Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.

With the sun finally shining in Syracuse, students should make the most of their final few weeks of spring in central New York. I encourage all students to go outside and smell the roses. 

Here’s a list of places to get you started:

Green Lakes State Park

Green Lakes State Park is located in Fayetteville, New York, and it’s about a 20-minute drive from campus. The park consists of two glacial lakes surrounded by forest. These lakes are meromictic lakes, meaning that their layers do not mix, creating a beautiful light blue color. The lakes have walking trails around them that are perfect for getting exercise and fresh air in the spring weather. There are also various activities available at the park, including row boating, kayaking and bike trails. And if athletic activities aren’t your thing, a small, relaxing beach lines the lake. Green Lakes offers endless options to enjoy in the spring weather, making it a great place for SU students to venture off to during the warmer months in Syracuse. 

Beak and Skiff Apple Orchards

Another great place for students and residents to explore is Beak and Skiff Apple Orchards, which is an apple orchard located in LaFayette, New York. Also about a 20-minute drive away, Beak and Skiff provides students with endless opportunities to enjoy the warm weather. While apple picking doesn’t start until August, there is an apple barn and a general store that offers many homemade items for purchase. “It is a little bit out of the way, yet it feels really good to get off campus,” sophomore Sophia Carnicelli said.

Katie Reahl | Staff Photographer

Salt City Market

The Salt City Market in downtown Syracuse is a great place to go and explore during one of those random rainy days in the spring. Entirely indoors, the market offers a variety of cuisine, from Jamaican to Thai, as well as weekly yoga and cooking classes. Salt City Market is located on South Salina Street, and it’s a 5-minute drive or 20-minute walk from campus. The market is a mini “neighborhood” worth exploring this spring.

Crazy Daisies

Another outdoor option for enjoying the warm weather in Syracuse is Crazy Daisies’ Greenhouse and Garden Cafe, which is also a 20-minute drive from campus. Crazy Daisies is a flower farm with food, a great view and live music. The greenhouse has many hanging flower baskets and gardening tools available to purchase to begin your own garden. Crazy Daisies is a fun place to go to enjoy the blooming spring flowers and time with friends in Syracuse. 

With these recommendations in mind, it’s important to remember how beneficial spending time outside during the spring months is for your mental health. Spending time outside can reduce stress and tackle fatigue, and it may also mitigate depression and anxiety, Business Insider reported. 

“It is so important for me to get outside on a warm day in Syracuse. If I don’t, I feel like I am wasting the day. Going for a walk around campus or even laying out on the Quad and enjoying the rays makes me feel really good. I always have a better day when the weather is nice,” Carnicelli said.

Sophomore Lily Silbergeld shared Carnicelli’s experience. Spending time outside when it’s warm is important for Silbergeld.

“It is very important for me to get outside in the warm weather because of its impact on my mood. When the weather is nice in Syracuse, it feels like such a special occasion that would be a shame to miss out on. I think everyone that goes here feels this way and treats it as such. When the sun is out, everyone is out, and the energy for that day is amazing,” Silbergeld said.

The SU community seems to come together in the springtime, and that energy is important to enjoy it while it lasts. With these suggestions in place, there’s no excuse to not get out and explore the outdoors of central New York.

Nicole Troy is a sophomore information management and technology major. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at notroy@syr.edu.

Published on April 27, 2021 at 6:42 am