By Bonnie Burger
Reporter

When tortilla tossing and George’s have lost their shine, Baylor students must travel greater distances to find their kicks.

If car rides and upbeat music playlists appeal, day trips with your significant other or a group of friends proves the ideal solution to lackluster weekends.

When faced with such an activity conundrum, it is smart to venture to nearby College Station for a day of adventures and budget-friendly fun.

College Station, located roughly an hour and a half from Waco, offers all the amenities of a college town – cheap eats, eclectic coffee shops and great deals on T-shirts.

Stereotypical venues like Freebirds and Sweet Eugene’s have earned a reputation as crucial spots to visit when in town. However, I preferred venturing off the beaten path in search of a slew of delightful options.

When not cheering on the Baylor Bears in their often successful athletic endeavors against Texas A&M, dining at one of College Station’s reasonably priced restaurants is a viable option. Blue Baker, a sandwich shop located off University Avenue, treats patrons to delicious pizzas, soups and sandwiches for prices that won’t jeopardize your college fund. The lobster bisque, served a la carte or in a sourdough bread bowl, will not disappoint.

Weather permitting, mosey on down to downtown Bryan, a rarely explored gem that lies waiting to be uncovered.

The quaint, weathered brick buildings pay homage to the city’s long standing history, while simultaneously transporting the visitor into an era of simpler times. Aside from enjoying enchanting antique stores and scrumptious milkshakes, meandering down the streets lined with antiquarian lampposts is absolutely free.

A Corner of Time, a small antique shop that serves old-fashioned malts and shakes, is a prime location to quench your thirst after such a downtown stroll.

Additionally, The Antiques Attic, housed in a renovated warehouse, holds piles of undiscovered treasures to browse through. Vintage lovers are sure to enjoy perusing the multifarious collectibles.

Should hunger strike after an extensive afternoon of antiquing, a wide range of restaurants will tempt passers-by with wafting smells of culinary joy.

Two such restaurants, Café Capri and Madden’s Casual Gourmet, are well known throughout the Bryan/College Station area as hot date spots. Sadly, I was not yet hunger-stricken and ventured back into College Station in pursuit of caffeine.

A roomier rival to Waco’s beloved Common Grounds, MugWalls Café ranks as a relaxed location for catching up on homework or socializing.

With iced coffee in hand, I happily planted myself on one of the many couches and cozy seats available. Competitively priced with other coffee shops, MugWalls offers a surprising amount of room for the caffeine craving, encompassing an upstairs seating area, as well as an extensive patio.

No journey to College Station would be complete without sampling the home cooked, deep fried goodness of The Hullabaloo Diner. Quintessentially Texas A&M, this homey diner provides hungry consumers with a diverse menu, ranging from breakfast platters to chicken fried steak. Located a short drive away from Aggieland in Wellborn, the 1950s-inspired diner was originally set in Albany, New York. Be warned – the portions are monstrous. Take-home boxes are a social normality in this eatery.

With good friends and catchy tunes on the radio, the seemingly uneventful drive down Highway 6 to College Station can be the beginning of a daylong adventure that creates a plethora of memories without breaking the bank.