Bloomington: Not just for drunks anymore

Bloomington is home to entertainment of all kinds. This town regularly features various kinds of movies and musical acts, both local bands and those known nationwide. If none of that is what you consider fun -- honestly, you're probably not one of our readers. But say you're tired of that sort of thing, and are looking for something else to do. Of course, Indiana University has been named the Princeton Review's No. 1 party school of 2002, so there's always getting drunk. Though, maybe that isn't what you want either. Perhaps you're under 21 and a law-abiding citizen, or maybe you're a recovering alcoholic and being around booze isn't the best thing for you. Perhaps after so long, you bore of waking up hung-over after having slept alongside some unfamiliar person. Maybe drinking just isn't how you like to spend your time. Regardless of the reason, let's say you're looking for something new. \n It's summer, traditionally a time to spend outdoors; from bicycling to camping, or just walking around enjoying the absence of ice, snow and freezing rain. The Bloomington area supplies many opportunities for those who want to be free of the confines of offices, houses, dorms and apartments.\n For someone seeking a quick escape, a bicycle proves a handy ally. "Within ten minutes ... you can be out in the middle of nowhere, have no cars or anything," says Sarah Fredrickson of Bicycle Garage, Inc. on Kirkwood. \n John Smith, owner of Bikesmiths on College Avenue, continues on a similar tangent. He cites the freedom to explore as one of the things he enjoys most about road bicycling. But for those interested in mountain biking, Smith mentions Wapehani Mountain Bike Park as a nearby option. Whichever style a person choses -- the often group-oriented, meditative road riding or the more solitary, aggressive mountain biking -- the Bloomington area provides a good challenge, because it's consistently hilly, Smith says.\n Yet, the challenging nature of the terrain doesn't mean bicycling in Bloomington is only for a select few. According to Fredrickson, bicycling is an activity that encompasses a wide range of ages, from the very young to people well into middle-age. "The Bloomington Bicycle Club is really great. They've got a wide variety of different people and speeds," says Fredrickson. The sport is open to a wide range, not just the highly devoted few.\n For those willing to go somewhat farther afield, outdoor activities include backpacking and canoeing. Frank Fleser of J.L. Waters and Co. on College Avenue, recommends that those who want to get into either activity do research on the internet, and "be prepared ... to get an overload of what's out there, because there's a lot." The important thing is a person should think about how much time, effort and money he or she is willing to put into the activity, and make choices accordingly. As with bicycling, there is a place for most people. By way of example, Fleser talks of backpacking, where there are three groups: the people who carry under 20 pounds of gear in their backpacks, the largest group who carry around 30 or 40 pounds and "the heavyweights" who go mountaineering or on winter excursions. \n Perhaps you prefer the wonders of climate control and artificial lighting to the admittedly fickle and frequently oppressive weather that is so characteristic of Bloomington in the summer. Maybe you like the bar environment but want to avoid the alcohol. Matt O'Neill, owner of the Runcible Spoon on East Sixth Street, compares his establishment to a bar because of the repeat business. "There's the students who come in and pack the walls for breakfast and you don't see them again until next Friday or Saturday," says O'Neill, "and then there are the ones who see the Spoon as kind of a club of their own ... they find it when they're freshmen ... and it becomes kind of a home for them for four years." What is unlike an average bar -- aside from the absence of alcohol -- is that the Runcible Spoon often has open mics, poetry readings and even the occassional music student who wants to try out something he's been working on -- all without a cover charge. \n On nearby Kirkwood Avenue, Soma Coffee House -- its name taken from the drug everyone is addicted to in Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" -- also features bands playing outdoors. On the first Wednesday of every month, the poetry magazine Matrix also has readings in Soma's back room. A much larger venue, Encore Café, on West Sixth Street, features guitarist Steve Sobiech every Friday and Saturday, and the works of local painters hang on the walls.\n Steffano's Ice Café, a small shop in the Fountain Square Mall, isn't large, but it's big enough to provide a hangout for some. "On Wednesday nights we have a lot of kids from The Game Preserve and they come here and they set up all their tables together and they all play Magic together," says employee Kim Glassman. Bryan Roberts, manager of The Game Preserve, says, "Wednesday nights and Saturday afternoons are scheduled for people to come in, play Magic ... (customers) make their purchases up here ... then they go downstairs to play." Magic, a strategic card game that has been around for over ten years, is one of several games the store holds tournaments for -- it has something scheduled for each night of the week. Additionally, the store holds clinics focusing on specific aspects of individual games, and Roberts says they often set up outdoor tables for chess when the weather is nice. Roberts adds The Game Preserve is always interested in featuring new games as well as classics, or giving attention to ancient games, such as the Japanese strategy game Go, which are drawing new attention. The store not only sells games but acts as a social "nexus of people of similar likes," he says, and to that end they have set up online the Bloomington Gamers' Guild (groups.yahoo.com/group/BloomingtonGamersGuild/) as a place for people to get in touch with people of similar interests. \n Bars and liquor stores ask for your driver's license, and often go on to ask you weird things like what your astrological sign is and if you're an organ donor or not before letting you in. Along with providing a change of pace, a chance to explore something new and meet different people, the activities above will never card you because, as Roberts says, feigning a big booming voice, "Everyone is welcome"