I finished off my visits to parks by visiting Columbus Park of Roses and remembered that I visited Goodale Park earlier this year. At Goodale Park I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the large fountain with the turtles on top, as well as experiencing the large amount of green space and the variety of trees. I also liked the beautiful flowers, tennis courts and playground. In regards to the Park of Roses, I enjoyed seeing the intricate gardens and their variety of flora and fauna, as well as playing on the abundant soccer fields. Additionally, the walk from the library to the park on the Olentangy Bike Trail was beautiful and refreshing as well. Both, the Park of Roses, and Goodale Parks are must see parks for anyone in Columbus.
To finish off my experience, I visited The Columbus Park of Roses, and I recalled an earlier visit to Goodale Park. I thoroughly enjoyed our time at the Park of Roses; after volunteering, I explored to find surviving roses and used the soccer fields. Similarly, at Goodale, I enjoyed exploring the area and seeing the diversity in plant life, except for the Ginkgo trees whose fruit smell of vomit. Sadly, the Ginkgo smell dominated one side of the pond, making visiting that area unbearable. My favorite experience from this project is definitively visiting Topiary Park. Seeing the amazingly cut shrubbery, and learning that it was from a painting, and that now someone could experience it from all angles was awe-inspiring. I enjoyed the very flat land, which allowed us to sit almost on the edge of the pond and within feet of the intricate boats. When sitting by the water, I was overcome with a desire for a picnic or just reading a book and relaxing by the shore. As a result of traveling to and from the parks, I have learned more about the locations of certain buildings in Columbus, in addition to gaining knowledge about the bus system. As of now, I understand where the 2 will travel too up and down High St., as well as the differences between the 2L, 2 and the 1. I am now more familiar with the Short North, in its area, as well as the shops and restaurants within it. Lastly, I did not expect as much greenspace in the heart of the city as there was, which was very pleasant. In the future, I would prefer to continue searching for more unique parks, as well as visit places on several of the other lists, such as the ice cream shops, or sports and recreation places. For the future, when completing this list, I would recommend exploring the parks on Google Earth and not arbitrarily picking parks, not only to maximize time but to find a park that significantly interests the explorer. Without some prior research, through Google Earth and talking to friends, I would never have found my two favorite parks, Topiary and the Park of Roses. In addition, I would recommend building in an aspect of the park into to your visit, so a picnic at Topiary, date at the Park of Roses, Biking or Running the Scioto Mile. Additionally, wear weather prepared clothes as it is a park and people will be exposed to the elements. Also, people may want to visit the Columbus Commons Park first, because it isn’t amazing when it is empty, as its just a concert venue with a large patch of grass and a walkway. Overall, exploring Columbus through its variety of parks, with friends, was a joy filled experience, and I will wholeheartedly try to visit many of these parks again to de-stress, make new memories with friends, and I will integrate other aspects of this beautiful city into my visits as well.
