Spring weather is not the only thing right around the corner. Just beyond Grounds, the Virginia countryside is filled with roads University students enjoy traveling on for pleasure.
"Spring is the best time of year, and driving around is a great way to avoid work and have a good time," third-year Engineering student Mike Pilat said.
Second-year College student Matt Watson said driving is a method for stress relief.
"It's an easy way to make a quick getaway from the school environment," Watson said.
He added -- while a blaring ambulance rolled by -- that it is an opportunity to avoid the noise of the downtown and University areas.
"It's great for anyone interested in the outdoors and not being shut up inside," Watson said. "Growing up, I spent 90 percent of my time outdoors and on the beach."
Watson added that growing up on Virginia's Chincoteauge Island has strongly influenced his love of the season.
Among the seasonal sites Pilat likes to visit are Beaver Creek, Walnut Creek, Sugar Hollow and Skyline Drive.
He said Skyline Drive is a favorite because it can sometimes be a challenge to navigate.
"You have to pay attention to the road and negotiate turns," Pilat said.
He also pointed out the added advantage of not knowing what is around each corner, such as exciting overlooks.
Watson's favorite place to drive is the area around Foxfield because "it's just really nice," he said. "It has some of the best views of Charlottesville as a whole."
Watson explained that the area is very wide open and has a lot of mountain views.
"When everyone is referring to Charlottesville as the best place to live in America, I think that's a prime example of why," Watson said.
Day tripping
By Defne Gunay
Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Looking to get away from Grounds, their usual activities and time in the library, some students have taken to exploring the Charlottesville countryside through camping and daytrips.
"Camping is a really good way to get away from Charlottesville, school and monotony of everything," third-year College student Diane McGibbon said. "Especially since people just came out of midterms, it is a really good change of pace."
Third-year College student Davar Irvani said he also thinks getting out of Charlottesville is much needed.
"It is important to regularly go out of town to clear your head, especially spring time, when the weather allows you to do that," Irvani said. "Even if it is just for a couple of hours during Saturday or something -- people need to get out of Alderman."
Irvani also mentioned that the day trips to the countryside can be very diverse.
"I really like Walnut Creek Park, which is also good for hiking and mountain biking," he said. "There is the Panorama trail close to the airport. There is Beaver Creek where we went [this past Saturday] with food, drinks and sunshine," he said. "There is also the river swing near Shadwell for running around and swimming -- it's very Norman Rockwell there."
McGibbon said the surrounding countryside around Charlottesville provides students with a lot of activities.
"People sometimes don't really realize how great Charlottesville countryside is," she said. There are "a lot of places for one to go out there and get a break from U.Va., especially in the spring when the weather is not too hot and not too cold."
Take a hike
By Victoria Brayton
Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Now that spring is on the way, some University students are going hiking to take advantage of the rising temperatures and blooming flowers.
Second-year Engineering student Daniel Myatt said he plans to hike more this semester now that the weather is improving.
"It's not all rainy and muddy and the trails don't have leaves all over them," Myatt said.
Additionally, hiking allows students to take the time to enjoy the outdoors and to take a break from schoolwork, some students said.
"It's a nice stress reliever to kind of clear my head and get my mind off school," Myatt said.
The spring weather gives students a chance to get off Grounds, as well.
"It's just really nice to go outside and enjoy the weather, especially when you stay on campus a lot," first-year College student Kerry Morrison said. "It's a nice way to go and do something that isn't academically related."
Morrison went hiking at Skyline Drive the weekend before Spring Break. She said the trails have many places where hikers or people driving by can stop to admire the view.
"On a clear day you can see into West Virginia," Morrison said.
Myatt said he prefers hiking at Ragged Mountain because "the trails are really well maintained and it's really nice scenery."
Although hiking may sound like a pretty strenuous activity to some, Morrison said everyone can enjoy the outdoor experience.
"There are trails for everyone -- different altitudes, different lengths, different terrains," she said. "There's something for everyone."
Days on the Lawn
By Vinu Ilakkuvan
Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
The mad dashes past the Lawn in attempts to spend as little time as possible in the cold have been replaced by leisurely strolls and Frisbee games. The once-deserted gardens are full of life -- newly blooming flowers, chirping birds and, of course, studying students.
Spring is here and students are beginning to take advantage of the pleasant temperatures, studying or simply sitting out on the Lawn and in the Pavilion Gardens.
"I like going to the Gardens and sitting on the benches," third-year College student Veronica Brooks said. "Occasionally I'll sit on the Lawn -- I'll borrow one of my friend's rocking chairs who lives on the Lawn."
College first-year Nandita Mani also enjoys spending time outdoors during this time of year.
"The Lawn and the Gardens behind the pavilions make U.Va. so unique, and they're great places to go to appreciate the history and architecture of our school," Mani said.
However, even students who greatly enjoy studying outside often admit that it can be quite a distraction.
"I find that I don't actually get that much studying done [outside] because I'm easily distracted by both people and nature," Brooks said. "When I'm on the Lawn, I always end up running into five million people I know and stopping to chat. And if I'm in the Gardens, I start watching the squirrels or wondering exactly how much ants can carry on their backs."
Mani agreed, saying she is often more distracted outdoors than she would be studying indoors.
"I usually go to the Gardens or the Lawn knowing that I won't get much done, but it's worth it anyway to take a few minutes out of your day and just appreciate how beautiful U.Va. is," Mani said.
Indeed, students find many benefits to studying out on the Lawn or in the Gardens.
"The Gardens are a great place to sleep or sunbathe," Mani said. "A lot of times, there's no one there and when it's really nice out, it's easy just to fall asleep."
But studying outdoors is also an option.
"With the weather warming up, I know I'll be going to the Lawn and the gardens more often to study," Mani said. "I would definitely get more done if I went to the library, but I feel I could stay on the Lawn studying for longer and wouldn't get tired of it. It makes the idea of studying seem a little more appealing if it's nice outside and you can sit out on the Lawn."
Brooks said she also feels that studying outdoors is important, even if it means distractions are more numerous.
"I think, as a student, it's very easy to get lost in academia and the rigor of school life in general," Brooks said. "But it's important to remember that we're within something much bigger and to take time out to enjoy nature."
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