By Anna Sandri

Summer is quickly approaching and not everyone leaves for vacation during summer break. Sometimes you want to just stay close to home and Batavia has the perfect places to visit.

First up, the Batavia Creamery is a pleasant little ice cream shop located in downtown Batavia off of Wilson Street and is highly popular among young and old alike. The waffle cones are homemade and very tasty, and there’s plenty of ice cream flavors to choose from to cool you off from the summer heat.

Another place that is great to visit is Fermilab. Located off of Kirk Rd and Pine St, Fermilab offers a great bike path that is not too sunny and nice and flat. It’s always fun to look out into the prairie and bike past the different facilities.

A very common place that people visit is the riverwalk. It’s a good place to walk by yourself, with friends, a date, or with a pet. There’s plenty to see on the path and it’s also a great place to fish from. Sometimes you could venture out onto the dry dam and you can also boat out on the river.

When you’re hungry in Batavia, there’s no better place to turn to than Bulldogs. This small restaurant has gyros, burgers, and amazing fries. Although it’s not the best place to go to cool off, you can grab your food and take it back outside. It’s also a convenient distance from the creamery, with it being just a few doors away.

Another great restaurant to visit is Pal Joey’s. The popular pizza place off of River street employs several high schoolers. Its closeness to the river and location makes it a beautiful place to visit. You can order a variety of pizzas and pastas and is a family favorite for all.

There’s no limit to what you can do here in Batavia, and summer is the best time to explore your hometown.