And the livin’ is easy – or at least easier than this time last year, thankfully. We have made it to the other side of what has undoubtedly been the weirdest school year on record, and it’s time to enjoy all things summer – yay!
If you’re like me, you’ve given some thought to what activities to pick back up after the shutdown and which ones to leave in the rearview mirror, freeing up more family time. If the last nearly year and a half has taught us anything, it’s to embrace the precious time we have to be together and enjoy being less busy and not spend time on things that don’t bring us joy. Summer is a great time to explore new activities and uncover new passions, through summer camps, family day trips, and local events. Fortunately, we have the scoop for all of those in this issue and on our website, so grab an extra copy to share with a neighbor or friend. They’ll thank you!
Our Summer Adventure Expo is live on our website at RFMonline.com, and despite what you may have heard, there are still lots of summer camps available for your kids to learn something new in art, STEM, sports, music, or the great outdoors. You can watch videos, download camp brochures, and send questions from the Adventure Expo site, so be sure to check it out throughout the summer. We also have a wonderful tool on our website that lets you narrow down our huge list of camps by activity, location, and grade level, so be sure to explore your options on the Camp Finder under the Finders tab.
How about some day trips this summer? Fredericksburg has a fun program that lets you earn points toward fun prizes just for doing things around the town, like shopping, dining, and taking in any of the many historic sites. Check it out on page 56 and at fxbg.fun/rfm. We also have a fantastic article all about our area’s caverns, and wow, are there a bunch (who knew?!). Head to page 42 to learn more, and then start planning your family’s summer underground adventures (and send us pictures to post on our social media channels!). And if above ground and outdoors is more your thing, how about a visit – or two or three – to one of Virginia’s forty state parks (again, who knew there were so many?!). This issue’s Real Mom, Teresa Schardein, shares a wealth of great advice about choosing the perfect state park for your family on page 24. After reading it, I can’t wait to plan some trips for our family.
Our summer Getaway Giveaway on page 12 will have you dreaming of fun on the New River in beautiful West Virginia. River Expeditions offers easygoing float trips as well as exhilarating rafting trips (and kids ages six to eleven raft free!), plus they have a variety of lodging options, from tent camping to luxury cabins and everything in between. My family went last summer and had a blast, and we already have this summer’s trip booked, officially making it a summer tradition.
Back here in Richmond, in-person events are back in a big way this summer, along with Flying Squirrels baseball, Richmond Kickers soccer, and Kings Dominion! We have it all in our calendar, starting on page 52, so keep this issue with you all summer long, and keep an eye on our website and Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter feeds for all the latest.
Enjoy the summer!
