Abilene is, by definition, a small college town. While there are still things to do and places to go, most of those are closed or at half capacity because of the pandemic that just doesn’t seem to end.

We’re left to our own devices to entertain ourselves with minimal resources and multiple regulations, and many groups of friends are scrambling for plans to come up with new and exciting things to do.

Now more than ever, Abilene college kids are getting really bored. 

However, the weather is getting cooler, and the bugs are slowly leaving. Fall is, hopefully, on its way, and it might be key to keeping us entertained this semester.

It’s been proven multiple times being outside is already a somewhat effective deterrent for spreading COVID-19, and with cases still being on campus five weeks into the semester, now is not the time to give up on being safe just because you’re bored.  

That being said, if you’re feeling bored, get outside! 

Abilene is home to two separate lakes and is only a half hour drive away from a state park all of which are great spots for a quick picnic, day hike or camp out. Lake Abilene and Lake Fort Phantom both have locations where you can rent water gear like paddle boards and kayaks and Abilene State Park is home to multiple hiking trails and campsites providing multiple opportunities to get off campus and explore a little bit. 

For those who don’t necessarily want to travel anywhere, ACU has multiple places for you to enjoy the outdoors as well.

Hammocks are a worthwhile investment with multiple poles and trees around to get your group together, but for those who want to be a little more active, the Lunsford Trail is an extremely popular destination any time of the day. 

There are lots of ways to keep ourselves entertained without risking the spread of coronavirus even further into our community. Social distancing, masks and a little bit of extra sunshine could be the cure to pandemic boredom.