A Weekend Getaway in Columbus

A Weekend Getaway in Columbus Haven’t been out in a while, so I recently decided to explore a nearby city. After checking out some guides online, I figured two days would be plenty for little Columbus. With the weather still warm, it was the perfect time for a weekend trip. The drive took less than three hours—typical boring American highway views along the way. 🍽️ First stop: the well-reviewed Filipino restaurant Bonifacio. 1️⃣ Originally wanted to order the Classic Pork Belly, but the portion looked huge. Since I needed to save room for a big dinner, I went with the Pork Belly Brunch instead. 2️⃣ The serving was still generous, and the food came quickly. The pork was well-cooked and not gamey at all. 🛍️ Next, I headed to Easton Town Center. 3️⃣4️⃣ I browsed through Nordstrom and Macy’s, but the shopping wasn’t very guy-friendly—most stores leaned heavily toward women’s products. Ended up just grabbing a pair of shoes from Nordstrom Rack. After that, I visited the popular Columbus Zoo & Aquarium. It’s open until 8 PM on weekends, so arriving at 4:30 PM gave me a solid two hours—plenty of time to explore. 5️⃣6️⃣ Petted some little goats—smelled just like the sheep my farmer neighbor used to raise. 7️⃣ A polar bear was lying belly-down on the grass to cool off in the heat. 8️⃣ Further down, you can look up and see fish swimming above you in the outdoor tanks. 9️⃣ The whole zoo was decorated with Halloween themes. 🔟 The bats were the most on-theme—though they looked fierce, hanging there all clustered together reminded me oddly of air-dried chicken. 1️⃣1️⃣ Also saw some super agile monkeys. 1️⃣2️⃣ It was my first time seeing a tiger up close—it was pacing restlessly, clearly frustrated by the kids just beyond the glass. When I pressed my head closer to the glass and it walked toward me, I broke out in a cold sweat! For dinner, I tried PJ Hot Pot 🍲, which also offers BBQ. Sadly, I’d already eaten a big lunch, so I nearly overdid it… Stayed at an Airbnb near OSU that night. I thought the area would be safe, but the next morning, I stepped outside to find shoes hanging all over the power lines (if you know, you know 😅). Luckily, nothing sketchy happened—just ran into one guy sitting on the stairs smoking 🍁, who cheerfully asked, “Headed to school?” I said yes. He asked what I study. I said Biology. #Columbus #OhioStateUniversity #Columbus #StudyInTheUS