Stores are starting to get their fall apparel. Back-to-school supplies are finding their home in the aisles. The unofficial midpoint of summer – the Fourth of July – has come and gone.
Have you appropriately lived it up this season? We’ve compiled a short bucket list of summer to help you out.
Swim in a lake
Oh sure, anyone can visit the pool, but it’s not really summer unless you’ve felt your toes sink into some slimy muck or a piece of seaweed brush your thigh. Try Fox Island County Park, 7324 Yohne Road, which has a swimming beach on Bowman Lake. Camp Timber Lake, 1740 E. 675 North in Huntington, has a small swimming lake, and Chain O’ Lakes State Park, 2355 E. 75 South in Albion, has a swimming beach. One warning: The Indiana State Department of Health is cautioning Hoosiers about possibly high levels of blue-green algae. The department advises avoiding contact with visible algae, refraining from swallowing water and taking a warm shower with soapy water after swimming.
Camp in your backyard
Pitch a tent, drag out the sleeping bags and build a fire for marshmallow roasting, summer sausage browning and s’mores constructing. (Did you hear? The burn ban was lifted as of noon Friday.) And don’t forget the ghost stories. Allen County Public Library librarian Byron Black recommends a few books for midnight tales: “A Terrifying Taste of Short & Shivery: Thirty Creepy Tales” by Robert D. San Souci and Katherine Coville features scary stories from around the world. If you’d rather keep it more local, “Haunted Indiana: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Hoosier State” by James A. Willis is full of true ghost stories from around Indiana. If you believe in that sort of thing.
Go to Zesto
OK, you’ve probably been to Zesto this summer but have you ever had a hot fudge marshmallow brownie Razzle? If you want a new and interesting Zesto flavor combination, just ask an employee. Whitney Neal, who works at the Zesto in Village of Coventry, suggests a strawberry Oreo Razzle.
Batter up
Parkview Field is just downtown, so what are you waiting for? Head down for a TinCaps game and try something different from the regular stadium seats and grab a blanket and the family for the picnic-style lawn seats. Bring your appetite and a group of at least 15 for the all-you-can eat seats, or watch the TinCaps in style from above in a luxury suite.
Square meal
Every Thursday from June through August, the Downtown Improvement District has Lunch on the Square at One Summit Square, at the corner of Wayne and Calhoun streets. The event features free concerts and usually a food vendor or two. Get out of the office for an hour and picnic on the grass.
Visit the zoo
The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo is not just for kids. Cheryl Piropato, education and communications director for the zoo, says many adults appreciate the zoo’s landscaping, shade and atmosphere. The next time you’re wandering the trails of the zoo, Piropato suggests you stop in the Indonesian rainforest exhibit to check out the birds. They’re not quite as popular as, say, Bill the Lion or the sea lions, but they’re beautiful and often overlooked, she says, recommending that visitors stick around the rain forest for about 10 minutes, until a bird flies into view.
“People don’t always take that time to sit and watch one animal,” Piropato says. “They’re always trying to get from Point A to Point B.”
