Victorian Village Guest House

File under: Percs of the job. It's not all leading birding field trips in a frog-drowning downpour; it's not all lugging several hundred pounds of music equipment up stairs and down halls. Sometimes you get a treat. And the trick is to let those treats carry you through the next slog or meltdown.

I'm writing from the Victorian Village Guest House on Neil Avenue in Columbus, Ohio. This is my second stay here, and I'm delighted to say Bill is with me and also enjoying its considerable amenities.

I took the first series of photos in December, when I came here to speak to the Columbus Natural History Society.

I scurried around to photographically document its untrammeled glory before I turned it into a Zick den with my exploding luggage.

I love the bathroom. And the soap is French-milled lemon verbena and it is heavenly. The soap always speaks of the quality of an establishment. I left my Dr. Bonner's Peppermint bar in the dop kit. 

Just made tea and toasted orange-cranberry bread in this lovely kitchen. It's so wonderful to stay somewhere new, clean and uncluttered, as opposed to old, ehhh and cluttered. There's even a teeny dishwasher!

It's quiet and peaceful, being set well off the busy streets. 

The December vista. It's hard to believe you're in downtown Columbus! Doesn't it look like it's out in the country somewhere? The guest house was built on the footprint of a carriage house that was standard issue for these gracious manses in Victorian times.

  From the excellent website:  A step above a bed and breakfast, Victorian Village Guest House offers a 950 square foot luxury suite tastefully appointed with antiques and modern amenities. The suite includes a full kitchen, private bath, bedroom with queen-sized bed and great room with soaring 17 foot ceilings. Situated in the rear lawn of the Morton’s renovated 1895 Queen Anne style home, the guest house provides privacy & delightful 2nd story views of the lawn, patios & perennial gardens. A peaceful retreat in an urban setting, the guest house is truly the best of both worlds! 


I would add that it's handy to Columbus' delectable Short North, where restaurants, bistros, antique and curio shops, and a fabulous dog accessory store await. If you want to buy costumes for your Boston terrier, Pampered Pooch is where you'd head.

All of that is true, true, true. And it comes with the neighbor's buttermilk tabby.

 At this link, you can take a virtual tour of the place. Such fun! except that it makes me seasick because I'm such a dolt with the mouse. Blarrrgghh. Slow down, Zick.

I love computers. Except when they make me seasick.

The Greek yogurt, fresh berries, orange blossom honey and organic maple brown sugar granola makes it all better. 

Yesterday afternoon as Bill and I were heading out to our smashing "Wine and Warblers" event at Columbus Audubon's Grange Center, I spied a feather on the sidewalk in front of our guest house. It could have come from no other bird than a black-billed cuckoo. It was very dirty and tattered, but when I washed it up, there was the small grayish-white tip, the tapered but not pointed shape, and the olive-brown shade that yelled black-billed cuckoo to me. As you can see, it's as long as a pen--about 5". I was amazed. Right in downtown Columbus!

But as I shot the gardens this morning, the songs of migrant Tennessee warbler, northern parula and even the dull wit! of a least flycatcher rang around me, and I knew it was possible that a black-billed cuckoo had molted a feather here, as well. 

I molted a little when I stayed here, too. Allium and columbine:

The peonies weren't even awake when I made these photos.

Hey! wake up! I wanna see your yellow stamens.

At least the foxgloves were up and bugling.

A view back to the Morton's home. Ahhh.

I'm afraid the Victorian Village Guest House has spoiled us for future visits to Columbus. Or anywhere.

Oh dear. The bar is awfully high.

Check it out, check in. You will never want to leave. We sure don't. We're settin' here tapping away on our respective Silver Surfers with the fasty fast wireless Net. Please accept our heartfelt Thank You, Lisa and Jeff Morton, for giving us a taste of the truly wonderful in Columbus.

Contact them here.