5 Activities to Add to Your Summer 2023 Bucket List
My fellow Wisconsinites can all attest to the fact that Wisconsin winters are BRUTAL. After a long couple of months filled with chilling winds, flash snow storms and the sun setting at four PM, the start of spring feels like a dream. Though the weather is still semi-questionable, just seeing the sun setting later each day after daylight savings brings me enough hope to push through until summer. Warmer days are ahead, and they’ll be here before we know it!
One of my favorite things to do each spring is to start thinking up ideas for activities to do once summer is in full swing. Each year, I comprise a bucket list of activities and try to accomplish all of them by the end of the summer. Here are some of my summer 2023 bucket list starters to get you going!
1. Take a spontaneous day trip
If you’re like me and live in a small midwestern town, it gets boring spending time in the same couple of areas. On a nice day, round up a couple of friends for a day trip! It can be as simple as heading to the next town over or as grand as crossing state lines. My friends and I love to take trips to Milwaukee to go shopping or get dinner, and the one-hour drive from our hometown makes it a perfect destination. Places like state parks or beaches are also great places to travel on a spontaneous summertime day trip!
2. Have a beach day
Speaking of beaches, it’s rule #1 of summer vacation to hit the beach at least once! There’s nothing better than spending a hot summer day soaking up the sun’s rays on the sand alongside your besties. Taking a dip in the water after baking in the sun is an incredible feeling that feels like the epitome of summer! I find myself spending hours at the beach, doing everything from tanning, listening to music, reading a book or even playing beach volleyball. You can’t go wrong with a trip to the beach this summer.
3. Go to an amusement park
Each summer, I make it one of my top bucket list endeavors to go to Six Flags Great America. I always have a blast riding the roller coasters all day and eating the fair-like food. I highly recommend setting a day aside to travel to your closest amusement park! If you’re not a fan of roller coasters, water parks are also a great summer activity. The Wisconsin Dells is my go-to for water park destinations, and they have a plethora of options for all levels of thrill seekers.
4. Read a good book
As a person who loves to read but never has time during the school year, summer is the perfect time to binge-read all the books I’ve been eyeing up. Throughout the school year, I tend to collect books and set them aside until I have time to read them in the summer. This summer, I recommend immersing yourself in a good book! My favorite thing to do is sit outside in my backyard, grab my sunglasses, and soak up the sun while I read. Summer is the perfect time to read a book series too, so start getting your reading lineups ready!
5. Attend a concert or music festival
Live music and summer vacation is a dynamic duo! Whether a local band is playing in your town or you score tickets to a high-energy music festival, I encourage you to take any chance you get to attend a live music performance. My personal favorite music festival is Summerfest, which is held each year in Milwaukee. Summerfest has everything from free side stages to famous headliners. Soak up the vibes at a musical performance this summer and I guarantee you’ll leave with lifelong memories.
Summer is a time for rest, relaxation and fun; it’s a time to make memories! Don’t waste your days off sitting around bored and wondering what to do. Create a summer bucket list this spring to prepare yourself for those summer-lulls that inevitably come with so much free time. I promise you will find yourself enjoying every last second of the summer and maybe even discovering some new activities you enjoy along the way!