So you’re all moved into college. You’ve had a taste of what downtown is like, you’ve explored the campus, and you can finally get from the dorms to Herty Hall without having to ask for directions. Now you’re wondering, what’s next? Sitting in your dorm day-in and day-out gets old really quickly and let’s be honest, people really don’t make use of the Den under magnolia. But surprisingly, Milledgeville has a ton to offer if you know where to look. If you haven’t heard about the chalk mines by now, you’ve definitely seen the thousands of Instagram pictures of them. Let me tell you, the pictures don’t lie. It’s an incredibly beautiful place that you definitely need to check out, with its massive sand dunes and crazy colorful waters. Next is my personal favorite: good ole Bartram State Forest. Trying to ENO with some friends and jam out to music? How about a walk on one of the nature trails? Or maybe you just want to take your dog out for a swim in the lake. Well Bartram is the place to be. “It’s not too often that you get all this neatness in one location, that’s why it’s called neature.”

For those of you who are seeking an activity to cool down from this ridiculous heat, I’d highly recommend paying a visit to the Sinclair Dam by the Milledgeville Country Club. There’s a great spot for cliff jumping right into the waters. It’s also the perfect place to start floating the river. We recommend stopping at the first boat ramp down river from the Dam, only experienced kayakers and boaters should proceed any further. All you need is a cheap float from Wal-Mart, or a boat you can drop in the water, something cool and refreshing to drink and a few quality friends to float the mainstream with! Now there’s still plenty of other places to discover and things to do, but part of the fun is finding these for yourselves. So if you’re ever feeling bored on a weekend and need something to do, get out there and go find them.

 -Zach Fleming, Arcadia Crew