This post is written by Sandi Combs , Marketing Coordinator for Experience Columbus.

The first time I learned of Zoombezi Bay was when I was visiting the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium with family two summers ago. We took one look at the towering slides of the water park we never knew existed and said “we’ve got to go there!” A year later, a group of friends and I finally made the trip there, and we loved it! We ended up staying until the park closed at 9 to make sure we got one last go on each of the attractions before making the two-hour drive home.

Now that I’m a full-fledged resident of Columbus, of course one of the first things on my summer fun to-do list was to go back to Zoombezi Bay. Lured by my memories of last summer and the park’s two new water slides, my boyfriend and I headed out this past Sunday armed with our sunscreen, beach towels and swimsuits to make the most of the July heat by cooling off at our favorite water attraction.

So, here’s the scoop on the park: Zoombezi Bay features 17 water slides, an action river, a lazy river, a wave pool, two kiddie play areas, plenty of lounge chairs for sun bathing and much, much more. It is a very popular place and you’ll find all kinds of people there, from thrill-seeking young adults to families to everyone in-between.

The two new slides, Big Boa Falls and Python Plunge are great. Python Plunge shoots you through a winding tunnel at high speeds before sending you down a hill to the splash pool, while Big Boa Falls blasts you up a hill, giving you the rush of feeling weightless, and then shoots you back down to the landing pool. It kind of feels like you’re riding a waterslide uphill. Both are experienced via rafts. Here’s a picture of the slides.

Do note that lines for some of the most popular attractions, like the action river and the Cyclone slide, will be long during peak periods of the day (from about noon-4 p.m.), especially on weekends; my advice is to hit those toward the beginning or end of your visit so you can do more during the hours you are there. Also, the sidewalks can get toasty if it’s a super-hot day, so if you or anyone in your group has sensitive feet, I’d recommend wearing water shoes or keeping flip-flops on until you’re at the next activity on your list.

Zoombezi Bay offers a couple other amenities to enhance your visit. The first is that your admission ticket also gets you into the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, which is great. We usually do the zoo in the morning, and then as it gets warmer, we head over to the water park. Zoombezi Bay also offers private cabanas that you can rent out for the day. If you have a large group, renting one of those makes life much easier because you get a private wait staff to take your food and beverage orders, a special discounted menu, plus a convenient place to park all of your stuff.

That’s the basic low-down. I’ll leave you with my top four favorite things to do:

• Cyclone water slide
• Big Boa Falls water slide
• Wild Tides wave pool
• R oaring Rapids action river

Zoombezi Bay’s Facebook page has a nice collection of photos that will help you get a feel for what the park is like.

This post is written by Anthony Cordo, visitor services manager, at Experience Columbus.
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We’ve got a three-day vacation package for your entire family to check out the hottest attractions in Columbus; all starting at $375 for a family of four.

Day 1
Play at COSI , the number one science center in the nation. Their newest exhibit is Dinosaurs - a massive experience of animatronic dinos, a maze, and simulators that let you be a dinosaur!

Day 2
Get wet at the Zoombezi Bay waterpark with activities including two all-new slides: Anaconda Falls, a fast, curvy slide and the Python Plunge a thrilling water coaster!

Day 3
Experience the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium , the number one zoo in the nation. Stay cool in the new Polar Frontier and check out over eight thousand animals throughout the zoo!

A two night stay is included in the package at your choice of hotel. The preferred hotel, Drury Inn , includes complimentary breakfast and evening snacks and indoor/outdoor pools.

So, get on it and plan your family fun weekend in Columbus.

With the forecast calling for good weather this weekend, it’s time to take advantage of the great outdoors! The Boy Scouts of America are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year by bringing Adventure Base 100 to the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium on May 22-23.

Adventure Base 100 is a huge mobile, hands-on exhibit that will turn 10,000 square feet of the zoo into a scout experience that is fun for the whole family. Relive scouting days with your family on the ropes course, view awesome videos on the IMAX-like Go! Dome, or participate in the on-stage activities. And that’s just to start – there are many more activities!

The event is a fantastic experience, and because it’s being held at the country’s number one zoo you can spend an entire day exploring. Check out more details here .

Win a Columbus experience!

Do the dates May 8-16 ring a bell? No? Well, I’ll fill you in…it’s National Travel and Tourism Week!

Now, you may be thinking “Why should I care?” Here’s why: Visitors spend $7.23 billion annually in Central Ohio. And 62,000 people are employed in the tourism and hospitality industry. Pretty impressive, huh?

Some of you cynics out there may still be asking “Why should I care?” And I say to you this: You can win some really cool stuff! Experience Columbus is celebrating National Travel and Tourism Week by offering a chance to win one of three amazing packages.

With the first package, you and three others can:

• Cheer on the 2008 MLS Champs at a Columbus Crew game
• Enjoy the May flowers at Franklin Park Conservatory
• View historic motorcycles at AMA’s Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum
• See an Austrian M47 tank driven by Arnold Schwarzenegger at Motts Military Museum

Or you may be more enticed by the second package, where you and three others can:

• Learn through hands-on science interaction at COSI (voted #1 science center in the nation by Parents magazine)
• Cruise through Columbus with SegAway Tours of Columbus
• Watch a timeless film in the beautiful Ohio Theatre with the CAPA Summer Movie Series
• Shop at your favorite local merchant with your $20 North Market gift card.

And last but not least is the third package, which allows you and three others to:

• Eat your peanuts and crackerjacks at a Columbus Clippers game at Huntington Park (named ballpark of the year by Ballpark Digest and BaseballParks.com)
• View the new polar bear exhibit at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (#1 zoo in America by USA Travel Guide)
• Lean back and enjoy a movie at the sophisticated Arena Grand Theatre
• Go on a shopping spree with your $50 gift card for Easton Town Center

You can enter to win by stopping in one of the Experience Columbus Visitor Centers (Easton or Arena District locations) or by visiting this link . The winners will be drawn and notified on May 17.

Best of luck and Happy National Travel and Tourism Week!

If you only had 24 hours to spend in Columbus, what would you do? This was a hard question for me to answer, but I’ve come up with a list of must sees and must dos that I feel will leave any visitor with an experience uniquely Columbus.

I’m sharing these ideas in a three part series - the first post is geared to families, the next to the business traveler, and finally, a post to help a local decide what to do with visiting friends or family.

Here’s part one of three, with suggestions geared to families.

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24 Hours in Columbus - Family Edition

Columbus has always been a city with lots of fun and affordable things to do with family. Here are some recommendations for a great day in town.

Where to Stay
There are several great hotel options at varying price points around downtown - click here to check them out. Two properties that stick out to me as reasonably priced and great for families are the Holiday Inn Columbus Downtown Capitol Square , near the heart of downtown, and the Drury Inn & Suites Convention Center , near the Arena District. Both have a complimentary breakfast, a pool and adjoining rooms upon request.

Where to Eat
Cap City Fine Diner & Bar in Grandview is a local favorite. The menu features old diner favorites with an upscale twist, and you can’t go wrong with the meatloaf.

Max & Erma’s was founded in Columbus back in 1972 and serves great family meals as well as a good drink selection. You can dine at one of their 15 Columbus area locations, including the original Max & Erma’s in German Village. Don’t forget your order of hot cookies. (more…)

Photo by Bob Macklin/courtesy of BalletMet

With Thanksgiving come and gone, the holiday shopping list is now on a lot of minds. But before you hit the mall, consider getting a little more inventive.

Why not give your friends and family members an experience you can enjoy together? Who knows, you might even start a new holiday tradition.

Last Christmas, my boyfriend and I took our moms to see the musical Grease at the Palace Theatre. The day was such a hit that we’re continuing the trend this year. We tossed around several possible places to take them, including Wildlights at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium , Shadowbox: Holiday Hoopla and the Short North Holiday Hop , which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this weekend.

In the end, we decided on a true holiday classic: The Nutcracker , which BalletMet will perform at the Ohio Theatre. Prices start at $29 and performances run December 11-23, so even the busiest holiday schedule can be accommodated. But don’t wait too long to buy tickets, because they go fast - you can get them online here .

I can’t think of a more perfect excuse to get dressed up, enjoy a night out and truly get into the holiday spirit.

On the heels of Melissa’s last post sharing a few free things to do in the coming weeks, I thought I’d share a new package that offers an incredible deal for experiencing Columbus in the coming months.

The Columbus Lights & Sights Gift Getaway includes $700 worth of things to see and do for only $259.

Here’s what you’ll get:

• Two nights accommodations (Drury Inn & Suites is the preferred hotel)

• Four tickets to Wildlights at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

• Four tickets to the Columbus Museum of Art , including the Chihuly Illuminated exhibit

• Four tickets to the Franklin Park Conservatory , including the Chihuly Reimagined exhibit and holiday displays

• Four tickets to COSI , including the Joys of Toys

• Two free kids’ meals at Max & Erma’s

To repeat: all that stuff up there is a total of $259. It really is that inexpensive.

Have more than four people? No problem - you can book for more and pricing will be adjusted accordingly.

For more details or to book a Lights & Sights Gift Getaway, click here .

And stay tuned for more Columbus holiday ideas, coming from Kelly next week.

If you’re looking for inexpensive summer entertainment options, you’re in luck.

Columbus is home to the #1 zoo and the #1 science center in the United States. So this summer, Experience Columbus is helping families discover how affordable a weekend of fun and exploration can be. We have partnered with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, COSI , Drury Inn & Suites , Bob Evans , Greater’s Ice Cream and Cameron Mitchell Restaurants to put together the Roar and Explore Package .

Through Labor Day, for only $299, a family of four will receive the following:

• Four tickets to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

• Four tickets to Zoombezi Bay water park

• Four tickets to COSI

• Two nights at the Drury Inn & Suites , with your choice of three locations in Columbus. Other hotel choices are also offered, but prices may vary.

• One free kids meal at Bob Evans

• One free junior cone at Graeter’s Ice Cream

• $15 gift card to Cameron Mitchell Restaurants

Additional family members may be added when booking. Packages can be booked online or by calling (888) 236-8084.

If you’re looking to create your own affordable getaway or show off the city to friends and family who are in town, check out these lists of Free Things to Do and Things Under $10 for ideas.

Also, festival and special event season in now upon us and Columbus has some of the best cultural and artistic celebrations  in the country - many with free or inexpensive admission. For specific details about some of them, check out this page that features members of the Greater Columbus Events Council.

There is plenty of inexpensive fun to be had and ways to save on some of the best entertainment in town.

The post below was written by Emily Swartzlander of the Greater Columbus Arts Council . A celebrity author will visit Columbus during the Asian Festival this weekend, so Emily’s here to share the details along with her recommendations for an Asian-themed weekend in Columbus.

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An Asian-themed weekend in Columbus, including FREE events with bestselling author Amy Tan
by Emily Swartzlander, Greater Columbus Arts Council

Experience Asian culture in Columbus this weekend as the Greater Columbus Arts Council , The Ohio State University and the Asian Festival culminate a month-long celebration of The Joy Luck Club with two free events featuring bestselling author, Amy Tan.

Her visit to Columbus is part of The Big Read , a month-long initiative to encourage reading among adults with events and discussions surrounding The Joy Luck Club.

Amy Tan will be the featured speaker for OSU’s President and Provost’s 2008-09 Diversity Lecture & Cultural Arts Series on Fri., May 22 at 7 p.m. at Mershon Auditorium , where she’ll read from The Joy Luck Club, discuss her work and take questions from the audience. You can pick up your free tickets at the Mershon box office in advance or the day of the event. Then, on Sat. May 23, Tan will greet fans and sign books at the Asian Festival at noon in Franklin Park.

And while you’re at it, why not have an Asian-themed weekend in the city? Here are my suggestions on how to make it a weekend:

Friday
Head to Mershon Auditorium for the free Amy Tan reading, then have a late dinner and drinks at Nida’s Thai on High in the Short North. Pad Thai and a dirty ginger martini? Nothing beats that!

For out of town guests, stay overnight at The Lofts hotel and try their Zoo A-Go-Go package. You’ll get overnight accommodations and up to four free passes to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium – the #1 Zoo in America – where you can meet their new baby Asian elephant.

Saturday
Head to brunch at Zencha Tea Salon , featuring specialty teas from throughout Asia, Africa and Europe. Plus, they have really yummy pancakes!

Then head over to the Asian Festival in Franklin Park for Amy Tan’s book signing. While you’re there, check out the Asian games section, where you can learn how to play Mahjong or Sepak-Tekraw. Or you can head to the Market Place for Asian artwork, gift items, spices, pottery and clothing for you or your friends.

Wrap up your day with that visit to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium , courtesy of your Lofts package, then head back downtown for dinner at the Indian Oven for a chic atmosphere and incredible Indian comfort food such as naan, tandoori and biryani. My favorite’s the Tandoori Chicken Makhni, which loosely translates to “butter chicken.” Delicious.

Photo by Randall Lee Schieber