All Ages View-March

AllAgesView By Abbey Murphy

March is here! I am a big fan of March partially because it is the month of the Irish (I think you can see I’m biased by my last name, Murphy) and also because it means that spring is on its way! Remember to bring out the green on St. Patrick’s Day so the other devoted St. Patrick’s Day fans don’t pinch you! This month is a crazy time for any high school seniors who are waiting on their college acceptance letters, so from a fellow hopeful student, good luck and try not to stress too much every time you open your mailbox or check your email. I know, it’s hard. Although many of us can’t wait to start our new lives whether it’s near or far, it’s nice to remember how great Modesto is. In the spirit of the Irish and luck I thought I would remind all of the young people just how lucky we are to live in the wonderful Modesto, California. Reasons We’re Lucky to Live in Modesto:

1. Amazing high schools and high school spirit.

2. Youthful music scene (High Voltage, Josh Rosenblum, and Stop Motion Poetry)

3. Friendliness of our community and city.

4. New stores in downtown to peruse after a movie or coffee stop

5. Small town, yet big city feel. It’s big enough to have fun things to do at night and to mix up our daily routine, but small enough to know people we see around everyday!

6. Close proximity to fun things all over California. Let’s face it, we can drive an hour in any direction and be in a totally new places such as the ski slopes, San Francisco, or the beach and be back before dinner to relax! We have the best location and we appreciate our own town!

7. AMAZING FOOD. There are sooo many local options in Modesto that when I go out it takes me half an hour to decide where to grub! I always choose places such as Harvest Moon (try the special with grilled cheese sandwiches as the BUNS on their burger), Papachino’s, Scenic Drive-In, La Parilla, and Sushi Garden when I’m getting hungry.

8. Farmer’s Market is going to be back up again and this is one of my favorite things to do. Walking down the street viewing the art and wonderful produce while catching up with neighbors and friends really is a beautiful experience.

9. Gallo Center provides big city names and shows right to our community! I have loved seeing productions such as Mamma Mia and performances by Steve Martin at this venue and love the fancy vibe walking up the stairs in that beautiful lobby.

10. Beautiful parks such as Graceada and East La Loma Park that bring us back to playing tag in elementary school. It’s a nice, safe way to get in touch with nature and appreciate our beautiful valley, so pack a picnic and a Frisbee and head on out and get active!

Photo 1: Abbey with civil rights leader Rep John Lewis at Martin Luther King Day. Photo 2 Jake Callizo, Conner & John Fenton, Abbey, Parker Steward with “Super Spirit” during Super Bowl.