” Spring is finally in the air! The sun is gorgeously glistening, the air is wispy and fresh, and snow is nowhere in sight (fingers crossed). Coats can finally be stored away and lighter jackets brought out. Long frumpy pants can be replaced with less-restrictive and more revealing shorts.”
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Spring is finally in the air! The sun is gorgeously glistening, the air is wispy and fresh, and snow is nowhere in sight (fingers crossed). Coats can finally be stored away and lighter jackets brought out. Long frumpy pants can be replaced with less-restrictive and more revealing shorts. And one can at last be free to run around and explore in the open air.

Now that the weather has finally switched from dismally depressive to warm and wonderful, it is time to begin planning fun, enjoyable spring outdoor activities. Luckily, there are tons of fantastic things to do both around campus and in the Akron area in order to embrace the much-awaited arrival of spring and also to get a bit of exercise in this phenomenal weather.

Nothing is as quite quintessentially spring-like as tennis. There is just something about huffing and puffing while sprinting after a lime green ball in pristine white athletic clothes that is both stimulating and extremely chic. Plus, it is fabulous cardio and a guaranteed way to tone up one’s body for when summer comes around and it is time to bare all-or at least some-at the beach.

Conveniently for UA students, there are three easily accessible caged tennis courts behind the Student Union just in case one feels the urge to indulge in a bit of playing. Also, for those interested in learning how to improve their tennis skills, the university offers a beginning tennis class that fulfills the university’s physical education requirement.

Both are excellent opportunities to practice and learn the esteemed sport of tennis and certainly entice one to get out their tennis whites and head for the courts. So embrace your inner Maria Sharapova or Arthur Ashe and get ready for a little bit of game, set, match.

If getting sweaty while hitting a ball back and forth is not your cup of tea, there are still other outdoor local options for both enjoying the beautiful weather and getting in a bit of a workout, the best of which are the various Metro Parks located in the area. From the Gorge in Cuyahoga Falls to Silver Creek located outside of Norton, the Metro Parks are filled with trails flanked by drop dead gorgeous scenery that are perfect for both hiking and biking. My personal favorite is the park located in Peninsula, where most of the trail is placed alongside a rapidly flowing river and one part of it even goes under a highway bridge, which can be a bit terrifying for first-timers.

Even better, after taking in the stunning scenery and burning a few calories, one can treat themselves to a delicious meal at the local Winking Lizard Tavern, which serves the most mouth-wateringly to die for chicken wings in this county and, possibly, state. Their burgers are also scrumptious and, for dessert, one must try one of their signature root beer floats, which will surely pack back on all of the calories one loses exercising and some more.

But believe me, it will be worth it. And if one doesn’t feel like totally obliterating all of their work out efforts, it is still possible to stop at the Winking Lizard pre-hike or bike to enjoy the yummy fare and then go sweat it all off while admiring the resplendent surroundings.

Contact Arts writer Vincent Ciarlarello at 330-972-8449.

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