How to spend the best season in Davis
By YASMEEN O’BRIEN — yjobrien@ucdavis.edu
Flowers begin to blossom, big jackets hang unworn in our closets and the warm sun comes out for the first time in what feels like forever; spring is here. And in Davis, it’s a very special time — my favorite time of the year.
Campus feels lively again. People are out and about, lying on the grass in the quad, grabbing an iced drink at the CoHo or walking to their next class with friends. The Arboretum blooms. Happy people picnic alongside waddling ducks. Hammocks sway in the quad’s breeze.
UC Davis’s springtime traditions of Picnic Day and Whole Earth Festival keep the community engaged and excited about what’s next. The farmers market is more eagerly attended by long-time residents and college students alike.
Summer break is in sight as students begin the final push, the last quarter of the year. There is a certain feeling of anticipation hanging in the air that I’ve found comes with spring quarter.
With nice weather comes the desire to be outside — or in my case, the need. But sometimes it can be hard to come up with outdoor activities to do, especially after finally mastering all the indoor winter activities.
If you’re looking for a calm afternoon, take a walk through the Arboretum. Maybe bring a blanket and a good book or some snacks and sit by the duck pond. If you’re looking for a little more adventure, head to the rope swing at Putah Creek to go swimming (the entrance is by UC Davis’s Hydraulics Lab located on Brooks Road). For those who are able to go a little farther, you can also head to Lake Berryessa for some swimming or hiking. There’s a yummy fruit stand you can stop at to grab some snacks on the way. I haven’t found or heard of a rope swing there, but maybe you can be the first to build one!
If none of these ideas are tickling your fancy, fear not. I have a couple more recommendations. Take a bike ride down Russell Boulevard to the cute little town of Winters. There’s a really tasty restaurant there that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner called Putah Creek Cafe which is relatively inexpensive.
Attend Saturday’s farmers market and sun yourself in Central Park. They even have live music sometimes if you’re lucky. You can also grab an iced drink at a coffee shop in downtown Davis — Mishka’s, Philz and Temple are popular spots.
There are endless things to do now that the sun is shining — much more than I can name. I hope you all have a happy outdoor season!
Written by: Yasmeen O’Brien — yjobrien@ucdavis.edu
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