SUMMER SIDE QUESTS

Not every summer needs a passport or a packed itinerary.

Take side quests or small adventures. An afternoon with no agenda. A spontaneous weekend. A reason to take the scenic route. The stories you don't plan are often the ones you remember.

Here are a few ideas for your summer side quests:

• Host a backyard dinner party with friends.

• Find a river, creek, lake, pool or beach and spend the day doing absolutely nothing.

• Hike a trail you've never done, even if it's only a couple miles from home.

• Ride your bike to a park, lookout, or grassy hill and pack a picnic.

• Go to a World Cup watch party

• Book a staycation at a nearby hotel, cabin, or Airbnb and explore your own backyard like a tourist.

• Take a day trip to a small town you've never wandered through.

• Soak in a hot spring.

• Go camping, even if it's just one night.

• Catch a sunset somewhere new.

• Browse a farmers market and build dinner from what you find.

• Pick berries or visit a flower farm.

• Rent a kayak, canoe, or paddleboard for the afternoon.

• Find an antique store and leave with one small treasure.

• Read books outside.

• Stargaze with blankets and snacks.

• Go to a county fair or small-town festival - lean into it, people watch, eat the elephant ear, ride the rides.

• Go to an outdoor movie or concert

• Build a birdhouse or start a hummingbird feeder

• Try a restaurant you've been saving for a “special occasion”

• Make a summer playlist and take the long way home.

• Learn a new outdoor skill you've been wanting to try - surf, paddleboard, horseback ride rock climb.

• Start a garden

Saying yes to Summer side quests >>>