Take a break to the beach

For many students, Old Towne Orange, begins to feel exactly that.

Old.

Blame it on what you will, but the college students of today can get bored easily.

So, how does one go about combatting this boredom?

Well, escaping the bubble of Chaptown and Orange for an afternoon or a full day is a good start.

“It’s nice to get out of Orange for me at least once a week to get some fresh air and remind myself how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful place,” said Olivia Marcus, sophomore news and documentary major.

Chapman students are fortunate enough to live in a place where the sun shines all year-round, and Instragram worthy food and fun-filled adventures are usually just a short drive away.

Luckily, there is no need to spend copious amounts of time searching on Google or Yelp for the hot-spots around Orange County, because Chapman University has enough adventure-seeking students that are more than willing to share their most beloved places to venture off to when it’s time to step out of the Circle.

With Chapman being so close to the coast, having a favorite beach spot is a must for most every Chapman student.

For Sydney Leal, freshman, and Brigid Hartmann, sophomore, public relations and advertising majors, that beach is Newport Beach. Both women agree that the quick 20-minute drive over to the coast is a necessity in their week in order to escape the inner-city life and get a breath of fresh, open air.

“It feels like a vacation destination,” said Hartmann.

But of course, what is a relaxing beach day without some good food to go along with it?

According to Leal, the best restaurant in Newport is Mama D’s, an authentic, Italian restaurant. Leal had no hesitation in claiming it to have the best Italian food in all of Southern California, and highly recommends trying the restaurant’s signature pink sauce.

For Hartmann, though, a trip down to Newport means picking up a famous-amongst-college-females Pressed Juicery Freeze, which is a frozen yogurt style treat made exclusively with fruit and vegetable juices. Hartmann guiltily admits that she loves this healthier ice cream alternative so much that she makes a stop to get one almost three times a week.

For some students, getting away from Orange and going to the beach has become less of a once-in-a-while activity and more of a daily outing.

Sofia Good, sophomore public relations and advertising major, finds herself headed down to Newport on most mornings to either get in an early morning swim or just to relax, breathe, and watch the local surfers.

Though for Good, a calming morning at the beach is not complete without a refreshing treat from Banzai Bowl, a juice pub that offers both fresh smoothies and fruit bowls. Although a steep $10, Good claims they have the best acai bowls she’s ever had and are more than worth the money.

For Marcus, though, getting away from Chapman for a bit is not so much about relaxing as much as it is about being active and finding adventure.

One of her favorite spots is Pirate Tower in Laguna. Located at Victoria Beach, this 60-foot-tall tower was originally built in 1926 as a staircase to the beach for the home above. The second owner of the house reportedly dressed as a pirate and hid coins within the tower for neighborhood kids to find, eventually earning the tower its current name.  The only way to reach the tower now is during low tide, as Marcus discovered.

“I went when the tide was coming in and had to run across sections of the beach to avoid being hit by waves,” said Marcus.

Following the trend, Marcus also believes that any good day-away always has to be accompanied by some good food.

Malibu Farm Pier Cafe, according to Marcus, is the perfect restaurant to get the best of both worlds: delicious food with a view, located just a few feet above the ocean’s waters.

Like Marcus, Haley Richards, sophomore communication studies major, prefers to spend her time outside of the Chapman area being active.

For her, this means hiking the many beautiful trails Southern California has to offer. One of Richards’s favorites is Top of the World in Laguna. She says the best time to go is at sunset because there is not a more beautiful view than looking over the hills and the ocean as the sky turns bright shades of orange and purple.

While for most, a quick skip over to the beach and something tasty are just the right things to get away from the stressful school environment, for others, the best thing to do is forget that they are in college for a little while all together.

“When I need to escape the Chapman bubble, I get off campus and I unleash my inner child,” said MJ Nelson, senior business major.

Nelson claims to have two guilty pleasures, bowling and mini golf. Fortunately for him, they are located right next to each other on the other side of Freeway 91.

He usually will go with a couple of close friends and putt or bowl the night away.

“It’s relaxing and creates opportunities for fun and meaningful conversations and allows for fun competition. After the adventure, whether it’s mini golf or bowling, you are always left with great memories,” said Nelson.
So, if you find yourself bored, out of ideas, and in need of some new scenery take it from your fellow students, and go head out to one of many of the beautiful sites and eat some of the tasty delicacies Southern California has to offer.