The summer is coming fast and many people do not know what to do with all their free time.
Summer is filled with opportunities to do so many new and exciting things that people don’t have time for in the school year. Many kids can fall victim to sitting at home in their beds scrolling on instagram or tiktok instead of making memories they will remember for the rest of their lives.
There are things to do for all people in the summer besides bed rotting whether or not people are introverts or extraverts there is always something to do.
Camping is one of the most popular activities to do in the summer. The best part about camping is that it can be as long or short as you want. In Idaho there are hundreds of great camping spots filled with beautiful browns and wildlife to observe. Camping is a great mini vacation that is amazing for people looking to get away on a low budget. Camping can be done as a few people to as many people that can fit on the campgrounds. Camping involves many experiences including the food that is most commonly cooked such as hotdogs burgers and pancakes because they are easy to prepare for.
Carlyn Harte is a freshman at Lakeland Highschool that goes camping with her family frequently and constantly can be found outdoors.
She loves hiking because of all the wildlife she finds on the way such as lizards, birds and squirrels. Her favorite hiking spot is the Polowski because when you reach the end there is a mine to look at. This hiking trail is in Wallace, Idaho. She also enjoys biking the Hiawatha because of the amazing views and Harte loves going through the tunnels.
Harte’s favorite hiking snacks are ranch flavoured corn nuts. She loves the crunch and flavour of the salty seasoning making the perfect snack for her.
She says the best part about hiking is when she gets to the top of the trail or when she gets to see the most famous part of the trail.
“Hiking is a very fun activity because the best views come from the hardest climbs” Harte said.
Carlyn’s favorite part about camping is when she wakes up in the morning and she is surrounded by animals and nature all around her. Her favorite camping foods are sandwich sliders and pancakes from the grill. Another favorite is Dutch oven cornbread.
Harte camps on a river and her favorite activity to do there is floating the river with her friends and family.
“Camping is something I think everyone should get to experience because when you like it the possibilities are endless,” Harte said.
Reading is the perfect hobby for people who would rather be by themselves in the summer instead of groups of people. Reading is also great for people who get stressed from a busy lifestyle and want to do something other than scrolling when they are relaxing.
Lillian Miharah is a freshman at Lakeland Highschool who loves to read books all year long, especially in the summer.
Her favorite book is called Fourth Wing, this book is a fictional book about a girl who rides dragons. Miharah one hundred percent recommends this book because it is very interesting and comes in a series of books.
“I like reading because I can picture my own characters and stories in my head with my imagination and it’s way better than movies,” Miharah said.
She says reading is great because it gives her something to do when she’s just sitting at home or when she is grounded and has no technology.
Her favorite place to read in the summer is when she’s outside tanning and soaking up all the sun. Though she loves the sun she prefers reading inside because there are less distractions and bugs, but when it’s warm outside it’s worth it to read outside. Miharah said the best place to read is when on a train or in an airplane while traveling. It is a great pastime and allows her to focus better on her book.
“Reading is great for summer because it can help you relax while your relaxing” Miharah said.
Some tips Miharah has for first time readers is to get past the first few chapters cause those are usually the hardest chapters to read and it should get a lot better but if it doesn’t put the book down and find a better one.
She also said “You just have to find the right genre everyone has different preferences”
There is a genre of reading for everyone, and everyone should try reading at one point in their lives.
Shopping is another amazing passtime for the summer especially for those looking to expand their closet or reinvent their wardrobe for school. People can go shopping by themselves to get themselves something nice just to be by themselves and not have to deal with friends. People can also shop with big groups of people especially for birthdays or celebrations. Another fun part about shopping is the food you buy while you’re there. Most people will try something new or go to a restaurant they have never been to before.
Carlyn Harte likes to go to the mall in the Spokane valley because of all the stores there. Her favorite stores include Urban Planet, Cotton on, and Pacsun.
Her main thing she shops for are cute tops and jeans that make her closet more diverse and ready for every situation.
Her favorite mall is the Auburn Mall in Washington because it has way more stores then the Spokane Valley Mall.
“I want to go to all the malls I can with my friends because I could shop forever” Harte said.
Harte likes the feeling of having freewill to buy things with her own money, especially because there are so many places to go to.
Her favorite outfit to wear shopping is sweatpants, a babydoll top and her favorite slippers. She prefers to be comfortable while shopping because it makes it easier to try clothes on instead of wearing tighter clothes like jeans.
I like shopping with friends more than my family cause my parents hate watching me spend money,” Harte said.
She also prefers going with friends because it’s a super fun hangout in the summer.
“I also love riding the animals in the mall,” She said.
Her average amount she spends is over a hundred because she says things are expensive at the mall so she can only go on a big shopping spree once a month. But she also frequently goes to TJ Maxx and Ross because they have cute clothes for a lot cheaper. This makes her able to go there several times a month.
She believes everyone should go shopping when they can to treat themselves and get something they are excited to have.
The summer is filled with many more things than just shopping, reading and being outdoors but these are very common things people like to do around our area with their closest friends and family.