Frontier’s Summer Fun List
The pool has officially opened for the season and school is almost out, so it’s likely you’re planning a beach vacation or a fun family trek outdoors. We polled our team to find out what they’re up to this summer, in hopes some of our fun and quirky ideas will provide some inspiration for you. Enjoy!
What We’ll be Reading by the Pool
- Becoming by Michelle Obama
- Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
- Life Will Be the Death of Me by Chelsea Handler
- So Here's the Thing: Notes on Growing Up, Getting Older, and Trusting Your Gut by Alyssa Mastromonaco
- Savage News by Jessica Yellin
- American Moonshot: John F Kennedy and the American Space Race by Douglas Brinkley
- The Overstory by Richard Powers
- The Opposite of Hate: A Field Guide to Repairing our Humanity by Sally Kohn
- Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou
- Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now by Jaron Lanier
- The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
- Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
- The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeny
- The Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
- We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
- You are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting your Greatness and Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero
- Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
- Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
- When Life Gives You Lululemons by Lauren Weisberger
- Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
- We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
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- There, There by Tommy Orange
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
- Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
Where We’ll Be Heading on the Weekend
In Richmond:
The Carytown Watermelon Festival is a Richmond classic, held each year on one Sunday in August, that transforms Carytown into a pedestrian only, melon-motif-covered community street festival. We love the tradition of endless tents, facepaint, musicians, and watermelon slices for sale by the Shiners to benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children.
Scuffletown Park, tucked away in the Fan District between Strawberry Street and Stafford Avenue, is a secluded little spot for a picnic with friends, a good summer read, and occasional-and-delightful impromptu live music sessions.
We’ll be bringing our lawn chairs to Flowers After 5, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s live music series held every Thursday evening during the summer.
Just southeast of the city in Varina, Deep Bottom Park is a great alternative area for flatwater kayaking or stand up paddle-boarding when Pony Pasture and Robious Landing get a little too crowded.
The Virginia Capital Trail, paved for bikes and pedestrians, begins in Richmond and extends all the way to Historic Williamsburg and the Jamestown settlement. We love the sweeping views of the James River.
Friday Cheers is a family-friendly outdoor concert series known to host nationally and regionally famous artists. It’s held on Brown’s Island between the Canal Walk and the James River.
Music At Maymont is a concert series is held from June to September on the Maymont Carriage House lawn, and it’s yet another way to get outside and enjoy great music in Richmond.
Around Richmond:
Washington, D.C.: Paddle the Potomac offers pre-organized paddle trips, canoe, and kayaking events, plus maps and paddle notes to help you get out on the water.
Washington, D.C.: The Smithsonian Natural History Museum Dinosaur Hall reopens in June! We’re excited to see the “Nation’s T-Rex” return as the centerpiece of the Hall of Fossils.
Near Williamsburg, VA: York River State Park is a little off-the-beaten-path and makes for a nice, calm escape when Pocahontas State Park gets busy in the summer.
Middlesex County, VA: One of the top rated destinations for ecological significance, Dragon Run Swamp is a beautiful and remote place to kayak.
Saluda, VA: Merrior, a restaurant of Rappahannock Oyster Company, is the perfect place to indulge in fresh, local seafood and amazing views of the Rappahannock River.
Deltaville, VA: Fishing Bay Yacht Club offers some of the best sailing facilities in Virginia and offers a summer sailing school, a weeklong sailing camp for kids, and a women’s sailing clinic.
Arrington, VA: Lockn’ Festival is four days in August of music, beer, and awesome people-watching.
Harper’s Ferry, WV: The Maryland Heights Trail is about a 6-mile hike that crosses the upper Potomac river and loops into the Harper’s Ferry National Historical Park. Enjoy great views of the river and the area’s historical significance. You can also bring your (leashed) dogs.
Baltimore, MD: Celebrate Baltimore Pride Weekend (June 14th - 16th) with The PRIDE Center of Maryland’s biggest fundraiser and a cavalcade of diversity. Events include a parade, block party, comedy tours and an LGBTQ Pride Night at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Baltimore, MD: There’s a bounty of fantastic mountain biking trails just 25 minutes outside the city of Baltimore in Patapsco Valley State Park.
We hope you find some inspiration for a great summer outing (and even some for a great evening at home curled up with a good book). If you take us up on any of these recommendations, please head over to our facebook page and drop us a note and tell us what you think. Cheers to an awesome summer!
Sincerely,
The Frontier Team
