urban summers

In my previous entry I talked about summer leisure activities and hobbies in rural areas, but what about the urban areas? Coming from a small town, the city life has always been of great interest to me. When talking to friends from cities such as Chicago and New York I heard of all sorts of Broadway shows, musicals, shopping centers, horse drawn carriage rides, amusements parks, Imax theaters (not just your average movie theaters even :) and much more. After more research I found that our big city, Chicago, entertains millions with its various museums, art displays, street performances, concerts, zoos, and aquariums. It seems as though the list is almost endless since hobbies in sports (whether playing or watching) and all of the lake/water activities have not even been mentioned. Now, the city seems to be teeming with activities, yet most of these activities require money, which is something I often forget. This helps keep things in perspective, proving that both rural and urban areas have much to offer. It comes down to opinion and personal interest. Which area are you most interested in?

rural summers

In the summer, a common question I hear asked by many college students is, “What is there to do?”. From experience, there are many different choices for those college students in a big city as opposed to those in small towns or rural settings. Let’s take a look at the rural aspect of this discussion. This past summer, I spent time in Alaska in the vast wilderness, literally nothing surrounding me except nature and exceptional beauty. Here there were no stores, malls, movie theaters, or even gyms to edge boredom; yet there was never a chance to get bored. People in this area were always outside camping, participating in 4H, hiking in the woods, fishing, hunting, cycling, swimming, or indulging in various other activities. Two of the most interesting hobbies I encountered during this summer were cycling and Honda rides. Many rides this past summer were done across Alaska and although I never was able to see them, I heard a great deal about them from friends and family. In fact it confirmed my desired to take up cycling, which I have done since I have returned home. Hondas are 4 wheelers, and so many of the people I worked with this summer used Hondas for fun activity but also used them as a mode of transportation. Now one other activity I ran across quite often in my search for activities was local festivals and fairs. Many towns and rural communities are extremely proud of their fairs, and most of the time with good reason. They are the most interesting of places from the foods to the activities and displays presented. In fact, although some may argue that it is not exactly rural, the Blueberry Festival in Plymouth, Indiana and the Apple Festival in Nappanee, Indiana have entertained thousands this past summer. So to answer the question asked above, there are many activities to participate in during the summer, however, creativity may be needed to find them.
If you have any other ideas that I may have missed or activities you have participated in, please feel free to share them. :)

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