The sun is shining, the weather is nice, do you know how best to enjoy the outdoors on the Shady Grove campus and surrounding community?

The return of the greens, golds, purple and violets of our native flora begins to hint that good times are ahead.  The melody of song birds and the rustling of fauna is  Nature’s way of beckoning us to step out from our classrooms and homes and enjoy the beauty of our surroundings.  Since moving to Rockville two years ago I was enchanted with the natural landscape and outdoor activities the city has to offer and I’m going to give you my top three place everyone should explore now that Spring has finally arrived.  Very deserving, we are promised some fantastic weather here on out after the wicked start to this semester, its the very least Mother Nature can do to compensate for the cold and snowy start to this semester, and today’s high of 79 degrees is a wonderful start for March. Here are the best places to put yourself in a good mood before mid-terms.

The Quad

With our first day of sunshine and blissfully warm temps good luck finding a patio table to enjoy the fresh air during the lunch time rush, but don’t be discouraged, our students and faculty staff are like a family and an empty seat with a group of students is always an invitation to make a new acquaintance over lunch and make new friends. For me this is the best quality of our campus, we see the same faces but might not share classes, think of it as the perfect time to introduce yourself and expand your network, its what college is all about.  In addition, we have a beautifully maintained green that beckons to be lied on for sunbathing or a impromptu game of Frisbee.

Sports

We have a basketball court, soccer field, volleyball net and a plethora of running/bicycling paths that extend throughout the entire Rockville town. Our Futbol club is always taking members through our Connect at USG student organization portal.  The basketball court behind building II is open to all students, faculty and friends in the community.  Pick up games are organized on the fly, we even offer a basketball tournament every year for a prize and bragging rights.

Rockville Activities

I would first and foremost like to direct you to the visit  the Montgomery County website for more information and a calendar of upcoming events.  One activity that was sponsored by The Universities at Shady Grove my Junior semester that was a ton of fun was our outing at the Earth Treks  Rock Climbing Center,  claiming to offer the Nation’s largest indoor climbing walls the center the place had something for everyone, well, unless you have vertigo.

There are many more outdoor activity places to visit, the DMV is blessed with so many adventures to explore you’d spend a lifetime to find them all.  Most are free, in the case of the over a dozen parks and trails for running and biking, but also cool parks that offer something even more thrilling. My favorite place is the Adventure Park at Sandy Spring. Climbing trees through nature and then propelling yourself at 50 MPH over the tree line is exhilarating.  These are just a small sample of the opportunities to maximize your free time out side of class.  Study hard, play hard my friends.  You deserve it!