Trip to Columbus Ohio - To watch Twenty One Pilots

We went to Columbus June 28- 30, 2019 to watch Twenty One Pilots.

Watch the Youtube video

During the three days we visited as many local attractions as possible and ate at some great restaurants.

General Information.

Columbus is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a population estimated at 898,553 in 2019, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest after Chicago, and the third-most populous state capital. Columbus is the county seat of Franklin County; it also extends into Delaware and Fairfield counties

Columbus originated as numerous Native American settlements on the banks of the Scioto River. Franklinton, now a city neighborhood, was the first white settlement, laid out in 1797.

The city was founded in 1812, at the confluence of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers, and laid out to become the state capital. The city was named for Italian explorer Christopher Columbus.

The city assumed the function of state capital in 1816 and county seat in 1824. Amid steady years of growth and industrialization, the city has experienced numerous floods and recessions. Beginning in the 1950s, Columbus began to experience significant growth; it became the largest city in Ohio in land and population by the early 1990s.

The 1990s and 2000s saw redevelopment in numerous city neighborhoods, including downtown.

Attractions

1- Scioto Mile. Strolled the Scioto River at dusk, which is part of the Scioto River. With miles of multi-use trails stretching from Bicentennial Plaza in the south to North Bank Park in the North, this is a great spot to take a stroll and enjoy both the city and nature.

2- The German Village .We spent a couple of hours roaming the streets if the German Village. The a bridge over Interstate 70 is all that separates the German Village Historic District from downtown Columbus, but as one looks east from the interstate, the difference between old and new is glaring.

In German Village, no structure is higher than three stories.

Five blocks south, the spire of St. Mary Church stands 197’ off the sidewalk and towers over everything around it. Structures and sidewalks are orange masonry, and many streets (about half) are still brick pavers. German Village does not have a recreated sense of history or kitschy Bavarian feel ~ rather, it is a neighborhood with architecture dating from the 1840s-1890s that has been preserved, and its use as a shared residential and commercial neighborhood has been maintained.

People walk to their destinations, park on the street due to the overwhelming absence of driveways, and live life at a very pedestrian level.

The neighborhood is extremely dense ~ very often only inches separate neighboring structures, and many structures were built for multi-family use. German Village is notably different because its appearance has changed so little.

3-Arena District . We dined and walked the quaint streets of the Arena district.

Aside from being the home of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Nationwide Arena where we watched Twenty One Pilots, also host concerts from some of the nation’s biggest acts (often the only stops these premier acts book in Ohio). Express Live! also hosts national acts in an Indoor/outdoor concert and special event venue and was named "Top 25 Most Popular Music Clubs in the U.S." by Billboard. The venue also plays host to events like Beer Fest in the summer months.

The Arena District is right in the heart or a short walk from many of Columbus' annual festivals and events happening throughout the year, like the Midwest's largest Independence Day celebration, Red, White & Boom.

4- National Veterans Memorial and Museum. We got to honor our veterans by visiting the National Veterans Memorial and Museum. One of Columbus’ newest attractions, the National Veterans Memorial and Museum , located on the downtown riverfront, is the only place in America dedicated to telling the stories of veterans of all branches of military service over the course of all conflicts. The building itself is an architectural masterpiece, winning accolades from Architectural Digest for its curving lines and unique cast concrete construction.

Exhibits in the succinct circular space take place in a series of alcoves, where the different parts of a service member's journey are told, from enlistment to swearing-in, to training camp, to wartime service to coming home. While there are a few artifacts, they tend toward the personal (letters from home and tokens of good luck,) and the experience of military service is explored primarily through personal stories. Video interviews from a diverse array of veterans narrate the way, leading to a powerful understanding of the sacrifice veterans make, as well as the similarities and differences of their military experiences.

The spiral nature of the memorial and museum's layout lends to a progression of storytelling, where you can learn more about individual veterans, like Columbus' own John Glenn, who was a catalyst for the creation of the memorial before his death in 2016. The final stop on the first floor is a circular catwalk with views of an enormous four-sided screen sharing in-depth reflections on service from veterans. The lower level has space for rotating exhibitions. The top floor is lit with color-infused light coming from representations from medal bars from each conflict American military members have served in. It's a reflective space, with a powerful double-mirrored remembrance gallery that puts you in the place of a military family member receiving a flag at the service of a fallen service member. An outdoor rooftop area presents an amphitheater surrounded by the skyline of the city, where military homecoming ceremonies will take place. Outdoors features a 2.5-acre memorial grove, where visitors can spend some time in silent contemplation and reflection before returning to their daily lives. A grove of elm trees, a long stone wall with three waterfalls, and a reflecting pool provide a peaceful end to the visit.

5- Milestone 229. Part of the Scotio Mile Trail, you can relax and have great meal and have a great view of the Bicentennial Park, Milestone 229 is a state-of-the-art, glass-enclosed restaurant featuring a covered outdoor dining terrace. Offering panoramic views of the Scioto Mile Fountain and riverfront, Milestone is open daily for lunch and dinner. An architectural icon along the riverfront, the building design includes roof-top solar panels to help power the fountain and restaurant. The food was great.

6- Goodale Park We really enjoyed our walk in and around the Goodale Park. The Park is surrounded by Victorian Village, a cluster of homes with charming architectural features. It is the oldest park in Columbus and among the oldest in the United States.

Although Goodale Park contains an expansive playground and tennis courts, the park's main attraction is its view of the Columbus skyline and the serenity offered alongside a scenic pond and the charm of the gazebo and of its historic park shelter. A walk through Goodale Park is a refreshing experience.

The Friends of Goodale Park, a volunteer group that works to improve the park conducted a tree inventory of the park. The park boasts a very impressive tree collection, in terms of numbers, 650+ trees, and species represented, 169, not including various cultivars. The inventory took more than 2 years to complete, but was well worth the effort and the Friends are happy to share the knowledge of the jewels of the park with others.