Want to (finally) soak up the sun? Head over to Skaneatlas for the day and soak up the rays
next to its gorgeous lakes!
If you’re staying in the ‘Cuse this summer, don’t stress out thinking of what you’ll do in
your down time from your internships or classes. Syracuse, like any other city, always has plenty
of random events happening or hidden getaways to explore. Plus, it is the one time of year we
have truly nice weather here, so take advantage and truly enjoy it.
During the school year, a lot of people don’t take advantage of exploring downtown.
Now is the perfect opportunity! There are plenty of restaurants to choose from. A lot offer
outdoor seating so you can soak up the sun while filling up. Dinosaur BBQ will provide you with
comfort food and succulent barbecue treats to keep you from missing your mother’s cooking–or
if she can’t cook, it’ll make you beyond glad you’re not at home.
Besides restaurants, there are other shops and touristy places to visit. If you’re
into science, hit up the Most for a day of playing with various experiments, learning some
history, and just acting like a little kid. There’s always an interesting IMax movie playing, if you want
to watch a movie without having to go anywhere. The Everson Museum of Art is also very fun.
Different exhibitions will be coming and going throughout the summer, as well as some really
cool events. Even if you don’t like art, you’ll enjoy the art picnic, where 60 artists take part in
making quick works of art under a time limit. Plus, I’ll be interning here, so I can act as your
own personal form of entertainment!
If you’ll have access to a car, some roadtripping will make your summer entertaining for
sure. Skaneatles, about an hour away, not only has a gorgeous lake for swimming, tubing,
boating and what have you, but a lovely town life! Little shops and restaurants are easily found,
and even a walk around the lake can take up a whole sun-filled afternoon. If you go, check out
this old school candy store; they literally sell every candy from childhood.
Feeling historical? Take a trek to Liverpool to check out Sainte Marie Among the
Iroquois. The park takes you back in time and teaches you about French and Native American
history. You can even take part in history by actively working with the reenactors to cook or
bang out some metal.There are plenty of beautiful hiking trails around, as well as Beaver Lake
for boating and fishing. It’s a great activity for the outdoorsy type!
Remember when your favorite activity was going to the zoo? Well, I do and it’s still
among my favorites. C’mon, you can’t pass up seeing Simba live. If you haven’t, take a short
trip down to the Rosamond Gifford Zoo to see lions and tigers and bears, oh my! They also
recently added penguins and some other animals to their collection, and believe me, they are
beyond adorable. If you can’t take the outdoor heat, there’s also plenty of animals indoors to
check out.
At the end of the summer, not long before we’re back to school, the New York State Fair
comes to town! So if you’ve wasted your summer working hard, reward yourself with a couple
days of rides, fatty foods and good music before the semester starts. Even if the rest of your
summer was boring beyond belief, this will certainly make up for it.
So, don’t be too bummed you’re stuck in Syracuse for the summer. The weather is fine,
the food is great and there’s lots of fun places for you to appreciate.