Good-Bye, Columbus

     It seems I always appreciate downtown Columbus the most when I'm about to leave it.
     This is probably because these days about the only time I ever spend any time walking around -and subsequently appreciating - downtown Columbus is when I'm about to leave  Columbus for Chicago,

...via the Megabus, which departs from downtown Columbus.

       Yesterday, Thursday, Tom and I once again found ourselves perambulating through downtown Columbus to catch the Megabus  for our customary pre-Christmas trip to Chicago to visit our daughter Claire and her husband Miguel.
      As always, this trip began when we stepped out our front door at 7:35 am and started off down the street rolling our luggage behind us through our now tree-decimated but road-widened neighborhood (see post from 7/21/2015, "Good-Bye, Trees").

    How our walk down Hamilton Road to the bus stop looked in December of 2014:

...and in December of 2016.

    Waiting at our  bus stop,

...and at the stop at Hamilton and Broad in Whitehall where we transfer to catch the Broad Street bus to downtown,

...directly behind which bus stop -  FYI to the local thrifting aficcionados out there - is located one of the very best thrift stores in Columbus.

     When we arrived downtown the streets were already busy and decked out for the holidays.    

      We made our way to our usual spot for catching breakfast before catching the Megabus, the Einstein Bagels across from the Ohio Statehouse, which was crowded with folks who appeared to be getting ready for their work day.

  We snagged a nice window seat,

...with a nice view of the Statehouse.

     After our breakfast of yummy Einstein Brothers’  bagels we left all the working folks behind,

...and walked several blocks,

...taking in the scenery along the way,

…until we arrived at the Megabus stop.

     We boarded and were soon our way to Chicago with our fellow travelers, having a final look at the city from the bus windows.

     And as we left Columbus I was reminded, once again, how much I like this town.

     View from the glass roof of the Megabus.

     To be continued...