Chilling out.Byline: MARY PILON 20Below News Team / The Register-Guard BREAK OUT the lemonade and bring on the sun. School's out, and teen-agers have precious leisure time to spare. After nine months of filling in test bubbles and churning out term papers, young Eugene residents are more than ready to have a good time. Teens wait all year for three months of sun in which they can hibernate See hibernation mode. past noon, catch up on their tans and be freed from the chains of homework. Teen-agers' summer plans are just as varied as their personalities, but here are some close-to-home, chill-worthy suggestions from the 20Below News Team: 1Road Trips: Maybe it was "Easy Rider," or maybe it was that really cheesy cheesy (che´ze) caseous. Tom Green flick, but for some reason, the adolescent allure of the Road Trip still draws staggering numbers of teens to the pavement. Piling into a car (the more beat-up, the better) and cruising down Interstate 5 with the windows down and the radio up. It just can't be beat. Best friends, the independence of the open road and, of course, safe driving - it can be the time of your life. Maybe it's just the product of America's love affair with cars, or maybe it's the young rebel yearning to be released. But whatever the reason, Road Trips are consistantly viewed as the symbol of the teen-age summer. Whether you're headed for college, Kentucky or Klamath Falls, keep in mind the golden rule of Road Trips: It's not the destination; it's the journey. 2Saturday Market/Oregon Country Fair: What do you get when you mix painted hippies, eclectic music and amazing handicrafts? The Saturday Market, of course! The aura of the Saturday Market hits its prime at the height of summer and reaches its pinnacle at the Oregon Country Fair The Oregon Country Fair (OCF) is a three-day fair that takes place yearly beginning on the Friday of the second weekend in July in Veneta, Oregon, approximately 15 miles west of Eugene, with an attendance of approximately 45,000 over the three day period, with attendance peaking , legendary for its juxtaposition of oddities. People come from all over the country just to get a glimpse of Silver Man handing out fortunes, smell the aroma of Ritta's Burritos or buy a pair of tie-dyed underwear. Even if you aren't a Birkenstock-wearing, save-the- whales type, it's essential to understand and visit the Saturday Market and the Oregon Country Fair. They're enduring slices of life in Lane County. 3Oregon Coast: One of the most beautiful coastlines in the nation is only an hour away. Some people focus on only the seagull seagull a noisy, gregarious bird that frequents the seashore. Web-footed, hook-billed, white with gray wings. Member of the family Laridae and of the genus Larus. poop Poop A slang term often used to describe people with insider information. Notes: Not the most illustrious name. See also: Insider Information or stepping on dead jellyfish jellyfish, common name for the free-swimming stage (see polyp and medusa), of certain invertebrate animals of the phylum Cnidaria (the coelenterates). The body of a jellyfish is shaped like a bell or umbrella, with a clear, jellylike material filling most of the , but for the most part, the coast is one of those natural beauties with unlimited possibilities. Tide pooling, playing beach volleyball, swimming in the chilly salt water, dune buggying, digging a hole in the sand to China - there's something for everyone. If you have a day or two to burn, you can rent a house along the shore or opt for economy rooms in quirky, little coastal hotels. Millions of visitors can't be wrong. 4Get a Job: After a year of slaving at school, joining the summer work force might seem to be the last thing teens want to do. But the world revolves around cash, whether you need a little pocket change or are trying to save for college. A job can introduce you to new people, open up new areas of interest or simply help you buy that wicked pair of shoes you've been eyeing forever. 5Hike Skinner Butte: It's where the city started, and the best place to watch the day end. The walk up Skinner Butte is stunning, and it's a great place to relish the summer weather. The view on top is breathtaking, well worth hours of aimless staring. "Hike the butte Butte, city, United States Butte (by  t), city (1990 pop. 33,336), seat of Silver Bow co., SW Mont.; inc. 1879. It is a trade, ranching, and industrial center. with someone you care about," suggests
20Below writer Erin Baldwin.
Seattle has the Space Needle, San Francisco has Pier 39. Eugene has the natural beauty of Skinner Butte. 6Lane County Fair The Lane County Fair is an annual celebration held in Eugene, Oregon every August featuring food, music and other entertainment. It is held at the Lane County Fairgrounds. : Cotton candy, barf-provoking rides, noisy livestock - all of it makes the fair great. Maybe the Dragon Wagon ride isn't as cool as it was when you were 5, but the fair is one of those rare events where it's OK to drag your parents along. The art exhibits make you wish you had paid more attention to that guy with the afro on PBS PBS in full Public Broadcasting Service Private, nonprofit U.S. corporation of public television stations. PBS provides its member stations, which are supported by public funds and private contributions rather than by commercials, with educational, cultural, . The farm animals remind you how boring it must be to be a rooster rooster its crowing at dawn heralds each new day. [Western Folklore: Leach, 329] See : Dawn rooster symbol of maleness. [Folklore: Binder, 85] See : Virility . And the water balloon games prove how uncoordinated un·co·or·di·nat·ed adj. 1. Lacking physical or mental coordination. 2. Lacking planning, method, or organization. un you are. It doesn't get much better than that. 7West 13th Avenue: Most of the University of Oregon The University of Oregon is a public university located in Eugene, Oregon. The university was founded in 1876, graduating its first class two years later. The University of Oregon is one of 60 members of the Association of American Universities. students have journeyed home for the summer, but there's still a lot of energy in the campus neighborhood, which is perfect for shopping and people watching. The jumble of alterna-shops and charming eateries is a splendid way to spend an afternoon. Parking isn't plentiful, so take your bike (or feet) and make a side trip to the luciously green UO campus. For some reason, hanging out around a school is much more fun when you're there voluntarily. 8Camp: A classic never dies. Camping has changed a little since the days of Lewis and Clark. But, for whatever reason, many teens yearn to snooze on lumpy ground, roast marshmallows and tinkle tin·kle v. tin·kled, tin·kling, tin·kles v.intr. 1. To make light metallic sounds, as those of a small bell. 2. Informal To urinate. v.tr. 1. without having to worry about flushing. Maybe it's the hidden desire to grow closer with Mother Earth or an excuse to get away from suburbia. Oregon is a great state for camping, with scads of campgrounds, parks and nooks in the boonies boon·ies pl.n. Slang Rural country or a jungle. [Shortening and alteration of boondocks.] to claim as your own for an evening. 9Take in Some Tunes: 'Tis the season of the Oregon Bach Festival The Oregon Bach Festival is an annual celebration of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, held in Eugene, Oregon in late June and early July. It was co-founded by German conductor Helmuth Rilling and the former president of the American Choral Directors Association, Royce Saltzman, and the Oregon Festival of American Music Oregon Festival of American Music is an eclectic, thematically-based two-week summer music festival that has been held annually in Eugene, Oregon since 1992. Produced by The John G. . But even if you're not into classical music or big band jazz, tons of music groups from every genre make their way to Eugene in the summer months. Check out local bands at the WOW Hall or McDonald Theatre, or make the trek up to Portland to see the "megagroups." Check The Register-Guard's Ticket section (shameless plug) and see which artists are being featured in Eugene venues. You might be surprised by the array of talent just a Lane Transit District bus ride away. Summer is a great time to expand you musical horizons and give your ears a break from teachers' droning and parents' babbling babbling Neurology Quasi-random vocalizations in infants that precede language acquisition. See Lalling stage. . 10Read! Here's a bizarre idea: reading for pleasure! Now that "Jane Eyre" and "Chemistry 101' aren't being shoved down your throat, make a trip to the Eugene Public Library (before it migrates to its spiffy spiffy - /spi'fee/ 1. Said of programs having a pretty, clever, or exceptionally well-designed interface. "Have you seen the spiffy X version of empire yet?" This was common mainstream slang during the 1940s. 2. new building) and stock up on "Archie and Jughead" comics, the latest trashy romance with Fabio on the cover, Harry Potter or whatever tickles your fancy. Find a great shade tree or a quaint picnic table at your favorite munchie stop and bask in the glory of summer freedom. It's the stuff that life is made of. Mary Pilon is a sophomore at Churchill High. She can be reached by e-mail at 20Below@guardnet.com. HONORABLE MENTIONS These activities very nearly made the list: Worst thing to do in summer: Watch reruns of 1980s Spanish-language soap operas Most vital thing to do in summer: Sleep in; you missed this luxury during finals week Best thing to do with childhood friends: Run through your neighbors' sprinklers and chase down the ice cream man Most pleasantly nostalgic thing to do in summer: Take in a Eugene Emeralds baseball game CAPTION(S): Now's the time to hop in the car and hit the road, the suggestion that tops the 20Below News Team's list of 10 things we know you should do this summer. Turn to CHILLING, Page 2D |
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