Spending time in Eugene during spring break may seem like settling for mediocrity to some students, but the key to staying sane in any place is exploring it. I’m reminded of the tagline for the film “American Beauty”: “Look closer.”
My friend and I started the day on bicycles, circumnavigating a chunk of the Eugene bike path system, namely the amassment of parks near Willamette River. This bike path was described as “legendary” on some of the searches I turned up on the Internet. I had a friend more familiar with the terrain guide me.
Students are probably acquainted with the area near Autzen Bike Bridge, leading to Autzen Stadium and Alton Baker Park. But this bike path extends much deeper — it just depends on how far you’re willing to go.
There are all kinds of things to see, without ever having to leave the trail. Community gardens, playgrounds, rabbits and horses are within sight. And there are planetary bodies, too. A correctly proportioned scale model of the solar system is strewn about the bike path. I rode all the way to Pluto and beyond.
Between Jupiter and Saturn, the first thing that caught my eye was the war monument, erected in 1996 for the fallen from Lane County. This memorial lists the deceased from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Pueblo Incident and the Gulf War. An inscription beneath the names reads, “In this century, many millions of men, woman and children have perished in war. May there be an end to war.” It is a timely, poignant reminder, considering current global events.
After I passed the gray, art-deprived freeway overpass, I came to the Owen Rose Garden. It’s not quite the season for blooming, but an interesting sight nonetheless.
Somewhere past Uranus, I stopped and talked to visiting Professor Diane Hirshberg, who was on a light jog. She covers 15 miles a week, and added that covering the same territory can often get boring. To mix it up, she visits Mount Pisgah and Spencer Butte as well. She also said she comes across few college students on the bike path.
“I think I see more high school students,” she said.
Later, she attributed exercise to the completion of her dissertation and recommended the same for college students.
“My feeling is for the students who are stressed out, or have writer’s block, the best thing is to get outdoors and clear your head and lungs,” she said.
Just past the Owosso Bike Bridge, I encountered married couple Craig Thorsen and Marty Bullard. The two longtime Eugene residents moved to the north side of town for its scenic atmosphere.
“Campus is pretty insular,” Thorsen said. “It’s nice because there’s more open sky over here.”
Bullard said students should take precautions when walking such vast distances after the sun has set.
“People need to go with their friends, and not walk after dark,” she said.
Closer to the Delta Ponds, I got a real taste of wildlife when I encountered Canadian Geese and a smattering of ducks. Signs reading “Sensitive Wildlife Nesting Area” were posted. Plants strategically adorn the pond bank in order to keep the hill from eroding.
Standing over the small footbridge, I spotted litter in the sanctuary and pondered crossing the line to remove it. Two elderly folks recommended otherwise, saying the action might be construed as something other than humanitarian.
Bullard stated that in addition to the aforementioned wildlife, other nesting birds, such as osprey, can be spotted at times.
All and all, my friend and I ended up riding about 13 miles by the time we reached his house on the outskirts of campus. My only regret was not having more time to stop and experience everything I saw.