Page 19 - AAA Magazine – AAA Ohio Auto Club – May 2019

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team owners and fans to fuel the exhibit experience. “Boxer Buster Douglas, Cleveland Indians owner Paul Dolan and track star Stephanie Hightower are all
featured,” said Logan. “By giving them the platform to share their stories in their own words, visitors can make a deeper connection to our state’s history.”
And instead of telling history chronologically, Ohio History Connection explores sports through the themes of character, adversity, innovation, identity, tradition, victory – values that relate to the human condition – to connect a broad audience to Ohio’s national sports history.
“‘Ohio – Champion of Sports’ is a next-generation exhibit for us that connects visitors to our state’s national sports history in new and modern ways,” said Logan.
“It’s unlike anything we’ve ever done.”
It’s also highly interactive. Visitors can test their basketball skills at the Wall of Hoops, record a victory dance, run an obstacle course and record their “One-Minute Legends” sports story to share with family and friends. They also can contribute their own sports photos to the museum experience. Collectively, these activities allow attendees to put their personal stamp on the exhibit.
The Ohio History Connection is a Smithsonian Affiliate. Through that partnership, the state history organization was able to bring an iconic artifact from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture to local visitors. LeBron James’s rookie jersey from his first season with the NBA will be on display until Sept. 29.
Visitors don’t need to be sports fans to connect to the story of Jesse Owens’s historic gold medal wins over Germany at the 1936 Olympics Games; or relate to Sarah Fisher’s groundbreaking role as the youngest woman to ever qualify for the Indy 500; or feel a sense of pride in the music of The Ohio State University Marching Band. This exhibit connects Ohioans to all
of these important stories and more.
“Ohio – Champion of Sports” runs until Sept. 5 at the Ohio History Center, 800 E. 17th Ave., Columbus, Ohio. Learn more about the exhibit at ohiohistory.org/sports.
Sports Action Just
One of Many New
Ohio Road Trips
Just in time for spring and summer travel planning, TourismOhio recently launched RoadTrips.Ohio.org to help travelers find their perfect Ohio road trips. The 10 road trips are based on themes with some routes highlighting major celebrations including the Lunar Landing 50th anniversary and the Cincinnati Reds’ 150th year.
“Ohio is located within a day’s drive of 60 percent of the U.S. population, and research tells us Ohio visitors are driving here from surrounding states,” said Matt MacLaren, director of TourismOhio. “We created RoadTrips.Ohio.org to be a fun and easy way for families and friends to find experiences they can enjoy together.”
There are two ways to use RoadTrips.Ohio.org.
The “Find All Trips” button allows the user to browse all 10 inspirational road trips individually. The second, and perhaps most fun, is to click the “Find Your Trip” button, take a short quiz and let the site recommend road trips based on responses to what the user wants to find in Ohio.
RoadTrips.Ohio.org features the following 10 themed road trips:
1) Thriving Cities (Urban)
2) To the Moon and Back (Space/Aviation)
3) Foodie Fill-Up (Cuisine)
4) Highway to History (History)
5) Are We There Yet? (Family)
6) Rock, Ride and Explore (First-time visitor)
7) The Scenic Route (Outdoors)
8) Culture Cruise (Culture)
9) Lovers’ Lane (Romance)
10) Winning Drive (Sports)
Road trips provide a fun and accessible way for travelers to explore a new place or even rediscover a place they have already been. The new RoadTrips.Ohio.org site provides more than suggested attractions. It also shares insider tips, such as must-try eateries, distinctive lodging and more “along the way” information that transform a drive into a truly memorable experience.
Emmy Beach is assistant director of public relations and content marketing for the Ohio History Connection.
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