With 30 days of Summer left, I’m starting to feel like I’m running out of time to experience all the summer stuff I love. But I feel like this every year. Summer in Oregon is pretty much the best thing ever.

My summer list is a little Portland-centric, so feel free to replace things with your local, summer fun time places and things.

Things to Do Before Summer Ends:

I’m bolding the stuff I still want to check off!

1. Go berry picking – (does the yard count?)
2. Go to Sauvie Island
3. Camp in the backyard
4. Do a backyard fire – s’mores
5. Invite people over for BBQ/picnic – (informal house warming)
6. Picnic at the park – done, a fancy picnic would also be fun
7. Go tubing / river float
8. Day trip to the coast – Oswald West!
9. Go to the river – swam at the Clackamas River
10. Go kayaking – kayak camped on the Willamette River and kayaked on 4th of July
11. Swim every chance I get!
12. Have a big day of biking – birthday bike ride surprise!
13. Mani/pedis – post-half marathon!
14. Wear all my summer dresses and clothes
15. Go out to breakfast on a weekday
16. Stay out late and have cocktails
17. Wear heels 1x week – this can happen after my half marathon!
18. Buy new sunnies
19. Road trip! – to Seattle (ferry to Victoria), and to Vancouver for SeaWheeze
20. Make morning mimosas or simple syrup cocktail
21. Go on a boat – on the Columbia River in Kennewick
22. Drink rose – reminds me of southern France
23. Go to Last Thursday
24. Go to a Beer Fest – how have I not checked this off yet this summer?
25. Visit every ice cream shop in Portland – my favorite is Fifty Licks (no, not Salt & Straw, but they’re delicious too). Still need to visit: What’s the Scoop? Cool Moon, and Cloud City.
26. Go to patios/rooftops in PDX that I haven’t visited yet – Departure, Salty’s on the Columbia
27. Eat outside as much as possible – use my outdoor dining space!
28. Day trip to Hood River – did the valley fruit loop, I’d still like to do another summer Hood River visit
29. play in the ocean – Kailua, Hawaii! and Oregon coast
30. Declare my own summer song – Capital Cities – Safe and Sound has been on repeat, and Milk.
31. Make tasty water like the hotel in Victoria, just because – mint water! blueberry mint water!
32. Smoothie making – try/invent a few new recipes
33. SUP on an Oregon lake (Standup paddle boarding, duh)
34. Wear a sundress more often
35. Bike everywhere for one+ week – post race
36. Go camping – went kayak camping, not car tent camping yet
37. Go backpacking – kayak camping is similar
38. Buy a new swimsuit
39. Go to movies in the park – Back to the Future at Arbor Lodge
40. Go to a summer music festival or concert – SeaWheeze Sunset Festival – Capital Cities & The Colourists!
41. Buy a new hat – got a birthday hat!
42. Pretend I’m 15 and buy a new summer fragrance
43. New sunscreen – I need more California Baby
44. Try a new cocktail – Multnomah Whiskey Library is still on my list
45. Read a new book (for fun not “work”!)
46. Find my favorite summer seasonal beer – still testing…
47. Go to Edgefield or Kennedy School – soaking pool! or golf?
48. Roast corn – can’t wait to roast more from the garden
49. Harvest from the garden
50. In season cooking– make a meal with mostly home-grown (tomatoes and basil pasta!) blueberries for dessert.
51. Watch the stars – saw shooting stars at Oswald West
52. Savor sunsets – in progress
53. Start making a fall things list (and cry a little)

What’s left on your summer list?

This post was originally published August 2014. Updated August 2020, but I’ve left some pre-COVID references!