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 two of three, with suggestions geared to the business traveler.

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With Columbus being the state capital and the home of 14 Fortune 1,000 companies (six of which are Fortune 500), it is a frequent stop among business travelers. The city is located within a one-day drive or one-hour flight of nearly half of the population of the U.S. and Canada, so those who do travel here may be in and out of town in a day or after a brief overnight stay.

Here are some helpful tips and recommendations to make the most of your visit.

Where to Stay
Like I mentioned in the family travel post , there are several great hotel options at varying price points around downtown - click here to check them out. One property great for business travelers is The Columbus, A Renaissance Hotel , located on N. 3rd St. in the heart of downtown and near the capital, Nationwide Arena and the Greater Columbus Convention Center . The Columbus has the city’s only seasonal rooftop pool with great views of downtown; it’s often the site of an impromptu happy hour and always a great place to relax or swim a few laps. The hotel also has Wi-Fi access throughout, a large lounge and bar in the lobby.

Where to Eat

Photo: Latitude 41

If you’re staying at The Columbus, I recommend dining at Latitude 41 .  It’s located in the lobby of the hotel and it’s known for unique American cuisine. Also, a quick walk down Gay Street (across from the hotel) offers several unique Columbus restaurant options including fine Italian at Due Amici , great comfort food at Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails and Cuban cuisine at Plantain Cafe.

Once you’re done with business, a few great places to get dinner and a drink with locals downtown include the Elevator Brewery and Draught Haus , M restaurant, Mitchell’s Steakhouse and The River Club at Confluence Park .

Another uniquely Columbus eatery is our public market, the North Market . This is one of my favorite places to grab a quick bite and people-watch, as it is home to dozens of unique, independent merchants and farmers. Merchants offer ethnic food specialties, gourmet groceries, flowers and gifts. (more…)

Great ready for elaborate costumes, spectacular staging and over-the-top performances by some of the world’s most talented entertainers, because Cirque du Soleil’s Saltimbanco is coming to Columbus.

If you’ve never been to a Cirque du Soleil performance before, this is a great chance to check it out. Tickets start at $45, which is very reasonable - if you see it in Vegas, the price is at least double that.

I went to my first Cirque du Soleil show back in 2006 when Corteo came to town. I honestly thought I wouldn’t like it - I imagined leotards and freaky makeup, which didn’t sound like my thing. I was totally wrong! I couldn’t keep my eyes off of the amazing stunts they did, from aerial acrobatics with flips and turns to walking up a wire 40 feet up in the air. And I always wonder how they move their bodies into human pretzels - I can’t even do the splits.

Saltimbanco will be running from August 12–23 at Nationwide Arena . Check here for tickets and more information.

See you at the show!

Photo: Columbus Clippers

Saturday is going to be a memorable day in Columbus’ history with the opening of Huntington Park . When the Clippers take the field, they will be doing so under the affiliation of one of Ohio’s most historic and beloved sports franchises, the Cleveland Indians.

Also on Saturday, the Blue Jackets take on the Red Wings in the second game of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs from Detroit (there’s a viewing party at the Arena Grand ), and Fleetwood Mac will perform live at Nationwide Arena .

With so much happening in the Arena District on Saturday, it might be helpful to have a rundown of events and tips for getting around:

Noon
Clippers standing room only seats go on sale at the Center Field entrance of Huntington Park, located at the corner of Nationwide Boulevard and Neil Avenue. There’s a limit of 4 tickets per purchase.

1:15 p.m.
Opening Day Parade begins at High Street and Nationwide Boulevard and will make its way west to Huntington Park. The parade will feature more than 50 participants, including former Cleveland Indians Bob Feller, Len Barker and Joe Charboneau and several ex-Clippers. Former Franklin County Commissioner and minor league baseball executive Harold Cooper will be grand marshal of the parade.

2:15 p.m.
Ribbon cutting ceremony and unveiling of Harold Cooper statue at the Center Field entrance. After the ceremony, Franklin County Commissioners will officially open the ballpark to the public and Party-at-the-Park begins featuring the Danger Brothers .

4:05 p.m.
First pitch at Huntington Park is thrown out and a new era in Clippers baseball begins.

6:00 p.m.
Blue Jackets vs. Red Wings in Game 2 of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in Detroit. The Arena Grand Theatre is hosting the official viewing party and admission is free.

7:00 p.m.
Doors open at Nationwide Arena for Fleetwood Mac in concert .

Parking in the Arena District is only $3 for Clippers Games; a parking map and directions are available here . If traveling from out of town, there are still hotel rooms available within walking distance of the Arena District; click here to book a room.

The Experience Columbus Visitor Center will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. Stop by and see Ben for info about more fun things to do or where to grab a bite to eat.

Columbus Blue Jackets’ Rick Nash

After Saturday night’s historic win over Detroit, the Columbus Blue Jackets have inched closer to securing a playoff spot for the first time in franchise history.

But why wait for the playoffs? The remaining home games on the schedule are playoff-like in atmosphere and importance - teams in the Western Conference playoff race are only separated by a few points and every game counts.

Columbus had been waiting for nine years to see playoff hockey at Nationwide Arena . This year’s attendance is up over last year, averaging over 15,151 per game, and the team recently announced commitments to keep ticket pricing affordable as a way to thank fans for their support.

Upcoming home games include:

March 10 (tonight!) against Boston

March 12 against Pittsburgh

March 15 against Detroit

March 18 against Chicago

And here are some package options to save money, get great seats and still see the Jackets before the hoped-for playoff run begins.

Jackets Night Out
Two tickets for a Tuesday or Wednesday game, two 24 oz. draft beers and two Donatos pizzas for just $60.

All You Can Eat Package
A ticket to the exclusive AAA Sky Terrace and an All You Can Eat buffet of hot dogs, chicken strips, popcorn, peanuts, Pepsi products and more for just $39.

Ticketmaster’s ticketexchange
The opportunity to purchase tickets from season ticket holders unable to use their premium seating.

More promotions and discounted ticket pricing can be found here.

It’s Jackets time, Columbus! The question is…will you Carry the Flag ?

Photo: Randall Lee Schieber

One of the strongest weekends in Columbus is right around the corner. It’s time again for the Arnold Sports Festival , taking place March 6–8.

Named after Arnold Schwarzenegger (who won the Mr. World competition in Columbus in 1970), the event has evolved over 21 years to encompass more than 35 events including 11 recognized Olympic sports.

While many people think first of the Annual Arnold Classic (the professional bodybuilding competition), this is really only one component of the three-day event. Here are some tips for enjoying the complete ASF experience:

• Arrive early and don’t plan on parking at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The Arnold Sports Festival takes place in four venues (the convention center, Veteran’s Memorial, Nationwide Arena and the Lausche Building at the Ohio Expo Center). So why pigeon hole yourself into just one? I recommend parking at the City Center garage and taking the free shuttle to the downtown venues.

• Take a look at the schedule to determine in advance what events you want to check out. Be adventurous here! Think of table tennis as something you do in your basement? Then take a look at the level of competition in the Terrace ballrooms at the convention center on Friday and Saturday. Also not to be missed are the various martial arts sports throughout the weekend. On Sunday morning there is a new event to discover: a racewalking competition .

• Know what ticket you have. Generally, the $10 Expo Ticket provides admission to most daytime events for one day of the festival. Check the schedule for ticketing information, too.

• Leave plenty of time to visit the booths at the Arnold Expo . The show floor gets crowded with thousands of sports enthusiasts discovering the latest in sports nutrition and fashion. There is also a stage in the back of the Expo hall that features various entertainment including bench press competitions, a fashion show and even an Irish dance demonstration. Various Strongman contests also take place on the Expo stage, so if you’ve been itching to see a really large man lift Hummer tires, here’s your chance.

• If you’re still pumped up by Saturday night, consider Party with the Pros at the LC Pavilion. It promises to be an entertaining event with several different bands performing and is the only official ASF after party.

Take these tips and enjoy this once-a-year Columbus experience. Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast, a weekend warrior or even a couch potato, there is something for you to check out at the Arnold Sports Festival.

Do you have your own ASF tip to share?