This week continues our series of fun, interesting and scenic areas around Bloomsburg to explore this spring that will spice up your free time without breaking your budget.
The end of the semester is in sight, which means that summer and all it brings are right around the corner. Many students go home for the summer, but if you live locally, plan to take summer classes, or just don't want to leave the awesome town of Bloomsburg, chances are that you'll be looking for something to do other than the omnipresent cow tipping. Fear not — we have you covered.
Camelbeach Waterpark
www.skicamelback.com/Camelbeach/Home.aspx
Home of more than 30 waterslides, the most in the state, Camelbeach Waterpark is a great place to "chill out" this summer. Along with a competition-sized swimming pool, a "water play structure" called the Pharaoh's Phortress, and basic waterslides, the park features a variety of unique rides and slides. The Kahuna Lagoon is a wave pool that produces six-foot waves, the largest in the Northeast. The Vortex and Spin Cycle are bowl slides that recreate what it must feel like to be flushed down a toilet. A really, really big toilet. And the Titan, a true behemoth of a ride at eight stories tall, accommodates five people per raft and is billed by the park as being "the ultimate waterslide." The park opens in late May and runs through September.
Camelbeach is in Tannersville, about 70 miles from Bloomsburg, east on I-80.
Whitewater Rafting in Jim Thorpe
www.jtraft.com and www.whitewaterrafting.com
More interested in a self-controlled water ride? One of the best ways in the area to enjoy some watery fun in the great outdoors is to go whitewater rafting down the Lehigh River. The two main rafting companies in Jim Thorpe offer expeditions on class I, II and III rapids, meaning there's something for anyone at any skill level. Some trips are mostly calm water and let you paddle down the river while taking in the scenery, while others are exhilarating, action-packed and sure to get your blood pumping. All required equipment is provided and included in the package price, which ranges from about $40 for one of the basic eight-mile trips to around $60 for the class III, 12-mile expeditions. Both companies offer trips all season long, until October.
Jim Thorpe is an hours drive southeast of Bloomsburg.
Concerts
www.ticketmaster.com
One of the best things about summer is the music. Sure, bands play shows year round, but seeing a summer concert harkens back to the days of our youth when we couldn't wait for school to end so we could bug our parents to let us go see our favorite bands. Why not relive that feeling, only without having to get parental permission!
It would be impossible to list all the shows taking place this summer, but here are a few within easy driving distance.
Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain in Scranton has some big-name headliners this summer, including Kings of Leon, Sugarland, Dave Matthews Bands, Warped Tour, John Mayer with Train, and Creed. It's an easy one-hour drive to this outdoor venue.
About two and a half hours from Bloomsburg, Philadelphia's various clubs and other locations have several well-known bands performing. Coheed and Cambria with Say Anything, Courtney Love's reunited band Hole, 3OH!3 with Cobra Starship, and Against Me! with the Silversun Pickups are just a few of them.
A little closer to home at an hour and a half, Crocodile Rock in Allentown is slated to host Thrice, Angels and Airwaves, and Sevendust with Saving Abel.
These are just a few of the many shows in the area… take a look at Ticketmaster and see what strikes your fancy.
Whatever you choose to do this summer, make it the best one yet, live it up and have a blast. Before you know it we'll all be back to campus and the most excitement in our daily lives will be restaurant night at Monty's. Have a great summer break, don't get too sunburned, and be sure to tell us next fall what awesome places you discovered!
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