New England Travel

25 things to do before the end of summer

By Legacy User

August 4, 2012

7 minutes to read

Before the warm days of summer leave us, here are some reminders of all the things left to do before the fun comes to a close. 
1. Take a hike
 Whether it’s an overnight trip or a half-day excursion through nature, the sights and sounds of a New England summer come together in a walk through nature. Explore the beauty of Camel’s Hump and the majesty of Mount Washington.
2. Enjoy the ripe berries of the season
 While the strawberry season is quickly coming to an end, cherries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, and blueberries are just juicing up. Spend a day at a local farm and bake up pies, tarts, muffins and more. Make preserves and fruit salad, or freeze them for a taste of summer in the winter.
3. Explore the Boston Harbor Islands

 Take some time to explore the 30 islands that make up the Boston Harbor Islands, just off the mainland. Hop on the ferry and take a scenic cruise to George’s Island, where you can explore historic Fort Warren, or take a boat to the oldest staffed lighthouse site, Boston Light, and learn the history behind the last light station in the country to be staffed by a US Coast Guard light keeper.
4. Dine Al Fresco
 Whether it’s at one of New England’s seaside clam shacks, or in the heart of the Back Bay, the time to enjoy your meal in the fresh air is dwindling, and so is your ability to find ocean-view dining. Find some of the best no-frills seafood that New England has to offer along the coast.
5. Splash away the day at a watering hole
 You don’t have to hit the beach to cool off. Explore ponds and lakes in Rhode Island, swimming holes on Cape Cod, and elsewhere in Mass.
6. Hit the coast
 Take advantage of the waning days of summer by enjoying your favorite coastal activity. From sea kayaking in Maine to surfcasting on Martha’s Vineyard, here are 10 great ways to spend time along the coast.
7. Take a wine tour
 Southeast New England is home to five vineyards with treats ready for some tasting. If you are a wine connoisseur or just a fan, head through the area between Newport and North Dartmouth, which have joined in a collaborative effort called the Coastal Wine Trail. Check out Greenvale Vineyards in Portsmouth, R.I., Sakonnet Vineyards in Little Compton, R.I., Newport Vineyards in Middletown, R.I., or Westport Rivers Vineyard in Westport, Mass. for some fine wine and lessons on the popular drink.
8. Head to Block Island

 If you aren’t in the mood for the large crowds of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, spend a relaxing summer weekend on Block Island in Rhode Island. The island offers great outdoor adventures like hiking and biking, as well as romantic bed and breakfasts for a cozy weekend away. Check out more to do on Block Island.
9. Hit the trail
 Summer is the time to head out and enjoy the outdoors. Bikers can enjoy a newly refurbished Cape Cod Trail. For a more rugged experience, perhaps Vermont’s Kingdom Trails, 100 miles of trails in the Northeast Kingdom, might do the trick. Read here for more about local bike trails.
10. Visit a water park
 If you don’t mind paying a little for the privilege of getting wet, the kids – and let’s face it, you too – will get a kick out of spending a heat wave at a water park, where adventure awaits with slides, wave pools, and other thrilling attractions aimed at keeping cool. Here are some of the best to explore in New England.
11. Scream for ice cream
 While some popular ice cream destinations remain open year-round, many of our favorite, local places will shut their doors in a matter of weeks, forcing you to wait until the spring for some of the best creamy flavors that New England has to offer. So, pack up the kids and grab a sunset cone while you have the chance. Not sure where to go in your neck of the woods? Here’s our list of some of the best places in the region to visit for ice cream.
12. Balloon up
 Trek up to Lewiston-Auburn, Maine, for the 20th annual Great Falls Balloon Festival, taking place Aug. 17-19. Visitors will have the opportunity to take a balloon ride high above the ground and watch the sun rise or set. Or, if you must wait until the fall, Connecticut’s Adventure Balloon offers foliage flights.
13. Go fishing
 With all the lakes in Maine and Vermont, and five of the six states with sprawling seacoasts, there is no excuse for not casting a line this summer. Enjoy the art of fly-fishing, the thrill of deep-sea fishing, or a lazy day on a lake. Charter a boat, fish from the shore, or off a bridge. For ideas of where to go, check out our helpful Outdoors Guide.
14. Take a stroll down Comm. Ave.
 The Globe asked architect William Rawn to sum up one of the most beautiful streets in America. “It is a matter of proportion, a quality of space often difficult to define in words, but you know it when you see it. The combination of the central mall, the rows of trees, the continuity of five- and six-story buildings. Take a walk. Your sense of the space is always changing – different times of day, different seasons, a sunny day, or a cloudy day.’’
15. Enjoy a free flick along the Charles River
 There are a couple weeks left in this summer tradition, presented by WBZ NewsRadio 1030. Catch “The Zookeeper’’ on Aug. 10, and “Puss In Boots’’ on Aug. 17. The series closes with “The Lorax’’ on Aug. 24.
16. Go white water rafting in Maine
 Whether you choose the Kennebec, the Dead, or the Penobscot River, Maine has ample opportunity for an adventurous white water rafting trip. Depending on how much excitement you’re looking for (the Penobscot features a Class 5 rapid) remember that the father north you venture, the colder the water will tend to be, even in August.
17. Join the crowd at Lower Falls
 One of the more popular summertime stops on New Hampshire’s Kancamagus Highway, Lower Falls offers up waterfalls and rapids dropping off into refreshing swimming holes. Picnic along the edge of the Saco, or discover more flowing water at nearby Sabbaday Falls, Rocky Gorge, Arethusa Falls, or Silver Cascade, all in the White Mountains.
18. Paddle around
 Hop in a kayak or canoe and give your arms a workout this summer as you paddle along some of the best rivers or waterways the area has to offer. Head to Hingham, Magnolia on the North Shore, or row around Thompson Island, one of the Boston Harbor National Park’s lesser known islands. Here are 10 of the best spots to kayak in New England.
19. Visit the Cape on the cheap
 We can’t do anything about the traffic, but there are ways to enjoy the area without busting out your wallet at every turn.
20. Find a food festival
 There are a handful of summer food festivals remaining on the schedule, including the Wells Chili-fest, Vermont’s Garlic and Herb Festival, the Hampton Beach Seafood Festival, and the Bourne Scallop Fest. Here’s a roundup.
21. Spend the day in Newport
 Whether you lounge on Gooseberry Beach, stroll down Thames Street, or witness the majestic mansions along the famous Cliff Walk, there are few places in Rhode Island better to spend a summer day than the sailing capital of the world. Stick around after dark for some of the best nightlife that New England has to offer.
22. Tour a boardwalk
 Tacky T-shirts and fried dough litter the boardwalks of New England, a decidedly honky-tonk way to spend a day at the beach, and certainly one that reminds of days gone past. In New Hampshire, Hampton Beach is the most recognizable boardwalk, but be sure to also consider Salisbury Beach. Enjoy some arcade fun, cotton candy sweetness, or peruse one of the many surf shops along the walk.
23. Head to the drive-in
 Drive-ins are not a thing of the past! While the weather is warm, hop in the car and trek to one of New England’s remaining drive-ins for a night time flick. Bring along some beach chairs and blankets, cozy up with that special someone or a group of friends, and head back in time to an American tradition.
24. Grab some road food
 No roadway defines Maine like Route 1, which hugs the Maine coastline. The route also features a variety of road food options including lobster (of course), ice cream, pizza, and Jamaican barbecue. Here are 10 great spots to make a pit stop.
25. Catch a sunset
 Grab a blanket, a picnic, and some friends, and head to the beach one last time this summer, when the sun is prepared to call it a day (like here over Johnson Bay in Maine) and the sky bursts into fleeting color. Enjoy the view, which like the waning days of summer, is something to cherish while it lasts.