50 Ways to Love Your Summer

Do these 50 things, and we guarantee you'll have the best summer Santa Fe has to offer

Even we summer-lovers have had that moment of heat-induced ennui, in which we run out of things to do and contemplate just sitting inside, watching the full 16-hour Lord of the Rings trilogy (with extra footage) on Blu-Ray. But wait! Your friends at SFR have come up with a painstakingly curated, totally awesome list of the 50 must-do activities in Santa Fe this summer. A six-pack of beer to the first person who can prove to us that you've done them all (ie provide photographic evidence)—not to mention, of course, the glorious feeling of a summer well spent. Ready…go!

1. Sip a margarita at La Fonda's Bell Tower Bar
2. Play outdoor chess at the stone tables on Don Gaspar Avenue, across from the Hotel St. Francis
3. Go to a Friday afternoon art opening on Canyon Road
4. See a band (any band!) at Sol Santa Fe Stage & Grill
5. Lie in the grass and watch the clouds float by at Patrick Smith Park
6. Spend a lazy afternoon listening to live music at the Cowgirl
7. Crash the never-ending party at the Bicentennial Pool
8. Raft the Rio Grande
9. Hike the Atalaya Mountain Trail
10. Bike the Rail Trail
11. Sample Ecco Espresso & Gelato's many flavors of gelato, or walk down the block to Dedo's FroYo for a healthier option
12. Pretend you're a pirate on the Railyard Park's ropes course
13. Loll in the Plaza, listening to the summer Bandstand live music series
14. Host a highbrow tailgate party at the Santa Fe Opera
15. Hike Ski Santa Fe—you'll be amazed how pretty it is in summer
16. Paint a plein-air masterpiece, even if you suck at art
17. Plant something—a flower, a zucchini plant, anything
18. When it rains, dance in it
19. Go barefoot
20. Make plans for September's SFR arts festival
21. Eat an heirloom tomato from the Santa Fe Farmers Market
22. Attend St. John's Music on the Hill
23. Watch a sunset
24. Slurp a watermelon mojito at Coyote Cantina
25. Hang out with your (or your friend's) four-legged friend at the Santa Fe Animal Shelter and Humane Society dog park
26. Try a new spice from The Spice Lady on West Cordova Street
27. Check out a picture-book from your local public library
28. Don't just drive by Camel Rock; stop and explore it
29. Visit Bandelier National Monument
30. Check out the strange, almost-useful items at Design Warehouse
31. Breakfast burrito: Handheld? Posa's. Smothered? The Pantry.
32. Sip an iced latte from Betterday Coffee
33. Take the Rail Runner Express down to Albuquerque (or just Sol Santa Fe, if you're feeling a bit less ambitious)
34. Attend a class at REI
35. Visit the Bataan Military Museum
36. Find the best sopapilla in town
37. Stage a water-balloon fight
38. Sample the tripas tacos at one of Airport Road's many taco trucks
39. Have sex outside (yes, you read that right)
40. Convince a friend (or that cute guy at REI) to take you rock-climbing
41. Go camping in the Valle Vidal
42. Attend an environmental cleanup of the Santa Fe River
43. Start a compost pile
44. Attend a lecture at Travel Bug
45. Save water; shower with a friend
46. Get your hands dirty: help out at a community garden
47. Ride a motorcycle (with full protective gear, please)
48. See a Miyazaki film at CCA
49. Watch a movie being filmed in downtown Santa Fe
50. Have a barbecue and invite your neighbors

Lovin Stolen rivers cool plan deeper climb Bevy Whee Summer Print
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