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Huge fluffy beach towels. The intoxicating scent of sunscreen. Drinks with a mandatory umbrella at 4 o’clock, the Pacific Ocean a few steps away.
Sand everywhere.
Summer is officially here. Well, it will be on June 21 and that is where New Times Summer Guide comes in handy. We are so darn special, the Guide, as it’s known around these parts, comes out a month early and it’s all in devotion to our wanna-be busy/entertained readers.
The Guide is close to my heart. I spent hours, days, and nights, pouring over e-mails, phone messages, printouts, websites, brochures, and itty bitty bits of paper with my awful handwriting, to bring to you the latest and greatest of absolutely everything that is happening from May 21 through the end of September.
Have some weird obsession with lavender? Drive immediately to Atascadero in July. Immediately.
Feel like staring at other people’s sinks and granite counter tops? The Cambria Kitchen Tour is right up your alley. That’s in July.
Want to experience a real rodeo? Head up to Creston the weekend of Sept. 18.
Is your mouth watering for a margarita and decadent, delicious guacamole? Then get your butt to Morro Bay on Sept. 19 for its annual Avocado and Margarita Festival.
This just scratches the summertime surface of what is in store for residents of SLO County, and anyone else smart enough to pick up this larger-than-life edition of New Times.
I don’t want to hear about the economy. And I’m sure neither do you. Summer is the time to take a break. From the hustle and bustle, from the mundane that is life. From reality.
During this season, your mission, if you choose to take it, is to have as much fun as possible—work hard, play hard. Without breaking the bank. The Guide offers endless activities that cost next to nothing, so explore your very own backyard and what it has to offer, what organizations have painstakingly planned for you to partake in.
The Guide will even tell you the best places to camp, hike, rent a kayak, ride a horse, or simply take a walk in the sunshine.
Take a tour through the private gardens in Grover Beach or taste some epicurean delights in Shell Beach. All of this can be found throughout the Guide’s 17,000 words of listings.
On an entirely different level of enjoyment and wonderment there are the kiddies. We need to keep children busy, yet thriving, and out of the house to enjoy the glorious days of sunshine. Let them roam, play, and be free this summer. The Guide guarantees you will find a tremendous amount for them to do over the next three months.
Traditional day camps happen all over SLO County, kids can reach deep within to find their inner Picasso, or try out their acting chops at the Melodrama. Your little ones (and big ones) can surf all summer if they want.
Want to learn about Harry Potter? Done. Hone those creative writing skills? Done. Make a movie? Done. There are also teen centers in Morro Bay and Cambria. Kids can even learn about money management or become the next Coco Chanel.
The possibilities are endless.
If all of this still isn’t enough to whet your summer appetite, I invite you to e-mail or call me directly for more suggestions.
I promise to be your very own Summer Activities Director. Girl Scouts honor.
Christy Heron, calendar editor and writer, can be reached at [email protected].