“I scream! You Scream! We all scream for ice cream!” Kick off your Summer with a frozen desert from a local ice cream shop.
McHenry County has plenty of local shops that are open for the warmer season, such as “Rita’s Italian Ice and Frozen Custard” in McHenry, “The Freeze” in Crystal Lake, and “Cary Dairy” in Cary. See a full story on sweet treats above. Also, you can’t forget about ice cream trucks — just follow the magical tunes down the street to get yourself a frozen sweet treat.
If ice cream doesn’t cool you down enough, the beach just might. There are several local beaches that will be open to the public the summer including, “Main Beach” in Crystal Lake, “Petersen Park Beach” in McHenry, and “Lake Geneva Public Beach” in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
Also, if you happen to be in Lake Geneva be sure to check out “Scoops,” another ice cream shop, but with some unique flavors. My personal favorite is the carrot mango Italian ice.
One great thing about the summertime is that the sun sets later in the evening, which leaves a lot more time to stay outside and enjoy a new hobby.
If you are looking for a new hobby to get into, try collecting sports cards. “It’s a very expensive yet fun hobby to pick up,” said Ryan Zboril, a Michigan State alumnus. “There are many sports or players you can collect from. Whether it’s collecting your favorite players or buying a box to try and get the best players. There’s a way of collecting for everyone.”
With no school you might not be sure what to do with yourself. Trying something new is a great way to help with that. Maybe try a new trend, like “chaos gardening,” or dive into a new book series from “BookTok.”
Perhaps you’d rather stay a little more active this summer. Enjoy a nature walk, or play a game of beach volleyball, maybe even a round or two of golf, and if you want to get super crazy, the childhood favorite Razor Scooter is only $27.49 at Target and it comes in pink.
“There are many amazing things to do during the summer. It’s hard to pick one with all the choices.” Zboril said. He says that his favorite thing to do is “going out and playing a sport. It’s a very fun thing to do and typically you don’t need a whole lot to play them.”
Zboril’s favorite sport to play is basketball at the local courts in Fox River Grove. He said “sports are a great way to get my friends, family, and girlfriend and do something together.”
He also recommends attending a sporting event in person, another great activity to enjoy this summer. “Watching it in person is like no other experience, being able to cheer on your team surrounded by other fans.”
Too many ideas flowing through your brain? Make a “Summer 2025 Bucket List.” Jot down all the things you would like to accomplish before the summer ends. For more recommendations see the Tartan staff’s “Something for Summer” feature.
