Two weeks remain until spring break, which means Alabama professors are doing all they can to fit in as many exams and projects before we escape from campus for a week. Whether you’re heading to Gulf Shores or just back home to see your pets and your high school friends, chances are you’re looking forward to a relaxing, stress-free week, and dreading the two weeks that stand between you and spring break. These next two weeks can be tough, especially if you find yourself spending more time in Gorgas each day than you spend doing anything else, especially sleeping. When taking on midterm exams, it’s important to make time to relax. Don’t let the pressure get the best of you, and head out to these great Tuscaloosa spots for an afternoon or a Saturday, letting your academic stress melt away and preparing you to hit the books again the next day.
1. The Riverwalk
North of campus, the 4.5 mile paved trail provides a great opportunity to get in some exercise and stretch your legs after marathon study sessions in the library. In the words of Elle Woods, Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t fail their midterms, they just don’t.
Though exercise is so important to maintaining a healthy life balance in college, let’s face it – we’re all exhausted. So even if you don’t feel like grabbing a few friends and a dog from Tuscaloosa Metro and walking from the Amphitheater down to Manderson Landing, the Riverwalk is great for one other thing – Eno naps. So string up your hammock in the trees along the path, and sleep for a few hours, ignoring the fact that you have an organic chemistry exam coming up or a paper due in two days that you’ve yet to start. It’s fine.
2. Lake Nicol
If there’s one thing college students do better than everyone else, it’s making decisions that put our well-being at risk in the name of fun. Lake Nicol provides ample opportunity for this kind of thrill seeking and ignoring impending deadlines and responsibilities. Located about a 20 minute drive from campus, off Old Watermelon Road north of the river, Lake Nicol has a variety of hiking trails, several which don’t necessarily lead anywhere. It can be frustrating to figure them out for the first time, but offer a fun challenge compared to the mapped trails at Lake Lurleen. You can also just hang out by the edge of the water, sleep, read a book, or chill with friends. But the most fun thing to do at Lake Nicol is cliff jump.
The lake has cliffs at a few different heights, ranging from about 30 feet to about 60 feet. If you go, I’d recommend jumping the shorter one – when you jump off the tallest cliff, you have to get enough forward momentum to clear a tree that sticks out between you and the water, which can be dangerous. The shorter ones are safer and just as fun.
Warning: cliff jumping is tecnhically prohibited at the lake, so jump at your own risk!
3. Lake Harris
This lake is a few miles down the road from Lake Nicol and is fed by that lake. It doesn’t have any cliffs, but it does have a small deck and benches near the edge of the water. The highlights of Lake Harris are its isolation – it’s three miles back on a red dirt road, so fewer people come there than the larger lakes – and its bounty of Eno-friendly trees, perfect for hanging out by the water with friends. You can also rent a few kayaks from Outdoor Recreation and paddle out on the calm water for a few hours.
4. The University of Alabama Arboretum
As much as we’re all stressed out about global warming, you can’t deny you’ve been enjoying our unseasonably warm weather in February. So take advantage of the sunny skies and see everything blooming in the gardens, or take your dog for a walk along the trails.
5. Capitol Park
Capitol Park in downtown is one of Tuscaloosa’s most underrated points of interest. At the park, you can find the remains of the Capitol Building from before the capitol of the state was moved from Tuscaloosa to Montgomery. Two columns and the foundation of the building remain from when the building was burned in 1923. The rest of the area is green space and offers a quiet place to walk around or relax.
No matter what these next two weeks throw your way, I hope you find time to step back and relax. Don’t let yourself get burnt out, and remember – spring break will be here before you know it!