Contrary to popular belief, there is actually a lot to do in the City of Charleston.

Depending on what type of person you consider yourself to be or what things you’re interested in, there are many choices available to Eastern students.

For those of you who like to be in the great outdoors, Charleston offers many opportunities.

Fox Ridge State Park is just eight miles south of Charleston and offers trails, camping, and pavilions that can be rented.

“It’s a hilly, rugged, fun place to go,” said Corinne Russell, Coles County Chamber of Commerce tourism director. “(Fox Ridge) offers trails that are easy to difficult.”

The park, known for its steep, thickly wooded ridges, is set amid the Embarras (pronounced Ambraw) River. Canoes and other outdoor equipment can be rented through the Parks and Recreation Department.

For those of you who like to jog, the Lincoln Prairie Grass Trail begins one mile east of Charleston and ends one mile west of Mattoon.

The trail is available daily from dawn to dusk and is used for jogging, walking and biking. Russell said the trail can be picked up near the Coles County Fairgrounds and also off of Fifth Street.

If golfing is one of your favorite ways to pass the time, Charleston houses the Bent Tree Golf Course, with 18 holes, located on South 4th Street and Lincoln Highway Road.

However, for those of us who don’t feel as advanced as Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson, there is also the Putt-N-Swing Golf Course at 920 17th St.

And for those of you who like to live life in the fast lane, the Charleston Speedway, located three miles east of Charleston on Illinois 16, or the Coles County Speedway, located five miles west of Charleston on Illinois 316, may provide the speed you need.

The sidewalks don’t roll up after dark in Charleston either. The choices after dark are just as numerous.

Many college students’ budgets are pretty tight, but the Will Rogers Theater offers the latest movies at reasonable prices. The theater, at 705 Monroe Ave., is very unique, Russell said.

“You only find theaters like Will Rogers in small, art-oriented towns,” Russell said. “It’s a really neat place to go. You can grab a bite to eat at one of the great restaurants on the Square and then catch a movie.”

The theater has two showrooms that operate on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Show listings appear in The Daily Eastern News.

Of course, for those students who are of drinking age, there is always one of the many bars in Charleston. For partying enjoyment there is Stix, Mad Hatter, Stu’s, Ike’s, Marty’s, Top of the Roc, Mother’s, Friends and The Uptowner. Each bar offers nightly drink specials to make it easy on students’ pocketbooks.

Charleston Lanes is also a hot spot on Friday and Saturday nights during its Moonlight Bowl from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. After the lights go out, students can take a shot at glow-in-the-dark pins for free games and free drinks, said Julie Wallace, Charleston Lanes assistant manager. The bowling alley is open Monday through Thursday from noon to midnight; Friday, noon to 1 a.m.; Saturday, 1 p.m. to 1 a.m.; and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.

If relaxation is on your mind, the Razorz Edge, located on Monroe Street on the Square, is a place to grab some rest and relaxation. The spa offers body-enhancing wraps and a variety of massage and facial techniques to alleviate the tension.

For the history buff, the choices are numerous. As many may already know, Charleston considers itself to be a proud former home of Abraham Lincoln’s family. A visit to Lincoln Log Cabin, 400 S. Lincoln Highway Rd., will prove that Charleston is a proud part of Lincoln’s heritage.

The Lincoln Log Cabin is the last home of Lincoln’s parents, Thomas and Sarah Bush Lincoln. There are two farms available to tour.

One of the farms is operated much like a typical 1800s farm. Volunteers dress and act like people of the 1800s to show visitors the traditional way of life as it was back then, said Russell.

The other farm, the Stephen Sargent farm, represents a more progressive or modern way of farming in 1845 after the Industrial Revolution, Russell said.

The site’s Living History program at the Lincoln and Sargent farms operates from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, May through October, and is free.

Also at the site is the Moore Home, home of Sarah Lincoln’s daughter, Matilda Hall Moore, and her husband, Reuben. The home represents life in the 1860s and is open daily through the summer months and also several days a week in May, September and October, Russell said.

In addition to Lincoln Log Cabin, you can get more of a feel for Lincoln’s political career with a visit to the Lincoln-Douglas Debate Museum on the Coles County Fairgrounds at 416 West Madison Ave.

It is the only museum in Illinois retracing the senatorial debates of 1858 between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. The museum offers exhibits and artifacts of the debate inside the actual location where the debate took place.

The museum is open year-round from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.