COSI - Ohio

We were later leaving out for Columbus than we had planned. Since the vet had kept Slate overnight we had to pick him up before we left. We got him back home and settled in with my Mom. We quickly loaded the car and were on our way. The weather for the drive up was just horrible. It poured rain all the way from Nashville to Louisville, KY. That made us run even later. As we got on the far side of Louisville the rain finally stopped, and the sun came out. It was nearly dinner time, so we stopped right outside of Columbus for a bite to eat. When we got into town we went straight over to COSI, and met up with our friends. It was great to see everyone in costume and trooping. We had friends with both the Rebel Legion and the 501st. One of our friends managed to get us in for a sneak peek at the exhibit, Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination. It was absolutely INCREDIBLE!! So many of the props that were used in the Star Wars movies were there and up close to look at. It was sensory overload. There were robots that you could build yourself, an actual landspeeder that you could ride in, a flight in a lifesize cockpit of the Millenium Falcon, and many other interactive things.

After a quick preliminary trip through the exhibit, Casey and I headed over to the hotel to unload the car and freshen ourselves up (By that time it was nearly 9 p.m.) After a little relaxation, it was time to head down and line up for the midnight opening of the exhibit. We walked the 5 blocks down from our hotel. Columbus is a lovely city, so it was a really nice walk. While we waited outside, we got to talk with several people and interact with the troopers. The people were finally let inside at timed intervals to mingle, eat, get an autograph from Jeremy Bulloch (the original Boba Fett), and go through the exhibit. The food was great, and the company and exhibit were even better! We finally got back to the hotel and fell into bed around 3 a.m.

On Saturday, we got up and headed out for a bite to eat. While we were out, we decided to explore the city a little bit. It was so clean and neat. We found a really great cigar shop there with an even bigger reputation called Pipes and Pleasures. Casey loves cigars and pipes, so he was in heaven. Later that afternoon, we headed back to the exhibit and went back through to get some pictures. Everyone was clearing out for the day, so it was a lot easier to get them taken. We then headed back for the hotel, stopping on the river bank to get a bite to eat and take in some of the Art Festival the city was holding. After a huge gyro, it was back to the room and into the pool. Saturday night was the 501st and Rebel Legion party. It was great to get to eat and visit with our friends. Since I had missed him at the exhibit, I had a chance to get an autograph and speak with Jeremy Bulloch. All in all, a fantastic weekend in Columbus. Here are some pictures from the exhibit.

A Clone Trooper outside entertaining the crowd.

More Clone Troopers inside.

Me with Anakin's and Obi Wan's costumes.

Tusken Raider costumes.

Model of Luke Skywalker on his Taun Taun used for The Empire Strikes Back...look at that detail!

Casey with a Destroyer Droid

To see all of the pictures from the COSI weekend, click HERE. Tomorrow, the trip to Cincinnati...stay tuned.