Seattle summers from bygone times

"A group of nuns from the Order of Saint Benedict enjoyed their summer vacation at the beach in Grayland. Here Sisters Ruth (left) and Agnes play in the surf; partly hidden is Sister Rita. After a weeklong break they returned "refreshed and strengthened" to their routine duties of teaching school in the Seattle and Tacoma area." -MOHAI. Photo, dated Aug. 21, 1960, courtesy MOHAI, Seattle P-I Collection, image number 1986.5.6047. less "A group of nuns from the Order of Saint Benedict enjoyed their summer vacation at the beach in Grayland. Here Sisters Ruth (left) and Agnes play in the surf; partly hidden is Sister Rita. After a weeklong ... more Photo: Courtesy MOHAI Photo: Courtesy MOHAI Image 1 of / 45 Caption Close Seattle summers from bygone times 1 / 45 Back to Gallery

Seattle is a place where you need to really capitalize on summer when it comes.

Though we seem to have had an inordinate amount of good weather in the past couple years, most of us are used to waiting until the Fourth of July to count on hot, sunny days that ring true of summer.

But when they come, we get out there in shorts, flip-flops and sunglasses bought that morning (because we always lose them during the other 10 months of the year) to enjoy it any way we know how.

Today, that might mean patios or rooftop decks, heading out for Seafair, jumping in a lake or a bay for a swim, or hitting up your favorite summer festival.

And while some of those things have stayed the same over the years, some have certainly changed.

Seattleites still get in the water in West Seattle, but most have probably never seen the Aqua Follies perform at the Green Lake Aqua Theater (and hey, Led Zeppelin play there once, too).

Seattleites also still visit the shores of Lake Washington (often for Seafair, but for plenty of other things too), but they probably aren't camping there anymore. And summer homes in the area? It's a safe bet they're out there, but the most sought-after locations have long-since been swept up by the region's booming population.

We looked back through the city and Museum of History and Industry photo archives and found a host of photos of Seattleites celebrating or enjoying summer, some doing it just like they do today and others doing so in ways the modern city may never know again. Click through to see them all.