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Forest Park
Forest Park
 Love it. Use it. Experience it. From the free zoo to the free art museum to the free science center and beyond, Forest Park is the perfect place to plop down. There are miles and miles and miles of running trails and biking trails, and a plethora of tennis courts and soccer fields for more intramural-minded students. Not only is Forest Park chock full of fun afternoons and exercise options, it's also beautiful and the site of numerous festivals and celebrations throughout the year, all right next door to campus (Balloon Glow: need I say more?). As far as I can tell, it is perfectly safe, but be smart and find a buddy if you're going to be running after dark or on poorly populated trails. If you're a runner, try my favorite run: a jog around the zoo, followed by a walk through the penguin cave; at 45 degrees, it's guaranteed to cool you off while you hang with nature's little goofballs. Oh, and they let the penguins out on select nights during the winter. Pure magic!
Eliz Fenstermacher, WUMS I
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Scuba Diving, Sport Climbing, Hiking, and Biking
Scuba Diving, Sport Climbing, Hiking, and Biking
 The fun outdoor thing you must do - scuba diving at Mermet Springs in southern Illinois. There's sunken planes in quarries and five-foot-long spoonbill paddlefish that you can swim right along with. The Discovery Channel even went there and filmed an episode of "Modern Monsters"! It was a pretty awesome dive. And then of course a lake monster came, and we had to fight it off with our dive knives so it was off to ...
Jackson Falls, also in Southern Illinois. Pretty good for both beginners and intermediates, Jackson Falls is where you go for sport climbing. Only a couple hours away and all sandstone rocks.
I also recommend hiking out along the Missouri River on the bluffs over the Lewis and Clark Trail. It's especially nice in the fall with all the colors. There's also a bike path along there called the Katy Trail; if you're up for it, you can go 250 miles along the river out there!
Alex Beyer, WUMS I
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Flying into St. Louis
Flying into St. Louis
One word: Southwest. If this airline flies to your home base, or wherever else you are headed, it is seriously the way to go. Now that Southwest Airlines has made St. Louis one of its major hubs, it has added a lot of new destinations as well. The flights are cheap, the attendants are friendly, and there are no luggage fees. Be careful though; Southwest does not advertise on search engines like Expedia, so if you want to compare prices, you have to go to the Southwest website. Regardless of which airline you are flying, St. Louis airport is generally a breeze. The lines are rarely long, the weather here generally doesn't cause a lot of delays, and there are a decent amount of domestic and international flights leaving every day. So whether you are going home, visiting a significant other, or just getting away for the weekend, you should have no problem flying out of St. Louis.
Whitney Grither, WUMS I
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Road-Trippin’ It
Road-Trippin’ It
Road Trip? Sign me up! Road trips are a great, cheap way to spend that free weekend after an anatomy exam or midterms. Go visit your friends' undergrad school, or just get in your car and see where you end up. We've been as far as Atlanta for a weekend road trip, and as close as Iowa City (Go Hawks!). With the great diversity of home states for everyone in your class, you can really go almost anywhere. There's a major city about four hours away from St. Louis in every direction, so you have no reason not to explore the country a little! And let's be honest, after studying like crazy for days to memorize nerve after muscle after nerve, nothing feels better than cruising down the road with all your med worries and St. Louis in your rearview mirror.
Jarrod Dornfeld, WUMS I
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Chicago
Chicago
 First year is really sweet. Classes are pass/fail; lectures are recorded; classes end at noon on Fridays. All of that basically gives you a lot of freedom to travel when you want. Weekend trips to Chicago - a mere 4.5 hour drive - are fun and a nice getaway from school. Cheap transportation options include driving, Megabus ($20 each way) and Amtrak, which is currently working on putting in a high-speed rail. When you're there, be sure to check out the Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art, Shedd Aquarium and the Bean in downtown. And of course, Chicago has tons of food options. Hit up Devon Avenue for Indian/Pakistani food, Pilsen Street for Mexican and Avondale for some Polish options. But don't forget to stuff yourself with Chicago's famous deep-dish pizza at Giordano's or Pizzeria Due, or to head over to Hot Doug's or The Wieners' Circle and grab a hot dog.
Diana Zhao, WUMS I
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Memphis
Memphis
Nashville and Memphis are equidistant from St. Louis, and, while Nashville may have Dollyville, Memphis has the Blues. And soul. And history. I recently visited Memphis and stayed at a hostel in the hip Cooper-Young neighborhood. While I was there, I saw the National Civil Rights Museum (set in the hotel where MLK Jr. was killed), danced at the Stax Museum (best recording label of all time), gaped at the Crystal Shrine Grotto, walked in the large inner-city park (not as great as Forest Park), ate soul food, went to a blues show, and drove past Graceland without going in. (Those tickets are expensive!) Memphis was a pivotal city in our cultural history, and it's got plenty to do. It's definitely worth a visit during your years here.
Elisabeth Askin, WUMS I
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