Whole Foods Sign Is Up In Columbia; Dreaming Of Summer And Warm Walks For Exercise And Food

Sign Is Up At Whole Foods Columbia

The sign is up outside the Whole Foods in Columbia.

Check out the giant logo that Mrs. HowChow spotted while she was stopping for French pastries at the Columbia lakefront.

The Whole Foods folks have been saying that they aim to open in the first week of August.  The sign is just one of 1,000 steps in that process.  But we're already dreaming of summer and warm walks where a few thousand steps could take us for food.

Across the lake

On the first Sunday that the weather broke last month, we drove to Columbia and walked around the lake.  On that Sunday, the main draw was pastries and coffee from Le Comptoir, which I'll rave about later this week. But we walked past the Whole Foods construction site and imagined an afternoon that could include takeout lunch on the grass, a walk around the lake, and then shopping for groceries.

Our walk was fun even though the lake was frozen solid.  I can't recommend the trip enough on a day with friendly weather.  Park in the lot off Little Patuxent Parkway across from the Columbia Mall.  The lot is next to and beneath the Copeland's restaurant, but you want to walk down to the lakefront for a walk and then something to eat.  Sushi at Sushi Sono.  Sandwiches, pastries and coffee at Le Comptoir.  Large menus at Clyde's and Tomato Palace.

And by late summer . . . Whole Foods.

On the first trip, I will pour one out for Wordbones.  He would have loved the real estate talk as companies develop the lakefront neighborhood.  I imagine he also would have gotten a kick out of standing in Whole Foods and figuring out where his former office would have been inside the new store.