By Joe Butler
Wherever you’re at in the calendar year, getting ready for summer is always on the minds of those who love the sunshine.
Fitness, relaxation and enjoying great food are pretty common ways to make ready for the dog days of summer. With such activities in mind, here are some CoMo locations worth hitting up to prepare for those magical three months:
Crunch Fitness
Crunch Fitness is downtown CoMo’s latest gym, located at 101 South Providence Road, in what used to be an Office Depot. Instead of pushing pencils though, visitors can now expect to push some serious iron.
It seems that Crunch Fitness’ affordable rates, ample amenities and overall novelty has caused the greatest exodus from the Mizzou Rec Center since COVID. From cardio machines to free weights, Crunch Fitness has all the amenities needed to get healthy, fit and ready for a swimsuit.
Crunch Fitness has several monthly rates to choose from. The Base rate of $9.99 gets you access to the fitness equipment, shower-equipped locker rooms, online nutrition program and sauna. Upgrade to their Peak package at a rate of 22.99 to gain additional access to online workouts, group classes, tanning, and Crunch’s trademark HydroMassage®. Splurge on their Peak Results package at a rate of $29.99 to get that tan sprayed, have your kids babysat while you work out and even bring a guest each time you visit.
Regardless of your membership, guided personal training is always an add-on. Plus, the free Wi-Fi and AC definitely makes this a preferable place to sweat during a hot Missouri summer.
Columbia Public Library
Conveniently located up the street from Crunch Fitness on 100 West Broadway, the Columbia Public Library is a great place for flexing those mental muscles after a hard workout, and hopefully a shower.
In addition to being CoMo’s quintessential library, it’s also the headquarters of the Daniel Boone Regional Library system, which also serves the Boone and Callaway counties. The DBRL system is composed of four physical libraries and two bookmobiles, and has an admirable mission. DBRL’s mission is to strive to be at the heart of the community, a trusted resource and partner known for excellence, creativity and open, equitable access, connecting every person to opportunities for a lifetime of discovery, learning and joy.
The Columbia Public Library has three stories filled with books, magazines, study areas, computers, and multimedia formats such as DVD’s and audiobooks. In addition to physical resources, library cards can be used to rent and stream digital content like movies, tv shows, and music.
The Columbia Public Library puts on many great events for the community, offering educational classes, One Read programs, and an assortment of family-friendly entertainment such as magicians and storytellers. The kids can even get involved with summer reading programs and win some fun prizes!
Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream
For those who want to support small local businesses and enjoy a delicious treat right in the heart of Downtown CoMO, Sparky’s is the ideal establishment for that frozen cow juice.
Located at 21 South 9th Street, Sparky’s blurs the line between ice cream shop and amateur art museum. With an assortment of paintings and drawings on the wall, you get an aesthetic eye-full while waiting for a stomach-full of ice cream.
The ice cream itself is incredible! Along with standard flavors, they’ve got hybridized flavors that are rotated in and out. The menu is never the same twice…but it’s always tasty!