CHEAP YET FUN ADVENTURES
It’s pretty easy to run out of things to do in a small town like Orange City. Sometimes it can be difficult to stay entertained during the weekend and even on the rare weeknights when you have free time. Luckily, Orange City is in proximity to some fabulous places for the days or nights when you can’t find anything to do and are wishing you lived somewhere else. These activities are also inexpensive, so any college student on a budget can afford them.
In Sioux City, there are plenty of activities that cost absolutely nothing. One activity is visiting the Sioux City Public Museum. The museum has free admission, and there are many things to see in the gallery. When you enter the museum, the film “Spirit of Sioux City” is shown, followed by a walk through the Siouxland Attic. You can view the museum’s collection of Native American artifacts; go inside a Native American lodge, a tipi, a log cabin and a trolley car; watch videos about Sioux City catastrophes; and learn about the impact agriculture has had on Sioux City.
In addition to the museum’s standard exhibits, visitors can see touring exhibits such as “Native American Artwork,” “Honoring Our Armed Services” and “Nature’s Kaleidoscope: Digging into the Past,” a collection which features a variety of geodes, minerals and fossils.
After visiting the museum, you will hopefully have a little more knowledge about the area we call home. The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Iowa has a scenic beauty all its own but it doesn’t have a lot to offer for outdoor activities — it gets hard being surrounded by just cornfields. If you miss being in the mountains and rock climbing — or if you’re just looking for an enjoyable afternoon to test your physical strength — head to Sioux City to test out the rock climbing wall.
Long Lines Family Rec Center houses a huge climbing wall where you can book a two-hour climbing session for just $7. To climb, you will also need climbing shoes which cost $3 to rent. This is a great activity for friends to do together. If you bring 10 people or more, you can get a discount on the total price.
Don’t be intimidated if your rock climbing skills need work. There are walls for all levels of climbers, and you don’t need to be a rock climbing expert to enjoy a couple hours of climbing. The climbing wall is open Mondays-Fridays from 4-8 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sundays from 12-8 p.m.
Downtown Sioux Falls has a lot going for it, including their outdoor sculpture park. The park’s sculptures change every year, and there are currently 56 different sculptures on display. The sculptures range from humans to animals to objects and are all special in shape, size and color. This is another free activity — it simply involves walking down the streets where the sculptures are displayed, then voting for your favorite sculpture after completing the walk. While walking, you can also stop at the different shops along the sculpture route. This is a fantastic activity to appreciate public art and revel in an afternoon in downtown Sioux Falls.
