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USA - GEORGIA - COLUMBUS : IT’S THE WAY THEY ARE IN COLUMBUS by Ursula & Eldrid Retief   Outside, it was one of those gorgeous Georgia days, like Goldilocks’ porridge, not too hot, not too cold, just right.Inside, there was thunder and lightning. One of us was in the men’s room at Miriam’s Café and Gallery, a distinctive restaurant in Columbus’ Thirteenth Street where you can enjoy gourmet cuisine surrounded by the trappings of a contemporary art gallery. Its unconventional washroom with its eccentric sound-effects is probably the very antithesis of what Columbus in Georgia is all about – this genteel "rivertown" retains much of its old-world charm with restored 100-year houses; gracious, wide brick-lined streets, and Victorian Gardens and gazebos set along the banks of the Chattahoochee River.
That’s not all, by far. The visionary RiverCenter for the Performing Arts with its three performance halls is at the heart of a move to establish Columbus as the regional entertainment center for the next century. Still lording it over the new kids on the block even after 126 years, is the Springer Opera House, the official state theater which in its heyday hosted many legendary talents. Its recent restoration is complete in every detail; even the wallpaper and decor is based on authentic period design. Columbus’ Visitors Center (corner of Bay Avenue and 10th Street) is located at the "grand staircase" of the Riverwalk. Along with regional information, souvenirs, and brochures, you can see a ten-minute video on major attractions in and around Columbus, the largest city in the Presidential Pathways region of Georgia’s Historic South. The city abounds in Civil War history, its architecture reflecting its southern heritage. Many of the historical buildings are in the revitalized 28-block National Historic District in "Uptown" Columbus. The Historic Columbus Foundation offers a tour of Heritage Corner, five house museums dating from the 1820s to the 1870s – among them one of the city’s most treasured historic homes: the Pemberton house, a cottage once owned by the pharmacist who created the formula for Coca Cola. In a small, one-room building, Dr. John Sith Pemberton busied himself mixing an array of chemicals for customers living in the booming rivertown. They called him "doctor", but Pemberton was actually a pharmacist with a thirst for experimentation, always stirring up new concoctions ranging from medicines to photographic chemicals to perfume. One of his formulas, popular among the locals, was called French-wine d’ coca from a derivative of the cocoa plant. It wasn’t until Pemberton moved to Atlanta and sold his formula that it became the soft drink that changed the taste-buds of the world. On the Black Heritage Trail, from slavery through Civil Rights, you will see and relive the African American experience and their part in the cultural diversity of this Southern city. When you’re in Columbus you won’t want to miss the Coca-Cola Space Science Center which offers simulated space flights, spectacular planetarium laser shows, replicas of the space shuttle Challenger nose cone and an Apollo capsule, even the first Coke machine to be used in outer space. The Columbus Museum focuses on American art and regional history and features traveling exhibitions. Here you can explore the regional history gallery with its own award-winning film, and investigate a kaleidoscope of color and textures in the hands-on gallery for kids of all ages. Many elements of modern naval warfare found their origins in the Civil War and the collection at the Port Columbus Civil War Naval Museum Center features many of the most rare and significant Civil War Naval artifacts in the world. The ancient mysteries of the Chattahoochee River and a kaleidoscope of native flora and fauna are revealed on a Dragonfly River Tour ..... anything from a one-hour to an overnight cruise, even a multiple-day excursion all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. On the way you'll see hidden Indian mounds, stop along a sandbar for a picnic or volleyball game, and maybe even see alligators basking in the sun on the banks of the river. At the north end of town is Georgia’s largest indoor family entertainment center, the Hollywood Connection. It includes 10 movie theaters, video arcade, carousel, electric train, minigolf course, bumper cars, laser tag, skating and much more. One of Georgia’s world-class museums is at Fort Benning on the south side of Columbus. The National Infantry Museum is jampacked with hardware used by US Army Infantrymen over the last two centuries. Fine examples of military art, uniforms from every period, and paraphernalia captured from former enemies are among the many thousands of artifacts in the museum’s 12 galleries. Just 30 minutes north of Columbus, Pine Mountain is the gateway to the 14,000-acre Callaway Gardens, Here, stunning floral displays and woodlands encompass 63 holes of championship golf, a tennis complex, fishing lakes, hiking trails and the longest man-made beach in the world. Callaway’s Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center is the nation’s largest glass-encased butterfly conservatory, housing 1,000 butterflies from three continents. The John A. Sibley Horticultural Center is a five-acre indoor/outdoor "greenhouse" with a unique collection of foreign and native plants. Callaway finishes the year with its enchanting holiday light and sound spectacular, Fantasy in Lights. Showcased along the Gardens’ five-mile scenic drive are many spectacular Christmas scenes created by millions of lights. Back in Columbus, its many beautiful antebellum and Victorian homes are not just for gaping at. Some, like Woodruff House (where the bed in the honeymoon suite was made in the same year as the house was built) and its sister property The Mansion, The Gates House and the Rothschild-Pound House, are now luxurious, award-winning bed & breakfasts, all within walking distance of the major attractions. The owners have restored the homes to their ageless beauty and endowed them with an eclectic blend of family heirlooms, period pieces and all the comforts of modern living. Columbus is proud that it is still first and foremost a Rivertown – as it was 200 years ago. And Southern hospitality is alive and well in these bed & breakfasts and everywhere else. When they say "It’s just the way we are down here", they really mean it. Photo courtesy Columbus CVB
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