The Birds and the Bees
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Cheap Dates
September 18, 2008 - 11:00pmIt’s official. We have hit that crucial point in the semester where prelims are just getting started, fall is fast approaching and students still have plenty of time to procrastinate. If you feel a bad case of cabin fever coming on in the library, put down your books, head outside and enjoy the crisp fall weather before it is too late! This week, Cheap Dates offers three creative ideas for exploring the great outdoors with your significant other. From wandering through the woods together to kayaking on Cayuga Lake at sunset, these activities are sure to impress your honey and make you both forget about the impending prelim season.
$Head over to the Cayuga Nature Center for a relaxing day of hiking and spectacular scenery. Located on a lonely stretch of Route 89 just past Glenwood Pines, the Cayuga Nature Center remains one of Ithaca’s best-kept secrets. Stop by the bird sanctuary, where a friendly and knowledgeable staff can give you an up close and personal look at the many exotic birds on site. Channel your inner child and climb to the top of the Center’s impressive six-story tree house, which offers spectacular views of Ithaca’s many gorges. Afterwards, take a romantic stroll through the idyllic butterfly house and hiking trails in the back. Not ready to leave yet? The Center offers night hikes every other Friday through the end of September. Be sure to check www.cayuganaturecenter.org for more detailed information. The Cayuga Nature Center is open Tuesday-Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is an affordable $3 per person.
$$If you want to impress someone with your mad daredevil skills, then hightail it over to the Lindseth Climbing Wall, the largest indoor natural rock climbing wall in North America. It’s 4,800 square feet of wall-scaling fun! Located in the east end of Bartels Hall, it’s got options for climbers of every level. The wall is made of natural rocks embedded in concrete blocks, and there are also finger and hand cracks, overhangs, slabs and lots of other things we’ve never heard of but that are sure to make your climbing experience exciting and varied. For those who are less vertically inclined, the bottom ten feet of the wall are available for climbing without a rope, so give it a try and see how far you can go. For the more adventurous type, try to get to the top of the 30-foot-high wall and see how it feels to be on top of the world (or at least on top of Bartels). The wall is open 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. If you have a Cornell fitness center membership, you can get a climbing wall day pass for $6. Otherwise, it costs $10 for a day pass for students.
$$$If a romantic day on the lake is what you had in mind, Cornell Outdoor Education is here to help. How about spending an afternoon paddling a canoe for two on Beebe Lake? Or maybe a kayak for two on Cayuga Lake at sunset? At the COE outfitting center you can rent both, and they even come as packages with a boat, a paddle, a roof rack and a life jacket. A day rental of a canoe is $25, while a tandem kayak is $35. Take a day to get out on the water before the lakes freeze over. Head to the COE Outfitting Center in B01 Bartels Hall, or find them online at coe.cornell.edu.