For me, I ignore the back to school items and the Halloween decorations because I don't want summer to end.  Summer is always too short in the Northeast and for those of us who cherish its' every moment, it's like losing an old friend- you don't want it to happen.

The good news is the autumn Equinox doesn't arrive until September 22nd, so depending on when you are reading this, there's still a whole lot of summer to enjoy.  It got me thinking, if I were to make a list of 10 things to do before summer ends, what would be on that list?  Let's just say, it was not easy limiting it to just a top 10 list, but here I go...

  1. Visit a park and take a short (or long) hike on nature trail and just listen (!) to all the sounds of summer.  Or just turn on your sprinkler and run through it.  Just get outside!
  2. Go on a picnic - when was the last time, you packed a picnic basket with sandwiches, a bag of chips, some fresh fruit like watermelon and the beverage of your choice?
  3. Take a drive to an amusement park.  Early summer I featured 5 favorites from people here in the Southern Tier.  Click HERE to read more and links to their web sites.
  4. Hop on a horse - Have you really gone all summer without taking a ride on a Binghamton-area carousel?  If that's the case, you better get it in before Labor Day ends.  Click HERE to find out everything you need to know about Binghamton area carousels.
  5. Rent a boat or take a boat ride - with some wonderful options at Chenango Valley State Park and in the Fingerlakes or phone a friend that has been extending that offer.
  6. Take a trip on a tank.  Traci Taylor from the Hawk Morning Show has some wonderful ideas if you search keywords: "trip on a tank" like her family trip to Cooperstown, on the Hawk web site, 981TheHawk.com.
  7. Read a book outdoors or catch a concert in a park.  Local parks have some great local talent showcasing their music through the summer.
  8. Go to a baseball game.  The Binghamton Mets have a few home games left this season with some great promotions that the family will find fun.  Click HERE to learn more.
  9. Go to a fair.  The Harford Fair in Harford, PA runs through Saturday (August 27) is one of my favorite fairs and truly lives up to it's name of the "biggest little fair in the world."   And the Great New York State Fair in Syracuse is always an amazing time, and runs today through Labor Day.
  10. Lock in the flavors of summer.  The best way to do this is can or freeze your veggies and fruits that you picked or bought at the Farmer's Market.

Plan now to make what's left of summer a wonderful memory.  You'll thank yourself when it's ten below in a couple of months.

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