Here we are in late May already, which means I’ve been working on my summer bucket list, since, oh I don’t know … January. These days, with a three-year-old (and a newborn) in tow, the character of the list is a bit different than it used to be, but not too different. Sure, the list may now include a visit to the splash pad in Chippewa Falls or a stop at the mini train in Carson Park, but by and large most of my “must-do” list for a Great Chippewa Valley Summer is the same whether you have a kid or not. Get outdoors. Get on adventures. Get together with friends. Just get busy doing stuff. One of the coolest parts about having a kid is that you get to help craft how they experience their community. How they will remember it. And frankly, for better or worse, you can possibly even shape whether they end up with a love for it as adults. You’re basically like their local tour guide for a solid 15 years (at least until they can drive off with their own summer agenda). So I plan to take that tour guide role seriously. Pizza farms, trails, lakes, farmers markets, concerts, festivals, bikes, boats – they’re all on the list. As are places like Beaver Creek Reserve, Bullfrog Fish Farm, Tower Ridge, Devil’s Punchbowl, Action City, that new High Bridge bike trail over the Chippewa River, and more. There aren’t enough weekends to even scratch the surface. But believe me, we’re going to try. See you out there!