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Summer, summer, summertime. As Will Smith would say, it’s time to, “Sit back and unwind.”
I don’t know about everybody else, but I’ve been looking forward to summer like the Chicago Cubs have been looking forward to another championship. As a full-time student who works two jobs, it can seem as if a break from constant obligation is 100 years away.
This will be the first time I spend a full summer in Chico and, to be quite honest, I have no idea what it will be like. The past two summers in my hometown of Elk Grove were forgettable messes of drama and boredom.
I’m sure most of my summer will be spent doing what I do whenever I’ve got excess free time — playing Madden ‘09, watching “SportsCenter,” playing basketball, painting the town red, playing guitar and disc golfing.
But what sports activities does Chico have to offer that will make this summer different from the others?
The Orion’s faithful sports writers and I set out to find exactly that.
From hitting up all the swimming holes in Upper Bidwell to tubing down the Sacramento River, we found out there’s tons of stuff to keep students entertained.
If you enjoy baseball, the Outlaws’ regular season begins tomorrow and ends Aug. 31, leaving plenty of days to spontaneously pick up one or two of their $7 to $14 tickets and catch some quality ball. Specifically mark off June 16-24 and July 24-August 2, as the Outlaws have a home game every day during those spans.
If biking is more your deal, then meeting up with the three-rides-a-week Chico Mountain Bikers or catching a BMX race at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds may be perfect.
Unfortunately, the Wildcat Recreation Center won’t open until Aug. 17, according to WREC director Rick Scott. So, technically, it’ll be open for the end of summer break, but only for one week before fall classes start.
If you plan to go tubing to keep cool in Chico’s triple-digit temperatures, be sure to read Victor Cantu’s article on keeping safe and staying out of trouble with Glenn County’s finest.
If you still find yourself struggling to come up with activities to keep entertained, I suggest reading Thomas Lawrence’s commentary on the abundance of Chico’s beautiful and entertaining outdoor scenery.
Or, if you’re just looking to kill a few hours and have some goofy fun, check out Shane Zanze’s article on B-2 about what it’s like to enjoy some Chico-style mini-golf.
So go have some fun this summer. Then come back ready to read why Chico State’s athletes are hungry for fall.
Phil can be reached at
sportseditor@theorion.com
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