptions). As of 2009 there are small sections that are incomplete or require sharing the road with automobiles, but for the most part you can travel a protected and scenic trail the entire route (towpath construction updates here).

Many of the old locks, which were used to elevate a boat to the next canal level, still exist in some form (see left, click to enlarge). Most are identified and have a learning station with historic photos included. At many locks one can walk on, around and between the thick, chiseled rock walls of the lock. Some are 10-15 feet tall, others are massive structures of 30 feet or more high.



At Peninsula, the Cuyahoga River actually passes below the canal. What may seem odd today, they actually built aqueducts to carry the canal over rivers, and the sharp turn the river makes at the remants of Lock 29 clearly show the labor and materials needed. One can walk deep inside this tall lock and marvel and the cut stone and even read at learning station that masons would mark their stones for quality assurance, in this case with Roman numerals. (see right, click to enlarge)

Lock 29 in Peninsula is a popular jumping on point to canal towpath. Located on Route 303, it is a short drive from either State Route 8 or I-271 to reach the historic town of Richfield (map) and Peninsula. Bikes can be rented here for a towpath ride. Along the towpath you also can see the mode of transportation that made the Age of Canals short lived. A major rail line mirrors the canal and is used by the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railway for historic and picturesque tours of the valley. On weekends bike riders can hop on the train with their bikes for a few dollars and ride back to their starting point.

Heading north from Lock 29 towards Cleveland, a few miles walk or pedal will bring you below two massive bridges that span the valley as they carry vehicular traffic on the Ohio Turnpike and I-271. For those with a love of architecture, the towpath offers many different bridges to marvel at. Beyond the two recently rebuilt bridges over the valley, there is also a large span on Route 82 near Brecksville that is near the Rock Bridge trailhead in southern Cuyahoga County. An iron bridge carries foot and bike traffic from the trailhead parking to the towpath. (see left, click to enlarge)

Further towards Cleveland, two suspension bridges were built to safely move towpath travelers over busy roads in Valley View (see left, click to enlarge). All along the towpath, great care and forethought was made to keep the towpath protected. Along the Akron stretch two bridges have been built, one a steel span that crossed the busy innerbelt highway system and another south of town is a floating Brazilian wood deck that resolved the issue of purchasing private right-of-way along Summit Lake. In southern Stark County, near Bolivar, a bridge was built to carry towpath traffic over I-77.

For the visitor who wants to learn more of the history of the canal, there are four important stops to make along the towpath in each of the three most northern counties of the canal. Just south of Downtown Cleveland, the Canalway Visitor center (see right, click to enlarge) is a trailhead and two-room museum to Canal, the Cuyahoga River and the economic history both had in Northeast Ohio. A short video loop is informative and the exhibits are very family-friendly.

In Summit County two stops are easily accessible in one day for the moderate biker. Both are general stores and likely stops on different days during the canal era. Today they are about 10 miles apart and both offer a restored look at history.

Just a stone's throw from the Boston Mills ski area, the Boston Store (see left, click to enlarge) serves as a rest break along the towpath but offers a small museum to the canal era. The back of a canal boat has been constructed in cut-away style to show the size and the inner workings of the stern. Hands on exhibits allow you to build the ribs of the boat and a diorama gives a realistic vision of a busy lock area. Next door is a mid 20th Century garage and gas station that today serves as an art gallery. Ice cream and natural snacks can be found across the street.

Just outside of downtown Akron is Mustill's General Store (see right, click to enlarge). While serving as another trailhead for the towpath, this store has been carefully restored to it's 1840s look when it was a thriving business (see related news story). The sharp rise in the geography from the Cuyahoga Valley to the "summit" in Akron led to a series of over 20 locks. Making your way through Akron would take some time and hence the growth of Akron resulted from overnight stops and general shopping while waiting to traverse the locks. Mustills also offers interactive exhibits and photos of the thriving general store business during the height of the canals.

To see how a town was impacted by the rise and fall of the canals, visit Canal Fulton in northern Stark County. Many historic buildings still exist and there is a small town, historic charm to the main street along the canal. But it is also evident to see how a community changed once a town was bypassed after the canal era ended. Canal Fulton is a popular trailhead, there is a small museum here as well, plus a picnic, park and top-notch ice cream parlor open during warm weather months.


A mile south from this trailhead along the towpath is Lock 4 (see above, click to enlarge), which may be the best location along the canal today to see what a typical lock would look like. While not operational, the gates for the lock have been rebuilt and the lockkeepers station house, a well-built brick building, still stands. While empty with no plans evident for the historic building, Lock 4 is a trailhead with a well-manicured park and Ohio historic marker explaining the canal system.

One can take a ride on a reproduction canal "packet" boat -- one used primarily to haul freight -- on a two-mile round trip down the canal that begins in Canal Fulton and turns around here at Lock 4. The boat, the St. Helena III (see right, click to enlarge), is at times is pulled by pair of horses and at times by a large motorized farm tractor. The St. Helena sometimes has difficulty navigating the canal as plant life growing in the water make it hard for the animals to pull. The State of Ohio is responsible for maintaining waterways and the one-mile stretch of canal is not top priority.

While the rapid growth of the rail system in the 1850's impacted the value of the canal, it was still in use until 1913, when massive flooding in Northeast Ohio rendered the canal economically impractical to restore. Along the towpath you can see the remnants of the many hours of manual labor, and where the still water allows for wildlife to take refuge.

One wonders if the during the 1830's while sections of the canal were being carved from the soil, if the low-paid, unskilled, primarily immigrant labor pool would have envisioned thousands of hikers and bikers each year traveling along the canal for fun and fitness? At 5 mph, it's not a bad way to see Ohio.

- J.

"Hi-Jacked" at the Zoo!

The Columbus Zoo is not your ordinary zoo. At what other zoo in America can you run into a TV celebrity near the front entrance and holler "Hi Jack" and have him stop for photos, hand shakes and little kid hugs? If you are Jack Hanna, this is just another day at the office (see left, click to enlarge). While no longer the day to day director of the zoo, his celebrity status has him on the run often, he does manage to be visible and friendly when at the zoo. We have come across him at the zoo on several occasions.

Over the past decade, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has grown from one of nation's great family-oriented zoos to perhaps what could someday be one of the nation's top family tourist stops. After acquiring the neighboring Wyandot Lake several years ago, the zoo engulfed the land and re-designed the amusement park portion to thematically mesh with the zoo. Zoombezi is the name for this area and is the instant eye candy when you pull into the expansive parking lot.

As with other zoos, the Columbus zoo is zoned into habitat areas that match the wildlife. But in each area there kid-friendly activities to thrill just about any age.

North America's habitat features a petting zoo, pony rides (see left, click to enlarge) and a mock-steam engine train that circles the animals in this area. A favorite stop is the prairie dog area where little ones can pop under a cave and look at the under-ground dwelling of the animals. (see right, click to enlarge)

The Asia section is home to the elephants, and one of the most popular places to visit. A baby elephant was born this past Spring and viewing lines were 30-minutes deep. The indoor habitat has video feeds so that all can watch even if you cannot get to the front-row glass. (see left, click to enlarge)




Both indoor and outdoor, you can get amazingly close to the animals. One can also walk through an aviary and get up close to tiger, zebras and giraffes. A great photo op is the large tiger statue that children pose on as if riding on the back of the dangerous animal.

One of the challenges that the zoo has met is how to expand when geography isn't easily accommodated. A large part the zoo is on the other side of a very busy 4-lane road. A tunnel connects to the far side of the zoo that features Primates of Africa, Australia and the aquarium part of the zoo. A touch-tank and 2-story tank where divers feed fish by hand are two of the aquarium features.




But the major focus of the aquarium section is a massive manatee exhibit. Completely housed in side, the exhibit looks and feels like the coast of Florida (see above left, click to enlarge). Six inch (at least) plexiglass allow a great view of the manatees swimming, floating and dining in a tank filled with manta rays, turtles and other fish (see right, click to enlarge). Youngsters pause for quite a while here to watch these massive animals repeatedly surface and sink.

Beyond the aquarium feel free to travel back in time on an authentic carousel. Uniquely housed in a structure with garage-like doors that open or close in relation to the weather, the carousel allows for year round fun. (see left, click to enlarge)

Further up the path from the carousel is a massive "bug" structure playground for little ones and a private party areas used for corporate events. In this section of the park is the food court, where one needs to be mindful of timing or the lunch rush will really slow you down.

The big draw in the African section are the gorillas. The outdoor structure gives plenty of great viewing lines to watch the gorillas play with each other -- and the spectators. Playfully a gorilla will come up to a windowed viewing area and slap the glass, much to the thrill and screeches of little ones. (see left, click to enlarge)

The indoor viewing is just as ample, and while one family is usually outside another gorilla group is inside. There are usually juveniles, both human and primate (see right, click to enlarge), who have more fun than imaginable at the indoor section of this exhibit.

The Australian area has a wallaby walk around, where all that separates human and kangaroo is a simple rope. The animals were trained in such a way to not be frightened by, or to interact with, people as they walk through. Staff is on hand to be sure neither human nor animal violate each other's space. There is also a lorikeet exhibit where the birds land on you and nip a little nectar from a cup you hold. A boat ride takes you around Australia and through parts of the Southeast Asia exhibit and offers a nice break from the walking.

Fun is around every curve, even non-animals get into the act. The zoo is now bringing in performers just like you see at amusement parks. Whether a school-group jump-rope team or a come-to-life child's soldier toy (see right, click to enlarge), there is something to see in just about every nook and cranny on the grounds.

It is nearly impossible to get it all in on one visit, especially if taking in the water and ride attractions at the Zoombezi addition new for 2009. But with all the other attractions in Columbus, it can certainly be the centerpiece of a weekend -- or extended weekend -- getaway.

-J.