Columbus Urban Dare

On June 25th we drove over to Columbus, Ohio to do our second Urban Dare of the year. We had fun earlier in the year at the Pittsburgh Urban Dare. In Columbus, we got to check out Janie’s old stomping grounds from OSU and see Tim’s friend Jared and his wife Erin.

After driving over in the morning and relaxing at Jared and Erin’s place downtown, we walked to the start point: Claddagh Irish Pub. Shortly after noon the teams were gathered together for final instructions before being released to go get clues. And, we were off! We started by working together on the clues, and ended up relying a lot on Jared and Erin’s knowledge of the downtown…especially getting around as we didn’t bring a map along.

First Stop – Clue 5:

He received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect. Locate this brotherly eating establishment but the particular one you seek crosses with a street that is a city in Kentycky that serves as the state capital and the county seat of Franklin County. In the nearby park, locate a race official for your Spellbound dare.

This led us to a park next to the Einstein Bros. Bagels on Frankfort Street (two others in downtown were on High Street) where we had to add numbers up for the letters in a word on our ‘passport.’ Tim wrote the wrong number for one of the letters, so it took 3 tries before he figured it out.Dirty Franks

Second Stop – Clue 6:

These people were a West Germanic tribal confederation. Locate a fine eating establishment bearing its name. If you are not in a hurry, maybe it’s time for some “dirty dog” nourishment.

Dirty Franks, which Jared had been talking about earlier in the day.

Three-legged hikeThird Stop – Clue 9:

Oscar Wilde wrote only one novel. Take the fourth word of its title and add an R and you will discover the park that you seek. Proceed to this location and find a race official for your leggy Dare.

The book was The picture of Dorian Gray. Tim searched Dorian Park Columbus OH and an early reference was to DrOrian park. But, he figured out later that it wasn’t in OH (since nearest spot for address was very far away). More research, after a smart suggestion from Jared, showed Dorrian Park nearby in downtown where we had to do a lap around the park as a 3-legged pair.

Fourth Stop – Clue 11:Ohio Arsenal

The name of a famous North London Football club is your clue. Take the answer and fill in the blank to the following: “Ohio State ______”. Take your picture with the plaque that says it is “the oldest building in Ohio still used for its original
military purpose.”

Arsenal was the clue, which led to the Ohio State Arsenal.

Janie JumpingFifth Stop – Clue 4:

Every race needs an easy clue. Christopher Columbus’s largest ship on his first voyage. Go find its replica and find a race official for a jumping good Dare.

A replica of the Santa Maria ship was by the river, which Erin knew from running near it, where we each had to do 5 jump rope cycles.Columbus's Santa Maria

 

Sixth Stop – Clue 2:

A grand royal residence whose Latin word is Palatium. Find this theatre and Palace Theatertake your picture in front of the marquee.

This was the Palace Theater, where it was hard to take a picture with the marquee and the sun in the background, but we managed.

Seventh Stop – Clue 12:

Get a picture of two non-race competitors reenacting the famous WWII photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt.

We knew this from the Pittsburgh Urban Dare – EisenstaGettin' it onedt‘s picture of the sailor kissing a nurse on V-J Day. Erin found a willing couple while we walked.

Eighth Stop – Clue 10:

This 3-D “WA” mural was created by Kaname Takada. Take your picture with it.

Google said the mural was near Cleveland Avenue and "WA" MuralGay Avenue, on an art campus. A very helpful guard on a bike pointed us to the right art installation on the building side and also helped out with two other clues.

 

Ninth Stop – Clue 1:

Born in Columbus, this author was best known for his contributions to “The New Yorker” magazine. Find this Unicorn at Thurberhouse and take a picture of yourselves and the nearby “Unicorn in the garden.”
This referenced James Thurber, who grew up near the prior clue. Near Thurber House, which the guard pointed us towards, was a nice garden with this unicorn (and other teams).

Tenth Stop – Clue 7:

Topiary sailboatFind the park that pays tribute to the horticultural practice of training live perennial plants. Take a picture of yourselves with the replica sailboat from “A Sunday afternoon on the Isle of La Grande Jatte.”

Erin and Jared had happened to go here recently, so they knew about the park, which they had dubbed the “Edward Scissorhands” park, a Topiary Park.

Eleventh Stop – Clue 8:

This restaurant chain was founded in 1963 by college sophomore Jim GrotDonatose. Find the one that does not get you “high” in downtown Columbus and take a picture of the two of you and this restaurant.

The restaurant was Donatos. Three are downtown – two on High Street and one on Grant, which is where we went. That evening we ordered Donatos, and it was great.

Twelfth Stop – Clue 3:

This bronze and granite monument completed by Bruce Wilder Saville in 1923 honors both the men and Civil War memorialwomen of the Civil War. It was commissioned by the Women’s Relief Corp of Ohio. Take a picture of yourselves in front of this monument.

Thanks to the helpful guard and some extra googling, we found this Monument by the Courthouse, right across the street from the Palace Theater, where we had been earlier. Ah well.

From there was a brisk walk and some jogging to get back to the finish line and a late lunch at Claddaugh. According to Tim’s watch, we covered 7.25 miles in 2 hours and 29 minutes. Very Tiring! When we checked in, we were the 30th and 31st teams to finish. On Monday we got an email from Urban Dare with the final standings, putting us at 30, 31 out of 85 teams. Top half again! 🙂

Here’s our route around town, with photo-stops numbered in red circles and miles walked noted with black lines.

Urban Dare Route Map

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