“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” Quote from Henry James, American Novelist.

Summer is a wonderful time to enjoy the outdoors, explore new places, and learn new things. Whether you are retired, semi-retired, or still working, there are many different things you can do in the summertime for fun, entertainment, learning, and filling your bucket list with new experiences.

Three Fun Ideas for Summer

1. Take a road trip

You don’t need to go far to have an adventure. You can visit nearby towns, national parks, historical sites, or scenic spots. For example, you can drive along Pennsylvania Route 6, Route 30, or do a covered bridge tour.  Visit-PA describes “jaw-dropping scenic drives” you can take around the state.

Have you ever thought of renting an RV or a camper van so you can travel at your own pace. Road trips are a great way to see new things, meet new people, and create memories.

Summer is a great time to reconnect with family or friends with a visit. Enjoy the road trip on the way to visit your grandchildren, extended family, or old friends. Or invite them to visit you for a bar-be-que or picnic.

Take advantage of the warm weather and longer days to spend quality time together catching up on each other’s lives, sharing old stories, and creating new ones.

2. Join a club or socialize at a senior center

Summer is a perfect time to pursue your hobbies or interests, or to try something new. You can start or join a gardening club, a photography club, hiking group, or other group that suits your passion. For instance, look into joining a book club, a photography club that organizes photo walks, or a knitting club that makes scarves for charity.

If you are comfortable with meeting new people that share your interests, Meetup is something to check out.  Through Meetup, you can connect with other people who are also looking to, well, meet up.  Check out the online and in-person events.  It is free to create an account.

Senior centers are another great way to meet new people and be social.  The Pennsylvania Department of Aging and Delaware government give a listing of senior centers in the respective states. Take a look to see if there’s one you might wish to check out.

3. Take a class online or in person

There are many options for learning new things — some free and some with a nominal cost.  Senior Planet is an AARP company that offers many different classes. And there are online courses on any topic you can dream up at sites like Coursera.

For example, you can take a cooking class in Philadelphia that teaches you how to make different Italian dishes, enjoy painting and socializing, or take a chair yoga class online from Friends Life Care that helps you relax and meditate. Lifelong learning is very good for our brains, personal growth, and emotional wellbeing.

And lifelong learning goes both ways!  Think about opportunities for you to share your knowledge and skills with others so they can learn from you.

If you want to give back, seek out volunteer opportunities.  Silver Sneakers highlights several popular ways to volunteer and provides other resources and classes.  Learning and giving back to others can be rewarding, meaningful, and fulfilling.

Do you think that any of these ideas are things you might like to do this summer?  Are there others you can share in the comments below?  As always, do what is a fit for you.  Go at your own pace. And pursue things that make you happy and smile.