As kids, we spent the entire school year looking forward to summer. It meant no school, sleeping in, running through the sprinkler, maybe going on a trip. As adults we still look forward to summer, even though we don't get three months off anymore. Our priorities have changed, too. Rather than wanting the latest toys or a day at an amusement park, there are things we can't do without in the summer. The beach or pool is an obvious choice, but what about while you're there? Your summer wouldn't be complete without the following five items: sunscreen, sunglasses, binoculars, books, and barbecues.
When you were a kid, you probably never thought about sunscreen. In fact, it was likely a nuisance, having to stand still, waiting for your mom to slather some on you when all you wanted to do was run around in the sun. Thoughts of burning, wrinkles, or skin cancer, never crossed your mind. It's a whole new ballgame now. We worry about how awful we'll look with a peeling sunburn, about the wrinkles that can develop from squinting in the sun, or worse, about that suspicious mole that popped up where it wasn't before. The best defense against any of these frightening possibilities is sunscreen. A sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 is a must, but they now go up to 50, 60, and Neutrogena even came out with an SPF of 100.
Do a little research to know which works best for you.
Speaking of squinting in the sun, it's really not necessary. You may not have thought about sunglasses as a kid, or maybe they were more of a fun thing to play with than a necessity. But sunglasses serve more purposes than just looking good. They protect your eyes from harmful ultraviolet rays. They help keep you from getting wrinkles that come from squinting. They're especially important if you're going to be spending any time on or near the water. Glare thrown off the water by sunlight is especially dangerous to your eyesight, not to mention it just makes it difficult to see. It's also important to wear sunglasses when driving in the summer, or anytime, to cut down the glare produced by sunlight reflecting off of cars. It's best to get sunglasses with polarized lenses, like the ones made by
Ray-Ban. You'll be able to see a lot better, and a lot farther with a good pair of sunglasses.
If you do spend any time at the beach or actually out on the water, you can see even farther with a great pair of binoculars. It's nice to sit on the beach, listen to the waves, and just relax. But you could be missing out on some great views further out in the water. Maybe a beautiful sea bird scooping up a fish, or a school of dolphins swimming by. Being out in the open water on a boat, the potential sights are even more numerous, and more amazing. Binoculars can open up a whole new world to you not visible by the naked eye, at least not from far away. They can also help with navigation, helping you keep land in your sights while you're boating.
Bushnell makes a wide variety of great binoculars, and
Canon binoculars are also very dependable. Both companies have been around for years and have built excellent reputations for high quality binoculars.
Once you've had enough of taking in the far-off views, those sunglasses will come in handy when you want to relax with a good beach book. Every summer, publishers release a batch of books they call call beach books, or beach reads. They're usually light, fun stories, meant to offer an escape from the reality of daily life. You don't want to read anything too heavy when you're on vacation, right? Many beach books fall into the “chick lit” category, and are written by authors like
Emily Giffin or Sophie Kinsella. If chick lit's not your thing, try a witty mystery from Sue Grafton. Then sit back, relax, and lose yourself in the story.
After all that boating, wildlife viewing, and reading, you'll undoubtedly work up an appetite. Summer would not be complete without at least one barbecue. If you're unable to have a grill on the beach or at the pool, set one up on your patio and fire it up when you get back from your day of splashy fun. Everything tastes better when it's cooked on a grill, even vegetables. If you're a vegetarian, you don't have to miss out on the grilling fun. There are plenty of
recipes for grilled vegetables. But if you do like meat, there is no end to the ways it can be marinated, rubbed, sauced, and prepared on a grill, and there are just as many ways to enjoy it. The best way? Don't worry about a fork and knife—get messy!
Derek Robinson is a keen outdoorsman who contributes regularly for many websites including The Binocular Site which is the premier consumer site about
binoculars,
monoculars,
spotting scopes and much more at http://www.thebinocularsite.com
