Spring is finally here and — more importantly — so is spring break. If you are staying on campus and want to make the best of it, here are some fun tips to make the most of your time off.
Plan a staycation
There are so many things one can do, so many places one can visit, so many friends to see and wild parties to taste. Classes can be stressful. Spring can wait and so can everything else. Take a break, you deserve it!
Plan a day for yourself. Stay in, order from your favorite restaurant, pop some fresh buttered popcorn and curl up in your soft warm bed. Watch your favorite TV shows, listen to music and spend a few days just doing nothing. Sometimes to do nothing is the best something.
Try something new
Whether it is jumping in the lake, fishing, learning to eat with chopsticks or picking up a new book, this is your time. Learn a new recipe from a different culture, read a book from a genre you’ve never read before, try out an activity you never did before or start a new hobby. What was the one thing you wished to learn or do that has been lingering in the back of your head? Spring break is your opportunity to be yourself. Do something that you always wanted to try but never had the time to.
Biking and trekking
The weather is finally nice, so it is only right to want to take a walk or ride a bike. The City of Madison website suggests over 30 hiking paths and Madison provides more than 200 miles of biking and hiking trails according to the Destination Madison website.
Plan your bike path using the City of Madison bike map and enjoy the coming of spring and the warm blazing sun. Stop for an ice cream or a lazy lunch at your choice of restaurant and feel the breeze of spring approaching.
You don’t have to travel to take a vacation
If staying in your room is not your thing or your roommate is annoying, we understand. Madison has many fun places to visit! Camping, biking, kayaking, rock climbing, campfires — you name it. There are two freshly melted lakes, wild ripe woods, weaving splashing paths and many breaking bluffs. You can wander into their cozy abodes.
Take the 80 to Eagles Height Woods on the Northwest side of campus to perch upon a bluff and watch the sunset. Make a spread, bring a blanket, and sprawl beneath the shade of trees amongst cold soft grass to enjoy a picnic. The University of Wisconsin’s Arboretum woodlands and prairies and Devil’s Lake State Park are also perfect options for a warm sunny retreat in nature.
Campfire at Picnic Point
Picnic Point has over six fire circles and free firewood for burning. Reserve one with the Lakeshore Natural Reserve at no cost at all to enjoy a night under the stars with friends and family.
Sit around a cozy bonfire, roast s’mores, sip slabs of chocolate and sing some campfire songs.
The Madison music scene
Speaking of music, have you tried out the Madison music scene yet? If not, this break is the time. Hit some of Madison’s many clubs and restaurants to listen to live emo, jazz and rock or many others played by local bands.
Explore Madison and nearby places
Madison has many things beyond the campus itself. Visit the Henry Vilas Zoo here in Madison, which houses over 600 animals from African lions and Amur tigers to Alpacas and turtles.
Go shopping at Hilldale and West Towne Mall malls and stock up for the pouring heat of summer and cool breeze of spring with the latest fashion trends or simply for change a in scenery. You can also visit Madison’s Olbrich Botanical Gardens for a fun day exploring exotic plants or watch live performances, music or stand-up comedy at the Overture Center, the Orpheum or the Comedy Club.
Take a day trip to a nearby city
If you are feeling like exploring more, take a day to visit Chicago, Milwaukee, Devil’s Lake or other neighboring locations. There are Badger Buses that can take you to the heart of Milwaukee’s Third Ward, a bustling are full of restaurants and entertainment. At that same bus stop, you can hop on a train straight to Chicago’s Union Station.
Or you can be serious
Spring break is not always fair — midterms do loom over for some. If you are ever tired of enjoying the fresh sun or the warm weather, you can always do some homework and catch up on your classes. Think about how nice it will feel to go back to school feeling caught up on your homework — but don’t forget to relax!
Before it is too late, pick out the best way for you to spend your spring break, whether it is to lie in your room with a cozy blanket, ride a bike or learn a new hobby. There are a million ways to spend the few days, pick what you like the most and remember there is no right way to have fun.
