Many Amherst students stay on campus during the summer: some to do research, some to work on-campus jobs, some to intern in the Admission office… If you are on campus during this time, you’ve probably noticed that there’s almost nothing to do on campus after work or during weekends, and so you might want to take this opportunity to explore off campus. Here are some of my top off-campus recommendations:
Visit Lake Wyola! This lake with a beautiful, beach-like view is a 30-minute drive from campus. There are so many fun things you can do there! I went there this summer with friends and played beach volleyball. After our game, I read a book while I tanned, but there were signs of thunder and rain coming, so the lifeguards evacuated the place early and my sunbathing was cut short.
Explore Downtown Amherst! Downtown Amherst is chock-full of restaurants and boba places that you can explore on a budget. My favorite boba places are Lime Red and Moge Tee; as for restaurants, I like to go to Royal Chicken and Kebab and Paradise of India. Downtown is also home to relaxing places that don’t sell food like Elements Hot Tub and Spa. If you’re down to explore slightly beyond downtown, you could also stop by Flayvors of Cook Farm in Hadley and get a homemade ice cream on their farm, where you can see cows, calves, and chickens wandering around.
Hike Mount Sugarloaf! Mount Sugarloaf has incredible views of the valley and other surrounding mountains. While the hike to the peak is only .3 miles long, it has an elevation of 643 feet. Take your hiking shoes and get ready for a good workout!
Go to the cinema! There are various cinema options available during summer, including Cinemark and Amherst Cinema. However, Amherst Cinema is not free in the summer (like it is for Amherst College students during the school year), so you’ll have to pay around $10-15 to watch a movie instead. I went to Cinemark with friends to watch Inside Out 2 this summer, and it was a good time.
Visit the other Five College Consortium schools! If you haven’t been to any of the other consortium schools yet, this is your time to visit and see the beautiful features that make them different from the rest.
These are just a few activities in the Amherst area that you might want to try. I want to add more to this list, so if you guys have questions or comments about other ways you can explore off-campus, feel free to email me at sninziza27@amherst.edu.