Summer Bucket List 2017

The calendar says summer begins on June 22, but I’m treating Memorial Day Weekend as the “unofficial” start of summer. That’s how this works, right?

Summer in Chattanooga is an exciting time. There’s so much going on almost every week that there’s always something to do, something new to try, something to check off a summer bucket list.

Last year, I wrote about my summer goals for 2016. While I made some of them happen, others got missed, and I’m determined to make them happen this year. And starting a bit earlier never hurt anyone, right?

Here’s what’s on my summer bucket list for 2017!

For real, someone hold me accountable to making these happen.

Go to a Lookouts baseball game // I said I’d do this last summer, and I didn’t. Womp womp. Although baseball has never been a favorite sport of mine, I do enjoy going to games. The Lookouts usually have themed nights and lots of fireworks, so that’s even better!

Make a new flavor of jam // I got into jam-making last summer, thanks to all the fresh produce at the farmer’s market. My favorite jams I made were plain strawberry (because you just can’t go wrong with that) and strawberry-blueberry. Maybe this summer I’ll try some kind of peach jam, or peach-berry, or maybe something completely different? My options are nearly endless.

Hike and explore Lula Lake Land Trust // This place has been on my hiking to-do list since I moved to Chattanooga in 2015. It’s only open two weekends a month so it takes some planning to get there. Everyone I know who’s been says it’s one of the best hiking spots in Chattanooga, so this summer I am definitely going to make it there.

Hike Snooper’s Rock (without getting lost) // Fun story: I tried to do the Snooper’s Rock hike at Prentice Cooper last spring with a friend, and we got lost. A casual 3-mile hike turned into a 6+ mile adventure in the rain. Who wants to go with me and make sure we actually make it to the overlook?

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Go fruit-picking // Yet another item on last year’s summer bucket list that I didn’t get to. I may have missed strawberry season, but there’s still plenty of other fruits coming up that I can go pick. I love apple picking in the fall, and we used to go berry-picking all the time when I was a kid.

Get in shape for Tough Mudder 5k in Nashville // I’m not out of shape, per se; I work out pretty consistently. But my workouts don’t often include running and preparing for the inaugural Tough Mudder 5k in Nashville will require much more running than I’m used to. My friend recommended the Couch to 5k app and I’ve been using that to give my workouts some structure. It helps a lot!

Go on a sunrise (or sunset) hike // I’m a fan of taking walks by the river in the mornings before work. In fact, I did this one morning back in the fall and caught the entire sunrise from a bench on the walking bridge. Next time, I want a different view. There’s a place on Lookout Mountain called Sunset Rock that I hear is aptly named. I’m a morning person already, so a sunrise hike seems like a good opportunity. Who wants to go with me?

Go on a run downtown after work // Like I said, I’m not exactly the running type. I don’t mind running on a treadmill, but even with a good playlist or podcast, that gets boring really fast. I was browsing through the Meetup app recently and saw a few running groups that do some short runs during the week. Maybe I’ll join one of them a few nights and get a good run in.

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Go to ONE “essential” Chattanooga event that I didn’t go to last year // Last year I checked off Riverbend and the Southern Brewers Festival. Chattanooga’s summer events calendar is jam-packed with awesome events, and I know I’ll find at least one that I didn’t get to experience last year.

I’m so ready for summer that I’m starting a little early this year. Here’s to making my way through this year’s summer bucket list and making all of my goals happen!

What’s on your summer bucket list for 2017?