Jungle Jim's

I dropped the ball and got a little excited.  This isn't the bombshell post quite yet...

I spent a few nights in Columbus before making my way down to Louisville.  While I was in Pennsylvania I was visiting my buddy Arch and his dad started telling me about this place called Jungle Jim's in Cincinnati.  He saw it on TV on megastores.  So, after a great debate about where certain cities in Ohio were located we pulled up a map and noticed Cincinnati was pretty much on the way from Columbus to Louisville.  I forget who was correct, but I am leaning towards Tank.

So, as I left Columbus I figured, why not, let's make a stop at Jungle Jim's.  I spent about 2 hours in the store and could have spent even longer had I not been on somewhat of a schedule.  Jungle Jim's is a super store with some super displays.  At one point I even thought about going back out to the car and grabbing my camera, these photos were taken with an I-pod touch.  Most of the sections have some sort of display that relates to the goods and items within each section.  So, if you ever find yourself in Cincinnati make sure you schedule at least an hour to stop by Jungle Jim's.

Bombshell next time, I promise...

(The entrance as I made my way to Jungle Jim's)

(Nice rhinoceros with a few paintings on it)

(A painted trailer - Hippie colors)

(There was a fire truck by the hot sauces)

(Pretty old school display with the masks)

(Quaker Steak & Lube display in the sauces section)

(There was food from all over the world - Asia, Africa, South America, Europe, and everywhere inbetween.  I saw some Korean foods, including a huge section of kimchi.  Here's a boat.)

(Here's a plane.  The prices were really good, at least compared to what I am used to paying.)

(Honey - as I'm sure you can tell, this place is huge...)

(A boat in the seafood section)

(Here they had a little seaside market if you look at the top)

(PORK)

(An alligator and bird of some sorts made out of metal)

(The company originally started as a roadside market/fruit stand and just continued to grow and grow and grow.  They have remained true to their roots and still have a fresh produce section.)

(Tasting Bar in the store)

(All the beers on this shelf are craft beers.  So, if you're a craft beer lover or fan of micro-brews check out their selection.  This is only a portion of their alcohol selection.)

(Cigars, just in case you wanted to smoke while you shopped, or for after your trip)

(This was 1 of 3 or 4 cheese racks, just to give you an idea of how much cheese was in the store.  This is just the cheese.  So, hopefully you can imagine...)

(Candy section)

(A Jelly Belly Car)

Columbus Part II (Goodell Park, North Market, Capitol, Scioto Mile, and Dirty Franks)

One of the days I was in Columbus the weather made it right to around freezing.  It was a lot warmer than it had been so I figured it would be a great day to take a stroll and make my way downtown.  What's there to do in Columbus?  Great question. There was Goodell Park, a place with a unique water/ice sculpture and some geese.  The North Market, which kind of reminded me of the Philly Market a bit.  Seeing as how I'm from Harrisburg, I had to at least stop by at the State Capitol.  When I did, it was perfect timing for a tour and even better, I was the only person on the tour.  There's the Scioto Mile, so named because of the river it runs along, although not that special in the winter.  The evening finished with a visit to Dirty Franks, a place where all your hot dog needs could be fulfilled.  So, if you find yourself with some extra time in Columbus, there are a few ideas.

Stay tuned, for those of you who like personal updates, there's a bombshell on the way...

(The geese had a little bathing area at this end since the rest of the pond was frozen)

(This monster of a goose was huge.  May have been a sign for the upcoming Olympic hockey matches...)

(Ice sculpture - from a different angle the ice looked like angel wings)

(A little bit of snow in Columbus - that's a parking meter)

(Outside of the North Market)

(Inside of the North Market)

(Pig mascot, possibly named Maggie, but I very well may be wrong)

(There were about 30 vendors and each one had a pamphlet as you walked in the door.  All local and there were all kinds of different goods.)

(Around the upstairs there was seating if you wanted to enjoy some food or have a drink.  This is a view from the top down.)

(Outside of the Capitol building.  Something about the Jewels of Ohio.)

(Same sculpture from a different angle)

(Dispatch - Ohio's Greatest Home Newspaper)

(This was inside the State Capitol, a placed called the grotto.  The floor was actually lowered 3 feet to allow for the taller people of today.  If you look in the distance you can see the museum.)

(Lancaster Stage Coach)

(A few medals from the Civil War)

(Type Writer, old school)

(The Dome)

(Inside the Senate Chambers, a recreation of the original chandeliers which can also be found in either the Vermont or Massachusetts State Legislature)

(A different view of the chambers)

(Huge painting weighing a lot.  In its frame there is no way it could be removed from the building.  It was probably 40 feet long and 20 feet high.)

(State Seal of Ohio found on a lamp post)

('Marble Room' with each of Ohio's counties, although none of the marble is from Ohio)

(Stained Glass window with the State Seal.  If you look closely above at the picture of the grotto you can see it in the background.)

(Inside the museum.  There was a lot of basic information on Ohio state politics as well as some old political advertisements.)

(The museum was broken into 3 parts - Legislature, Executive, and Judicial)

(After the Capitol I headed down towards the Scioto Mile and passed the Courthouse, as well as this ginormous gavel on the way.)

(Had a few fish)

(Scioto Mile located right next to the river)

(A little art as I was walking around downtown Columbus)

(For some reason I just liked this shot)

(The Arc de Triomphe, only in Columbus)

(El Camino and Dirty Franks were only a few doors apart)

(We had to wait about 15 minutes before being sat)

(Definitely some interesting art on the wall)

(A few of the toppings you could put on your dog)

(There were vegan options as well, which was thoughtful)

(Poma as he's getting ready to chow down on some hot dogs)

(Tater tots and 2 dogs, a chili cheese and one with brown mustard, onions, and sauerkraut)

(A little bit more of the memorabilia)

(Shot was we were leaving Dirty Franks)