5 Ways to ENJOY summer
Family fun-time will be predominantly just that…family quality spent time together away from crowds, or others in our immediate personal space. Here are five ways to enjoy summer this year while dealing with social distancing issues.
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“Then followed that beautiful season…Summer…Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light;
and the landscape lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.”
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
FAMILY FISHING
Who doesn’t LOVE summer? All of us who live in a climate where we experience four seasons wait patiently through those long winter months for spring! Springtime is a promise for the sunshine and heat of summer. It’s my favorite time of the year! Summer 2020, a new way To DO EVERYTHING has emerged! No worries! I can easily think of five ways to enjoy summer while dealing with “our new normal.” Can you?
Family fun-time will be predominantly just that…family quality spent time together away from crowds, or others in our immediate personal space. Here are five ways to enjoy summer this year while dealing with social distancing issues.
~ 5 Ways to ENJOY summer ~
1. Boating
Gather up your family and take a canoe out on the lake, or a fishing boat, or a speed boat, etc. Get out on the lake. You will naturally be social distanced from others and have a great time with your family. Our family loves to play on the water! The boys love to tube, wake surf, water ski, knee-board or just swim and snorkel at the lake. We will pack a cooler with drinks and snacks for the day. Sometimes we go down the lake to the village market to get cinnamon rolls early on a Saturday morning or stop in at lunch to pick up a to-go pizza from the shopper’s dock and have a floating picnic! So, nothing changes here…we can still do those things, but keep our distance from other people AND ENJOY the lake! GIVE IT A TRY! If boating is not your pick for an activity don’t be afraid to DAYDREAM other opportunities for entertainment or travel!
~ 5 Ways to ENJOY summer ~
2. Golfing
Golfing is great exercise! Not only can you enjoy the sunshine, warm weather, and outdoors, but you get to play one of the most rewarding and frustrating games ever created! Golf is one of those sports where no two days or play on the same course will have an identical outcome. I have a great story to share!
One summer, I was playing a round of golf on a course and came out with a pretty reasonable score. I was feeling like quite an accomplished golfer! (I might add that I AM NOT the world’s best golfer.) I had been playing pretty frequently on this same course for most of the summer, when I could get away to golf. So, I thought I would invite my sister (a naturally-talented-at-everything-she-does-athlete) who isn’t into golf much, to join me and play! Well, I don’t know why I was so surprised when this happened, but of course, about half way through nine holes, she drives off the tee and lands a shot on the green near the hole and the ball rolls in! WHAT! I know! I know! What was I doing challenging her to golf! Let’s just say I ate my humble pie that day and returned to my game more frustrated than ever…somehow the harder you try at golf, the worse you play! The more you don’t care how it goes…the better you do…GO FIGURE!!!! 🙂
WHATEVER, right! Somehow we keep returning to golf as entertainment! I do enjoy being outside, enjoying the sunshine, and playing that frustrating game when our schedules allow. My husband and I enjoy golfing together! You should try it too! Be ready to laugh at yourself!
3. Grocery store runs late night/curbside service
Grocery stores have become the dreaded place to venture out to with all the worries over contracting COVID-19 virus, right? Try late, late night shopping if you are like me and want to pick out your own produce and products from the shelves! Give it a try to avoid people. The grocery staff are usually the only ones in the store at that time. They tend to be locals that probably have been quite good at social distancing and following the quarantine rules. If you are like me and have also been adhering to the quarantine rules, this may be just the right tactic to employ to keep away from people traveling in and out of communities unsuspectingly carrying germs! Give it a try! Your local grocery stores need your business and those employees stocking those shelves need those jobs! Try when you can to support your local communities. Lots of local grocery stores will even shop for you and provide curbside service if you look into the additional services that they are offering. I’m not saying don’t shop on-line because I do that too for certain items, but consider alternatives.
~ 5 Ways to ENJOY summer ~
4. Beach/Park with Take-Out or Dine-In with outdoor seating
Don’t be afraid to have an occasional night out! Cautiously pick your dining locations. If you want to eat in…be sure to look for a trusted venue with outdoor seating options! Many local restaurants are providing this option and many have fabulous views! So, take a sweater! No worries!
Order take-out from your local favorite establishment. Pack a picnic basket with your favorite picnic wear and adult beverages and after picking up take-out enjoy a picnic at a local park or a favorite beach spot! Take a chair or throw a blanket out! Hang out late to enjoy a SUNSET! Sky’s the limit for possibilities to thoroughly enjoy this moment in time to just do things differently!
~ 5 Ways to ENJOY summer ~
5. Bonfire chats
Our family LOVES a bonfire evening. We enjoy a fire ring filled with snaps and crackles of popping fire in the firepit area. Both boys like to be the fire stoker. The bigger the fire the more fun, right? Don’t worry we have always been ever vigilant about fire safety! Actually, the best fire for S’mores is when the fire has died down to glowing embers. S’mores, tunes, and relaxation round out many a summer evening! Some of our best fireside chats emerge to bond us together as a family. Spread your chairs a bit wider around the fire ring and invite friends (limitedly). Adhere to social distancing, and be vigilant about washing hands and not touching your face. Try employing these strategies to navigate these uncertain times!
Explore what makes you happy! Figure out what you’d like to do with your summertime! Create a BUCKET LIST of ideas of where you’d like to travel or what you’d like to do to optimize your personal experiences this summer! Just as Spring is a promise of the Summer to come, so is JESUS a promise of life eternal. Place your trust in the one who gave his life so you could choose salvation through Him! Do not live in FEAR! God is in control. Trust in Him. Be smart, make wise choices, but LIVE! ENJOY! And celebrate each and every day this summer!
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Inspirationally Yours,
Barbara
BIO: https://www.inspirationaltraveladventures.com/about-us/
About Me
A 1993 graduate of Michigan State University, Barbara earned a BS in Social Science Pre-Law. She is a Business Manager/HR Director. Her passion is travel, discovering new places, experiences, cuisine, cultures while enjoying temperate climates. Barbara is a newly transitioning empty-nester who became a travel blogger. She’s a great photographer, talented writer, and has a great family to highlight in her high school/college athlete football sons.
WEBSITE: www.inspirationaltraveladventures.com
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Barbara Robinson
TRAVEL BLOG🛩 * ADVENTURE🛶 * INSPIRATION🌞 Thanks for exploring our travel blog! We hope to assist you in your next adventure through learning from ours! We are transitioning empty-nesters perpetually seeking our next luxury snorkeling adventure! Daily God’s awe inspiring inspiration surrounds us with all of His natural beauty in every direction if we but slow down to observe. Take a moment each day to ENJOY!
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64 Comments
Carrie Cochran
Great ideas! This summer will definitely call for some entertainment options that may not be in our usual rotation! Thanks for sharing these.
Barbara Robinson
Thanks for reading! Enjoy summer!
Alice
These are great ideas. I will add camping and hiking!
Cecile
Great ideas for summer. We will be visiting our beautiful province this year 🤗
Marianne
Summer will definitely be different this year! We have already started prepping our small yard for a staycation!
Tiffany
I do love bonfires!!
Danielle
Having takeout food picnic-style in a park sounds wonderful! Thanks!
Yvette
I love the idea of shopping late. Avoiding crowds is important and for me, not spending so much time in the store is very important.
Tricia Snow
Everything looks like so much fun! Thanks for the tips!
Leeandra
Great ideas for some summer fun! The bonfire chats sound really fun.
Barbara Robinson
Thanks! Lots of good long talks emerge around a campfire, forsure!
Holly
Great Ideas! It’s going to be a great summer! My family is ready to get out and enjoy!
Barbara Robinson
Ours as well! Thanks for reading!
Debbie
I love patio dining! We all have a good reason for it now!
Angella
I love the water. It looks like we’ll get to spend a lot more time on the river enjoying the water and I’m looking forward to it. Looks like you do the same.
Barbara Robinson
Yes! We do love our water sports! Glad you do as as well!
Eva Keller
I can’t wait to go out and enjoy summer! We recently got some restrictions lifted in OC and we were able to park at the beach and go for a walk for the first time in months. I’m ready to travel though and get outside!
Lisa Manderino
Our summer adventures are going to be spent outdoors this year! So much fun to be had. We already rented a boat and are planning to have a fun time!
heather J jandrue
All our summer plans have been canceled due to the virus. I have started thinking about plan B. Hopefully we can come up with some great alternatives.
Barbara Robinson
Sometimes plan B is better than plan A! ENJOY!
Sandi
Bonfires have been our way to connect with neighbors. We can social distance and still have great chats.
Sara
We bought a propane firepit last year so that we could enjoy lots of fireside chats – but without the smell of burning wood.
Erica
YES!!! ALL OF THIS YES!!!! We too are finding ways to be together as a family and also fulfill our need for adventure! I love this piece!
Barbara Robinson
Thank you! I appreciate your enthusiasm!
Suzan | It's My Sustainable Life
Outdoor fun in the summer months are my favorite. Having grown up on a lake so much of what you mentioned resonates with me. Thanks for sharing!
Kendra
So many great ideas that are right up my alley! I cant wait to go fishing soon!
Cindy
I’m really enjoying my backyard paradise! I anticipate many happy hours spent there this summer, around the fire pit. I do hope to get in a road trip too.
Barbara Robinson
Good for you! ENJOY!!
Lisa
Great ideas! I like the idea of take-out and heading to the beach.
Holly
I love you great ideas to have a great summer, especially the fireside chats.. I’m going to do that this year! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Karie
I think bonfires are the best. I’ve found that so much connection goes into being apart of a bonfire.
Cindy
These are great ideas! We will be hiking, fishing, and swimming in the many state parks we have.
Sandi
We are having a lot of bonfire chats, you can distance and still have friends over – win win.
Sarah Camp
Great ideas! I love the suggestion about getting outside for a picnic – I’m long overdue for that!
Melissa| It's a Joyous Journey
We’ve made some changes to our backyard during quarantine, so we can enjoy a little more family time out there this summer. Thanks for the ideas!
Chelsea
Chats around a bonfire or firepit are by far one of my favorite ways to spend summer nights. So so so relaxing!
Tammy Horvath
I love these ideas. Your family has so much fun. The boating looks amazing.
Suz | TravelsWithSuz.com
Last month in PA, the people I stayed with cooked most of their suppers on an outside wood fire, and we sat around the fire all evening talking and laughing – it was so much fun!
New Mexico is a great place for outdoor living, as it rarely rains. But – the lakes are way down due to drought.
Marianne
Those are great ideas! We hope to do a little road tripping this summer… sm some of those activities may end up on our itineraries too!
Alicia
Oh, I love all of these ideas! My husband and I have had some of the best date nights on a golf course or at a bonfire. And we’re going out boating with some close friends in a few weeks!
Erin
Always love your great suggestions! And the placement of your products with each adventure is BRILLIANT! Well done!
Stephanie
Having grown up in Michigan, all of these are close to my heart! Of course tubing on the lake is a family classic and only gets better the older you get. I also recently just got back into golf with the pandemic and am loving it. Thanks for the ideas!
Jan
Yay, it’s finally summer! Hoping to do some of the things on your list, especially since we’re still not traveling far this year.
Terra Booth
These are great summer ideas for social distancing! We love boating and tubing and just getting out on the water on our paddle boards! Bonfires are always great as well, who doesn’t like food cooked over a fire??
Tiffany Gunther
Golf – “One of the most rewarding and frustrating games ever created.” Haha, I love that line and have to agree. That’s crazy that your sister got a hole-in-one. Beginners luck!!!
Mariah French
I love bonfires! I totally agree that some of the best conversations happen from sitting around a fire 🙂
Sabrina DeWalt
Late night shopping would have been wonderful last summer, but we didn’t have that option. All of the stores where we were closed early so overnight stockers could do their jobs without the exposure. It was definitely a tricky summer to navigate. I am so much happier that things are coming back to some semblance of normalcy.
Alexis Farmer
I’m a sucker for a bonfire! All of these are awesome ideas for summer though.
Linda Egeler
I can practically feel the heat coming off of that fire. Now I am totally craving a s’more!
Kristin
Such fun ideas! Chats around the bonfire are so wonderful in the summer–whether camping or just in the backyard!
Cindy
Water sports and campfires make summer summer.
Misskorang
I’d love to go boating, but I have young kiddos. This is a fun summer activity guide
Kristen W Allred
I love all these ways to enjoy summer – other than light night shopping because I’m a zombie then. 🙂
Allison Peteet
I love all these ideas (pandemic or no pandemic).
Barbara Robinson
DITTO!!!!! 🙂
Gemma
Late night grocery shopping is such a good idea for any time of year. Thanks for sharing.
Barbara Robinson
The dreaded task….might as well NOT burn gorgeous summer daytime hours in a supermarket!
Suzan
Getting a to go summer meal of fish chowder and fries is one of our must do’s every summer. All your suggestiongs are great family time and memory making ones for sure!
Suz | TravelsWithSuz.com
Summer is the time for outdoor fun! Sounds as though you’ve got it covered – enjoy!
Danielle Ardizzone
Great ideas for any year!
Carrie Elaine Cochran
I read this post last year and ended up trying several of these over the summer of 2020. They’re definintely fun, and reading it again reminded me I’ll have to break these ideas out again for this year!
Barbara Robinson
Excellent!
kmf
These are 5 great ways to enjoy summer! Especially love bonfires and going boating!
Barbara Robinson
Ditto!