When I came to Bucknell last year, I felt like I was so far from home. Even though I only live 20 minutes away. The Bucknell Bubble was so real that I never even really considered showing my friends the things that make this area home for me.
Once this semester started and it became extremely evident that our weekends would look completely different this year, I turned into a central PA tour guide for my friends. We began exploring the area together and doing things we never considered doing last year.
Even though I am so ready for life to go back to normal, this change of pace has made us all feel more connected with the surrounding communities of Bucknell. I am so excited to share some of the amazing things the area has to offer for those who have also been finding themselves bored and stir crazy over the past several weeks.
Food
If you’re looking to venture out beyond the classic Lewisburg downtown favorites (even though Gram’s Taco Tuesdays will always have our hearts), the surrounding areas have some great places. The Fence Drive-In, just an eight minute drive from campus, has the best fish sandwiches, a gorgeous view, and plenty of outdoor seating, making it super covid-friendly. Penn’s Tavern is another great place to sit along the river and enjoy some fantastic food made and served by people extremely committed to keeping their patrons safe. As a bonus, they even have live music on Tuesday nights.
Entertainment
Even though the Campus Theater is arguably the cutest thing about downtown Lewisburg, you can never go wrong with the experience of a drive-in theater. The Point Drive-In in Danville shows movies starting at sunset every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and it’s the perfect way to have a relaxing movie night with friends when you’re in the mood to get out without risking your health. There’s truly nothing better than bringing snacks and blankets to sit outside and enjoy a movie when the nights start to cool off in the fall.
Shopping
Quarantine left me low on funds (thanks for taking all my money, DoorDash), but there are still so many options for retail therapy. The Street of Shops has a huge variety of items, from old records to lamps made out of Jack Daniels bottles. It’s so easy to spend hours going through all the rooms on a rainy day when you’re on the market for new room decor or fun antiques.
Outdoors
I feel so much more productive when my friends and I go on a hike on a Saturday afternoon, and there are so many places to explore. Dale’s Ridge is super close to campus and is a short and easy hiking trail with amazing views all along the way. Ricketts Glen State Park, while much further from campus, is absolutely worth the drive. There are several different trails depending on desired length and difficulty, with my personal favorite being Falls Trail, a path with waterfalls that are perfect for outdoor photo-ops. Your Instagram will thank you for the content.
Wildlife
Nothing gives me more serotonin than seeing all the animals, so trips to Reptiland, Lake Tobias, and T&D Cats are absolutely essential. Luckily for me, one of my best friends is from a city and gets excited every time we see cows along the side of the road, which makes my efforts to find entertainment so much easier.
As much as I was hoping for some miracle that would allow this semester to be normal, being able to do all the things I normally do with some of my best friends turns the mundane aspects of the place I’ve always lived feel like a whole new adventure. If anything good is able to come out of this, at least I have been able to see that there are things right in front of me that I completely ignored the value of until now, and share that newfound excitement with the people closest to me.