The first day of summer, usually on or around June 21, is definitely a day worth celebrating. The kids are out of school, the weather is warm, and the world is begging to be explored. Discover three distinct possibilities for summer fun in three regions of the country: the East Coast, the Mid-West and the West Coast. Now get out there and enjoy it.
Our first option is the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo, Florida, about 60 miles south of Miami. The park, known as "America's First Undersea Park," has many locations for scuba diving and snorkeling. Examine the coral reefs, or see if you can discover something new at the shipwrecked Spanish vessel just off the shore of Cannon Beach.
You can always just stick your feet in the sand, and soak up the sun at the park's palm-tree-studded Far Beach. Wash off the sand at one of the public showers, then enjoy a picnic lunch in one of the 12 picnic pavilions. The visitor center is home to a saltwater aquarium that features many of the area's sea creatures.
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is open 365 days a year from 8 a.m. until sunset, and there is a minimal parking fee.
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
102601 Overseas Highway
Key Largo, FL 33037
305-451-6300
www.floridastateparks.org
The second idea for the first day of summer fun is Six Flags St. Louis in Eureka, which, oddly enough, is about 90 miles south of St. Louis, Missouri.
Six Flags has rides suitable for any age, from the tyke-friendly "Foghorn Leghorn National Park Railway" to the big-kid-only "Batman the Ride" super-coaster.
The park is also home to the Hurricane Harbor water park where folks of any age can lounge on a tube while riding the "Gulley Washer Creek" lazy river or where older thrill-seekers can experience the 400-foot spiraling "Tube Slides."
The park often has kid-friendly shows during the day, such as kid karaoke, and contemporary music shows at night.
Folks looking for a bite to eat will have plenty of options: everything from fried fare to pizza.
Six Flags St. Louis is open from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Hurricane Harbor is open from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Six Flags St. Louis
4900 Six Flags Road
Eureka, MO 63025
636-938-5300
www.sixflags.com
Finally, our third choice for the first day of summer celebration is to spend it outside, picking strawberries at Tanaka Farms in Irvine, California. The farm, just 40 miles south of Los Angeles, offers strawberry-picking and the chance to take part in a strawberry tour. The tour includes a tour of the farm in a wagon and the chance to pick up a pound of organically grown strawberries. Be sure to stop by the produce stand to buy the other fruits and vegetables that the farm produces.
Tanaka Farms is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.
Tanaka Farms
5380 3/4 University Dr.
Irvine, CA 92612
949-653-2256
www.tanakafarms.com
