School has been in session for about three weeks now and for those Villanova students lacking a car, campus fever may finally be setting in. If the Villanova campus is beginning to seem constricting after a summer of vehicular freedom, it may be time to explore those areas of the Main Line accessible on the R5. Luckily, Villanova is only two train stops away from Wayne, a remarkably charming town just west of Villanova on the Main Line. Wayne is a perfect place to get away from campus for an afternoon because it offers a refreshing alternative to King of Prussia and enough attractions make an afternoon fly.

To get to Wayne from campus all you have to do is ride the R5 towards Paoli and get off at the Wayne train station. This will bring you to a small tributary of the Main Line. If you follow this street, which is scattered with delicious places to eat and adorable little shops, you will reach the relative center of Wayne. This is where you will find most of the shopping and dining as well as a movie theatre, a Color Me Mine and a U Bead 2.

Color Me Mine is a do-it-yourself ceramic shop where patrons can design their own ceramic ware. They offer coffee mugs, plates, platters, pitchers and numerous other forms of pottery, which shoppers can then paint and have baked so that the designs remain permanent.

U Bead 2 is similar to Color Me Mine, although it is perhaps a newer concept. They offer a vast variety of beads and all of the materials to create bracelets, necklaces, key chains, earrings and pretty much anything you can think to do with a string and fasteners. There are also a few already prepared pieces for those of us who prefer to look crafty without the effort. Color Me Mine and U Bead 2 are both fun places to make a personal gift for your roommate or a decoration for your dorm/ apartment. Both are especially fun as group activities.

If you aren’t looking for a creative outlet, Wayne also has a Cold Stone Creamery, a Great Harvest Bread Company (both of which offer free samples) as well as The Gap and a stylish sporting goods store which also sells athletic clothes and equipment as well as fashionable clothing. If you like to be entertained while you shop there is also a pet store with tons of completely unnecessary but very imaginative pet supplies.

So, if you are looking to get away from campus for a few hours, or if you need somewhere to take your parents this weekend, Wayne is a great town in close proximity to Villanova. Reminiscent of the town in “Gilmore Girls” it offers café food, pizza, ice cream, clothing for people and their pets, and of course the opportunity to “do-it yourself.”