Wednesday, June 22 officially marks the first day of summer, though with the warm weather, end of the school year, and summer camps and activities already underway, it sure feels like summer.

Thinking back on summers from my childhood, I remember softball games, swimming pools, sleepovers in tents in my neighbor’s backyard, picnics, fishing, ice cream, and bike rides, with the rule that I had to be home by the time the streetlights came on. There’s nothing more embarrassing than your dad standing on the front porch yelling your name because you DIDN’T beat the streetlight. When I was in elementary school, my dad used to take a week’s vacation every summer and we’d have a really fun staycation – visiting Santa’s Village (where I now visit with my own kid), Brookfield Zoo, the Museum of Science and Industry, and visiting the beach in Chicago (my mom and dad are quick to share the story of me losing my very first diamond ring in the sand; 30 years later and I am still hearing about it).

And, of course, there were the trips to Wisconsin where our friends had a lake house. We spent our days on the boat, wave runners, and beach, and our nights making s’mores, catching fireflies, and staying up way too late around the campfire. These were always my favorite weekends.

As I got older there were local festivals with my friends, concerts, baseball games, beach days, hikes, and too many nights driving around just for something to do.

This summer, I’m looking forward to making some memories with my favorite three-year-old. He is at a great age for just about everything, with the added bonus of still being young enough to pass out for a nap in the afternoon (when mom can grab a quick snooze, too).

There are some great things to do in the area. A couple of our favorites are Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, Summerfield Zoo in Belvidere, Palmer Park Wading Pool in Janesville, The Discovery Center Museum in Rockford, Fridays in the Park in downtown Beloit, The Beloit Saturday Farmers Market, and we’re looking forward to the opening of the new ABC Supply Baseball Stadium in Beloit, for which Mid-States provided more than 220 precast pieces to build the risers. Check out some aerial photos of the installation here.