Ive been a little strapped for cash this summer.  I used to enjoy one or two movies a week.  I used to enjoy South Park on Comedy Central and I used to enjoy the occasional visit to an amusement park (Cedar Point, not Six Flags) or the trip to the local theater for a play.  But this summer, I did a whole lot of nothing.  Due to an unbelievable drought in jobs, I found myself with a whole lot of time and a whole lot of nothing to do.  I very quickly found out that there isnt much to do that doesnt cost a lot of money.      Luckily my family chipped in and lent me a few bucks each week so that I could live fairly comfortably which was wonderful, but sometimes that money would run dry and again, Id be out on the streets looking for something to do.    

            After an entire summer of this, I came up with several things that one can do without money.  I figure that most college kids these days have little to no money and Ive decided that it is solely up to me to show you all a good time.  Here I will list five things one can do here in the vicinity, 5 minutes to 1 hour away, of Kent.  Some of these will require a car and some cash for gas, but if you are really in need of some money, seek out a friend with a cool car and con them into taking you.  I recommend bringing along some other friends too, as doing things alone is very boring and people might brand you anti-social and thats no fun.  Now not all these places are locations youd think to go, but they are really fun and interesting.  Some of these places will bring back old memories while others will allow you to brush up on your acting skills, but most importantly, all these places are a great deal of funand free  Remember to be responsible when you visit these places.  You dont want to get kicked out of any of these free establishments, than you might actually need to get a job in order to visit the places that actually cost money.

            #1  Go to the Airport.

                        Instead of visiting some fabulous amusement park, you can hop in a car and travel to the Hopkins International Airport in glorious Cleveland.  Its only about an hour away and its just as cool as any ride.  There are a lot of crazy folks out at the airport and its fun to watch all the happy couples reuniting after a few weeks apart as well as watching planes take off and land.  Sure, the security is tightened after 9/11, but dont let that deter your fun.  Get yourself something to drink, or bring a snack or two, sit back and have yourself an airport party.  You can also role play with people.  Go to the international airways and pretend to be British or, if your accent is dead on, be Irish.  Tell them that youre traveling to Lancaster to see your long lost father or because youve discovered an alternate fuel source in Brazil.  If youre not the acting type, help out the older folks.  Carry their luggage and make sure they get to where they need to go.  Youll make their day and you might even get a nice tip or lunch out of it.  All in all, this is one heck of a good time and its basically free.

            #2  Visit the Zoo (Mondays only).

                        If the airport isnt your bag, check out the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.  Its free on Mondays and worth your time.  Be sure to check out Monkey Island and make fun of all the little critters running around.  The giraffes and goofy and the elephants are a hoot.  This is not only fun, but educational.  Watch all the people, take the riding tour, sit back and relax or videotape a skit.  In fact, you can role play here too!  Pretend like you know what youre talking about and start leading some people around (with that fancy Irish accent if you like).  You can have a great time with this.  They also let you bring your own food, so again you wont need to buy anything.  In fact, you can check out the airport and the zoo all in one day.  They are very close to one another and this makes for a perfect day long event.

            #3  Check out Kent States fountain.

                        Not that many people take off their shoes and sink their feet into the water of Kents beloved fountain.  This can be a refreshing place to hang out with your friends and chat.  Bring along some food and drink and make a picnic of it.  Dont have a pool? Well, you dont actually need one.  Just sit in the middle of the fountain and get yourself soaked.  This can be done late at night or in the afternoon.  Its a lot of fun especially on a hot day and if you live close, or on campus, its in walking distance from where you live!  There isnt much role playing here (though my friend did pretend to be Huck Finn once), but you can still have a lot of fun.  Chat with the other people who sit around there and try to walk around within the walls of the fountain itself (it can be quite challenging). 

            #4  Go to the park in Stow or any park for that matter.

            Heres another outdoor activity that will also allow you to go back to your youth.  There are several parks around this area but there is one is Stow thats truly a great time.  The whole thing is built like a giant gymnasium and is quite challenging for a tall college student like myself.  Check this one out later in the evening as to not spoil the fun for all the kids who would be there in the afternoon.  There are swings and ropes and even a basketball court.  I was surprised at how much fun this actually was.  If you enjoy the whole role paying theme I suggested earlier, you can play some really great tag games and pirate ships stuff here to really bring out the kid in you.  If youre the videotaping type, whip that camera out and start making some home movies (you can actually do this pretty much everywhere I mentioned).  So if youre up for reliving some childhood memories, this is the place to do it.

            #5  Hop on down to Coventry and Little Italy.

            There are some really great spots down in Coventry and Little Italy.  Once you get in the vicinity, you can walk to either location fairly quickly.  If you want to just hang out and chat, check out the Algebra (its a coffee shop just outside of Little Italyjust ask someone for its location).  If you muster up a few bucks, buy yourself a latte and get to know your friends a little better, or make some new ones (if you want to bring up that Irish accent again, feel free to do so).  You can check out all the neat stores too.  Big Fun is a blast from the past and Gillys Donuts is a great inexpensive treat.  There are benches everywhere so sitting and people watching is always an option too.  Check out the art museums and all the stores and really get a feel for a culture you may or may not be that aware of.  Drive around and check out all the cool houses and Churches that are near by if you like.    

            Info on these places can be found fairly easily on the internet or your trusty phonebook, so be sure to look them up.  Check out any map site for directions.  Well, I hope you all dont think Im the most boring person on the planet because I visit these places.  Trust me, youll be better for it and you might actually learn something while having a little fun.  So, I bid you farewell and good luck.  Enjoy these fine locales and be sure to email me if you can think of some better places to go.