Spring Break
Column: Exploration helps strengthen education
Bryan Rolfsen / Columnist
Issue date: 3/2/09 Section: Opinions
To the untrained eye of the typical college student, Charleston appears to be "boring" and "uneventful."
We all know the campus-wide joke that there's nothing to do other than drink in this town.
However, in the three years I've spent here, I've realized Charleston has plenty to offer to those who embrace the culture and actively seek out new experiences.
I've heard of people being here for months without ever venturing to "the square," or downtown Charleston.
In this business region of town, there are many things to do, including the Will Rogers Theatre, which has an old-time ambiance and a legitimate, central Illinois feel.
There are also some tasty restaurants.
You can check out South Side Café for breakfast or go to What's Cookin' for a high-quality meal any time of the day. Also, Roc's has a hearty dinner menu worth scoping out.
If you just want coffee or tea, you could go to Jackson Avenue Coffee, which sports an eccentric coffee house feel and offers live music on occasion, including, but not limited to, Jazz and Open Mic nights. Furthermore, Friends and Co. and The Uptowner often offer live music to those old enough to enter.
My favorite place to go when it's not too cold is definitely Fox Ridge State Park. If you take Lincoln east toward Wal-Mart, then take a right on 18th Street and follow it for about eight miles, Fox Ridge will be on your right. It is a beautiful natural reserve with a lot of activities to offer.
You can go hiking along the Embarras River. You can camp, hunt, fish, picnic, bike, play softball or basketball or anything else you can think of to do in the woods.
If you keep going past Fox Ridge toward Greenup, you will stumble upon Grissom Lost Creek Orchard.
They mainly grow peaches and apples, but they also offer activities such as mazes, hiking and a petting zoo. You can buy all sorts of authentic jams and preserves.
Interestingly enough, Charleston has the largest Abe Lincoln statue in the world.
If you go east on Lincoln Avenue a few miles outside of town, there will be a car racetrack on your left and a miniature Abe Lincoln pointing to the left.
If you follow Abe's directions you will eventually end up face-to-foot with the giant Abe, located next to Lincoln Springs Resort.
The resort includes a miniature golf course, a restaurant and displays an incredibly daunting water slide.
These few things are only slightly penetrating the surface. In addition, there's a drive-in movie theater, Lake Charleston, a paintball course, a horse racetrack, the Lincoln-Douglas debates and more.
As college students, our educations are not confined to the classroom. Growth requires exploration, and I believe that is a necessity to experience what Charleston and the neighboring communities have to offer.
Bryan Rolfsen is a senior biology major. He can be reached at 581-7942 or at DENopinions@gmail.com.
We all know the campus-wide joke that there's nothing to do other than drink in this town.
However, in the three years I've spent here, I've realized Charleston has plenty to offer to those who embrace the culture and actively seek out new experiences.
I've heard of people being here for months without ever venturing to "the square," or downtown Charleston.
In this business region of town, there are many things to do, including the Will Rogers Theatre, which has an old-time ambiance and a legitimate, central Illinois feel.
There are also some tasty restaurants.
You can check out South Side Café for breakfast or go to What's Cookin' for a high-quality meal any time of the day. Also, Roc's has a hearty dinner menu worth scoping out.
If you just want coffee or tea, you could go to Jackson Avenue Coffee, which sports an eccentric coffee house feel and offers live music on occasion, including, but not limited to, Jazz and Open Mic nights. Furthermore, Friends and Co. and The Uptowner often offer live music to those old enough to enter.
My favorite place to go when it's not too cold is definitely Fox Ridge State Park. If you take Lincoln east toward Wal-Mart, then take a right on 18th Street and follow it for about eight miles, Fox Ridge will be on your right. It is a beautiful natural reserve with a lot of activities to offer.
You can go hiking along the Embarras River. You can camp, hunt, fish, picnic, bike, play softball or basketball or anything else you can think of to do in the woods.
If you keep going past Fox Ridge toward Greenup, you will stumble upon Grissom Lost Creek Orchard.
They mainly grow peaches and apples, but they also offer activities such as mazes, hiking and a petting zoo. You can buy all sorts of authentic jams and preserves.
Interestingly enough, Charleston has the largest Abe Lincoln statue in the world.
If you go east on Lincoln Avenue a few miles outside of town, there will be a car racetrack on your left and a miniature Abe Lincoln pointing to the left.
If you follow Abe's directions you will eventually end up face-to-foot with the giant Abe, located next to Lincoln Springs Resort.
The resort includes a miniature golf course, a restaurant and displays an incredibly daunting water slide.
These few things are only slightly penetrating the surface. In addition, there's a drive-in movie theater, Lake Charleston, a paintball course, a horse racetrack, the Lincoln-Douglas debates and more.
As college students, our educations are not confined to the classroom. Growth requires exploration, and I believe that is a necessity to experience what Charleston and the neighboring communities have to offer.
Bryan Rolfsen is a senior biology major. He can be reached at 581-7942 or at DENopinions@gmail.com.
The Daily Eastern News encourages on-topic, civil discussion on its articles posted online. It is our policy not to screen comments before they are posted or edit them after they are posted. However, we reserve the right to remove comments that are off-topic, malicious, libelous or include excessive foul language. The DEN also reserves the right to turn off all comments on any story it deems necessary.
Comments violating copyright law will also be removed.
Users who repeatedly violate this policy will be banned from commenting.
If you have any questions on our comment policy or wish to report a comment that you feel violates these standards, please e-mail a link to the article to our Online Editor at DENNews.com@gmail.com.
Be the first to comment on this story