The Wexner Museum of Contemporary Art was at the top of our list of things to do here - it has a big name among those who love modern art, which we do. What we didn't realize is that it's kind-of a teensie museum. Which isn't in any way to suggest that what's inside isn't BIG. It's housed in part of Ohio State's vast realm (and it was a joy to see all of the bright young students bustling around - a city of students!). The exhibits were excellent - we particularly loved the work of artist Alexis Rockman, whose paintings are hard to describe - sort of a realistic rendering of surreal botanical/animal scenes. Muted, even witty, exposition of not-so-subtle environmental commentary - these are beautiful and clever paintings. Apparently, as a boy, Rockman loved visiting natural history museums; this is reflected in the work, as his subjects encompass the entire litany of life - there are little nematodes and big old brontosauri and critters most people would never be able to identify. Alexis Rockman
Seeing the Wexner is like being given a delicious "small plate" in a Parisian bistro. Absolutely satisfying, and one is left with energy to either keep on eating, or go explore the city. Which we did. Both Cleveland and Columbus are feasible cities. They are not huge and daunting or frightening. They are amazingly clean; in fact, everything in the parts of Ohio we've seen looks clean. This isn't to say we haven't seen some impoverished places, run-down and even boarded-up areas - clearly Ohio has its part in the struggling American economy. But there's obviously a lot of effort to keep the state's roadsides and sidewalks tidy, and we travelers do appreciate this.
As a bit of sun began to peep through the clouds, we returned "home" to the campsite with glee, knowing we could FINALLY throw something on the grill for dinner. It would be our first outdoor meal, sitting around a sizzling (wet) fire in our damp outdoor chairs, but hell, those pork ribs were good! Hocking Hills State Park is a nice little place, an awful lot of people here, though, during off-season, nothing like the state park near Cleveland. Why so many people here? Well, we'd find THAT out… tomorrow.
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