From weapons to waterfalls, weâve got the road less travelled covered
By Alex Stanton, Staff Writer
Just as writers occasionally have writerâs block, sometimes regular folks have what I call âfun block.â Fun block is mostly just a euphemism for boredom, but itâs a most heinous sort of boring. I like to think being in a state of fun block is not only being bored, but also having absolutely no excuse for it. For a good many of us, the Lower Mainland between late-June and mid-September is our oysterâand what an oyster it is. Vancouver gives us an excuse to go downtown and get weird with a week of fireworks and football-field-sized slip-and-slides, but thatâs once in a blue moon. You could go throw a football around or something, but I can see that getting old in about 10 minutes. There are some things that are a bit more stimulating though.
1. Paintball: For a lot of people, this isnât exactly what theyâd call an underrated activityâitâs their life. Hardcore ballers spend $80 minimum on a weapon, and thatâs just the gun. If you want to live out the rest of your life with any semblance of depth perception, youâre going to want to wear a mask or goggles of some sort. Guns, armour, and ammunition are all generally available for rent at any given arena/field. If youâre cool with putting in some work for your play, I canât recommend any activity more than this, especially if you place bets and wagers.
2. Beer league baseball: If you’re reading this, I can only assume youâre a college student. You’re probably thinking âNo matter what I do with summer, chances are, itâs going to be better with beer.â I’ll let you know right now that you can include sports (baseball, specifically) in the crowded pantheon of great things to do followed with a refreshing drink. Whether with buds or strangers, itâs always nice to get to know others over a few cold ones, and beer league baseball is extremely chill: you hit a ball and you run for a couple of secondsâthen you make your way to the pub.
3. A cruise: Not a cruise ship, though. I mean a good ol’ fashioned, sunny day, honest-to-God cruise in your car across the city/region/province. I love to drive. My life changed when I got my licence. This is an especially awesome idea if your vehicle of choice has a cult-like following, like a Mustang or a Harley Davidsonâyou can always find other driving enthusiasts to cruise with on the TransCanada. Good beats, a full tank of gas, and the howling wind? Bliss.
4. Cliff jumping: If you think youâre nuts, go ahead and prove it by jumping off the top of a waterfall into a pool of water about as wide as a shed and as cold as the North Pole. This is a really thrilling, inexpensive thing to do, with the only flaw being the obvious issues with safety. Do not attempt to cliff jump unless youâve taken every single precaution. Check the poolâs depth first to make sure itâs deep enough.
5. Tours: These seemed kind of lame when you were forced to go on them in school, but really, thereâs a lot of crazy, interesting stuff that goes on in your immediate area, namely, nature. If you know of a rural area close by, you can ride around the trails on a horse or an ATV. For you ranch-hating hipsters, a tour of your own city can be insightful. Bonus, you can use a tour to come up with even more unorthodox activities to do outside.
