Summer is – without question – my favourite time of year.
In about 10 days’ time Flea will be out of school for the summer and we’re free for nine weeks or so, to do as we please. I’m lucky my job allows lots of flexibility to take time off during the holidays, and if the price of days in the park is evenings spent hunched over a laptop, well, I’m good with that.
Last summer, we squeezed just about every drop of fun and sunshine out of the summer that we could. We had a week in Spain, playing in water parks, and two weeks in France, beach-combing and swimming. There was a week in Cape Cod and a long weekend in New York, visiting old friends. And of course, there were picnics, trips to the park, days in the garden with family and friends (not our garden, obviously, which resembles a cross between a jungle and a car park).
This summer, I’m hoping to do the same – we have a couple of trips planned – a long weekend in Cornwall, a week in Spain, then three weeks in California and Nevada. But we’ve also got some time at home, with no particular things to do. So I thought I’d use the idea of a Go See Do list. The idea is to make an A-Z of summer holiday activities, and working your way through the list ensures you make the most of summer. I’d love to see what would be on your list!
By the way, credit for this idea goes to Jacqui at Baby Boy Bakery, who lost her son Ryan in a tragic accident earlier this year. Flea and I chatted about Ryan, when we were making our list, and we agreed we’ll be thinking about him when we tick something else fun off the list.
We’ll be posting updates of our adventures on the blog as usual, but I’ll also be sharing them on Twitter and Instagram using the #GoSeeDo hashtag. If you’d like to follow me, I’d love to share your summer fun, too!
A: Â Alcatraz, during our summer trip to california
B: Â Birthday – Flea turns nine this summer – exciting!
C: Â Cookies. I want to try out some new recipes this summer.
D: Decorate Flea’s bedroom
E: Exercise. I’ll be trying madly to work out how to keep up my new swimming regimen with Flea in tow…
F: Farmers’ Market – because we’ve never been!
G: Go Pro. We’ve just invested in our second camera and we’ll be movie making all summer long
H: Hebden Bridge. The river here is one of our favourite picnic spots.
I: Ice cream. Inspired by Lindy, we’re going to have a go at making our own.
J: Jumping off something high.
K: Kayaks will be ridden. Not well, necessarily, in my case.
L: Lake Windermere – one of our favourite spots for a summer day out and picnic
M: Movies. I’m on a mission to introduce Flea to all the 80s/90s classics, starting with Uncle Buck.Â
N: Night-time adventure – moonlight sailing in california.
O: Ocean views. Just once, I want us to stay in a place with a direct view of the ocean.
P: Picnic on the beach.
Q: Quizzes. Flea adores it when I make up movie or book quizzes and test her on stuff. We’ll do that this summer.
R: Raspberry picking at a local farm
S: Sleepover. Flea is desperate for one with her three best friendsÂ
T: Take a photo every dayÂ
U: Universal Studios –Â we love a good theme park!
V: Volunteering. Devote some time to making the world suck less, because Shonda says soÂ
W: Water park. I’ve promised Flea at least one this summer.
X: eXplore. Yeah, it’s cheating, but we’re planning a summer-long scavenger hunt to encourage Flea to get exploring…Â
Y: Yosemite. So, so, so excited to be going here this summer, on a photography class no less. No pressure, then…
Z: Zip lining, because Flea loves it, and she loves to see me terrified.
Great post. I love this and too saw about Ryan. Really heartbreaking, but what an inspirational couple and way of thinking. Pinned, shared and stumbled
Agreed, it was just such a terrible waste, and really makes you think about how things can all change so horribly in a moment.
Alcatraz is a awesome, it’s format for discovering is great and seems to work well, I have a post in draft about it but I also recommend going to Calacademy whilst there. I am so envious of you guys, wish I was going back…another year and we will, I have a plan 😉
I used to spend a lot of time in San Francisco and Palo Alto when I was working as a tech journalist and I’m looking forward to sharing my old haunts with Flea, but we’ve got one day set aside for pure tourism – the pier, Alcatraz, Golden Gate bridge/park, and Union Square. SO Excited!
It was heartbreaking! So nice that you’re remembering him in a small way. Great idea! I’ve always wanted to go to the French flea markets. Maybe this summer! Also Cali has some great water parks.
Believe me, we’ve logged the water parks, watched the YouTube videos and identified the most insanely terrifying rides…. *gulp*
Blooming LOVE Hebden Bridge. The NLM’s parents live fairly near there so we often go there for picnics when we’re up north visiting them in the summer too. If the sun is suddenly shaded by a huge pregnant woman blocking out the sky, then you know we’ve just turned up.
Are you bringing sandwiches, though?
Wow what an action packed summer you have planned. You’ve inspired me to get thinking as we too break up in just a few days and I do not have one single plan made!
I think most of our plans are flexible, but I also don’t want to NOT plan stuff and then realise we could have done things if I’d been a bit more organised!
Gosh, I have NOTHING planned for the summer, I feel so inadequate. We are going on a big trip to Florida in October so I don’t think we need another holiday for about 5 years. I may change my mind on that one.
Pfft. I don’t think you have to plan in a rigid way – we’ve got trips booked in, but for our at home days, I think I’ve just roughly planned stuff we can do as and when we feel like it – movies, park, picnics…
Oh, and you’ll have an amazing time in Florida. Surely that wins you sufficient mother points for the whole year that you don’t need to try at all the rest of the year?
Apart from being exhausted just reading your plans, I have to say I love the idea of this list (and the inspiration behind it is so touching) and will have to get thinking too. Yosemite is Ahhhhhh-mazing and perfect for a photography course. Some stunning places to capture and I remember driving through a swarm of butterflies on the way up one of the mountains – it was a wow moment! Have a great summer – you certainly deserve it!
Yosemite is going to be one of my summer highlights, I suspect!
It looks like you both have an amazing summer ahead. I’ll be using the hashtag – lovely idea.
Thanks Kiran, can’t wait to see what you get up to! I’ll be following along for sure.
I would love to go to Alcatraz! Great list, you are going to have an awesome summer!
You too, I hope?
It’s such a lovely tribute, and such a great idea. We all need to make more lists like this – and DO them 🙂
Yes, let’s see how i fare by the end of the summer!
Sounds like you’re going to be having a lovely summer. Have fun!
Thanks, you too!
Sounds like your going to have a great time over the Summer. Have fun! I wish i was visiting all of those places. 🙂 x
Sounds like you’ll have a great summer all that travelling sound great!
SUCH a great list! I love this idea. And also, now I need to re-watch Uncle Buck. 🙂
I have been reading your blogposts and think they are great! Lots of activities I had not thought of oding before 🙂
P.S I love the nickname!
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