Count it down. You have only 82 days left to enjoy summer until Labor Day. That's not very much time to make the most out of what passes for the balmy season in this part of the world. Add on the fact that most of us have to work nearly two months of that precious time and you're looking at just a few weeks of summertime vacation fun for an entire year.

Doesn't seem fair, does it?

That's why we've squeezed at least 50 fun activities into our annual Summer Guide. This list is for you: the summer lover/hater, athletically inclined or inept, bronze goddess, pale ghost, adventure seeker, whatever--we have your SPF-slathered ass covered. Consider any of our following suggestions to seize the season. I'll be out on the deck with an Absolut and soda if you need me. Oh, cabana boy!

Byron Beck,
Special Sections Editor

Contents

FOOD & DRINK
All you need to know to make a mint julep
Five hard-to-beat summer eats
Five tips to rub your meat the right way
Five great bar games
One simple recipe for watermelon vodka
Five things not to forget when you drink on a boat

TRAVEL
One good reason to go to Stevenson, Wash.
High/low culture on the other side of the Columbia
High Desert for dummies
What you won't hear from Thomas the Tank Engine
Three weekend getaways on the cheap
Ten naughty-sounding Northwest festivals

OUTDOOR
Three great places to rent bikes
Croquet vs. golf: One sucks, the other doesn't
How to make a water weenie
Two spots to catch a volleyball game and a cocktail
Four fishing holes
Surfing the Oregon Coast do's & don'ts
Cricket for the non-Brit
24 things to do in 24 hours

FASHION
Souvenirs you can wear
Vintage swimwear calendar
Ten things you should pack in your summer bag

MUSIC & ARTS
Movie guide for outdoorsy cheapskates
Summer festival directors to-do lists
Three Oregon Coast galleries for different tastes
Five books that will be hard to put down
Five movies that put you in the mood for summer
Arty camps for both grown ups and kids

LIFE
Five ways to give summer the big F-U
Ten ways to not act your age

HOME & HOOD
What every doggie backpack should have
How to make a pinata
What you need to remember when disaster hits
Survival supplies

CONCERT and EVENTS CALENDAR

 

EDITOR: Byron Beck CONTRIBUTORS: Rachel Beckman, Nate Berne, Caryn B. Brooks, Jenny Boyer, Art Chenoweth, Taylor Clark, Kelly N. Clarke, Kim B. Colton, Nathan Dinsdale, Zach Dundas, Elizabeth Dye, Gavin Lane, Matthew McNally, Francesca Monga, Emilie Raguso, Amy Roe, Steffen Silvis, David Walker, James Walling COPY EDITORS: Matt Buckingham, Ian Gillingham, Margaret Seiler ART DIRECTION: Anne Reeser, Jason Landis DESIGN AND PRODUCTION: Thomas Cobb, Samantha Gardner, Kendon Gray, Tom Humphrey, Shawna McKeown, Amy Ryan, Frank Zurbano PHOTOGRAPHY: Mark Kohlman ILLUSTRATION: Carson Ellis COVER MODEL: Potter HAIR/MAKEUP: Mandy Zelinka at Aphrodite Salon ICE SCULPTOR: Dean Murray, Instructor at Western Culinary Institute (www.frozenart.net). Thank you to Trevor Graves and Nemo design, and Andrew Forgash.