Illustration by Bryce Snyder
Brooke Sperbeck
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If you think you’ll miss out on the college experience because you don’t have a car, think again. With a little motivation and creativity, Cal Poly students manage to find fun things to do both on and off campus.
Stay on campus
According to chemistry junior and resident advisor Brett Kelley, students don’t need to leave campus to enjoy themselves. There are plenty of fun things to do right at Cal Poly, such as going to the Recreation Center, he said.
If you’re feeling competitive, the climbing wall, sand volleyball courts or Ping-Pong tables are all ways to spend an afternoon. Students looking to relax and unwind can lounge by the leisure pool and work on their tans.
Extracurricular activities such as clubs are also a great way to have fun on campus, communication studies junior and resident advisor Megan Stewart said.
This past year, Stewart’s residents went salsa dancing on Friday nights through a Cal Poly club, something they might not have discovered if they had cars and the availability to leave campus, she said.
“They get the opportunity to stay on campus and really are forced to find out what is available to them and what is available to their interests,” Stewart said.
Take a hike
As the second largest land-holding university in California, Cal Poly’s campus has 1,321 acres to explore. Civil engineering senior and resident advisor Kelsey Littell is a big advocate of hiking, something she and her friends did often her freshman year when she didn’t have a car.
“It’s always an easy way to go out and have fun, but at the same time get your exercise, so that’s good,” Littell said.
The landmark ‘P’ located on the hill behind the red brick freshmen residence halls is a fun, quick hike for students looking to stay close to their residence halls. Though there are two trailheads up to the ‘P’, one at the top of the R1 parking lot and another near Poly Canyon Village (PCV), most students chose to go their own routes and hike straight up Poly Mountain from behind the dorms.
Another popular hike on campus is the trail up to the area commonly known to students as the “Architecture Graveyard,” a collection of structures created by Cal Poly architecture students as class projects. The two-mile trail is mostly paved dirt and runs along Brizzolara Creek on Poly Canyon Road. To get to the trailhead from the dorms, turn right on Village Drive toward PCV, and stop at the gate at the base of Poly Canyon Road, right before the stairs to PCV.
Go downtown
If you’re looking to get off campus, downtown San Luis Obispo is accessible by foot, bike or bus. Going downtown is a good option for freshmen without cars, and sometimes it’s even more fun without one, Stewart said.
“Instead of driving downtown, we’d walk downtown. We’d walk a lot of places,” Stewart said. “That was fun because it was more adventurous instead of just being in a car.”
Not only does downtown offer great shopping, multiple movie theaters and delicious restaurants, but it also has interesting activities for the whole community.
Farmers’ Market, held every Thursday on Higuera Street from 6 to 9 p.m., gives students the chance to enjoy live entertainment and socialize with friends. Most importantly, they can purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, which is why Littell encourages her residents to go every week.
“Going to Farmers’ every week is hands down an easy way to have fun,” Littell said. “But also I always buy my produce there and I always tell my kids to do that.”
Bike Night, a group bike ride from Mission Plaza through downtown at 9:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month, is also a popular reason for students to go downtown, especially if they don’t have a car, Stewart said.
Riders are encouraged to dress up in a crazy costume associated with that month’s theme, which can be found at the event’s website. Regardless of how avid a bike rider you are, this event is a unique atmosphere that will make you happy you brought a bike to college instead of a car.
Hit the beach
Ambitious students craving a beach day can access Pismo or Avila beaches by bus — though it takes approximately one hour.
SLO County Regional Transit Authority (RTA) doesn’t stop at the beach, but it does stop at the Pismo Beach Premium Outlets via Route 10, which connects to the seasonally operated Avila Beach Trolley. Once on the trolley, which is closed from Oct. 14, 2013 to March 28, 2014, students can go to Pismo, Shell or Avila beaches.
Though most students can find a ride to the beach on a nice day, taking the bus offers an experience they won’t get from borrowing a friend’s car.
“Getting to know SLO through the public transit system was a really good way, because when you’re in a car you go from point A to point B, you don’t really pay attention to what’s between,“ Littell said. “I really got to know every bit of SLO.”