I’m so excited about this summer. Not because we’ve had a particularly rough winter or spring — the seasons have actually been mild the past few years. But personally, last year I had to push many activities to my “maybe next summer list” while taking care of some obligations. Not this summer. I plan to pack the next three months with all manner of warm-weather activities. I kicked it off Memorial Day weekend by taking the family for a day of hiking in Letchworth State Park in Castile. And I’m planning trips to almost every major theme park in the region, lining up my concert schedule (The B52s are coming to CMAC, y’all!), and trying to figure out how I’m going to see all the great upcoming local theater productions while still finding time to get some color on my pasty flesh and tear through a bunch of trashy novels.

So, what’s on your summer 2012 wish list? If it’s looking a bit empty at this point, City’s Summer Guide will help fill it right up. We have dozens of great ideas for how to spend your time between now and Labor Day. If you’re the type that likes to live dangerously, Michelle Inclema’s piece on thrill-seeker road trips will put some highway miles on your car and some adrenaline into your ticker. If you like things more thoughtful and laid back, Ron Netsky makes a strong case for the simple pleasures of listening to audio books while on your summer sojourns.

Outdoorsy types will want to read through Alex Steingraber’s survey of our county parks to see which of the nearly two-dozen natural spaces suits their individual recreation needs. And those who prefer to stay out of the sun’s way should see what films Dayna Papaleo has picked for her annual summer-movie round-up. She goes way beyond the typical blockbusters to find some truly fascinating cinema.

Our annual guide on what to do every day of the summer has nearly 90 entries this year. But that is, of course, only scratching the surface. Be sure to pick up City Newspaper, new every Wednesday, or check rochestercitynewspaper.com for an even more comprehensive look at what’s going on in Rochester this summer. –BY ERIC REZSNYAK

CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW TO READ EACH PORTION OF THE GUIDE:

Thrill-seeking road trips | The lazy, hazy days of summer are back. You have three months ahead of warm sunshine, light breezes, and reveling in the great outdoors. But, maybe laying around all day isn’t your thing. Maybe you’re itching to experience the ultimate rush in summer activities by sea, air, and land. Have you always [Read more…]

Books on tape for the road | So you’re taking a trip involving hours in a car, bus, train, or plane. The songs on your iPod are getting old and radio just isn’t what it used to be. So why not do something useful with all that time? Read a book. With your ears. Just plug in your iPod and have the authors or their surrogates read [Read more…]

Summer movie preview | So here’s how it works: I peruse the list of summer releases, then spotlight the ones that pique my curiosity. Sure, it’s completely arbitrary, but since I’m never the only person in the theater, I have to assume others are interested in these flicks as well. You’ll notice, though, that with the [Read more…]

Monroe County parks | The Monroe County Parks Department has a stellar line-up of parks that offer guests plenty of amenities, fresh air, and natural fun. Oh, and it’s all free. Think of our parks as mini-vacations that you can treat yourself to any day of the week, and of course you can bring your friends [Read more…]

WHAT TO DO EVERY DAY OF THE SUMMER:



June | There’s so much to do in Rochester in the summer. So much, in fact, that just looking at pages and pages of endless listings can leave you, dear reader, nearly paralyzed by the sheer number of events [Read more…]

July | There’s so much to do in Rochester in the summer. So much, in fact, that just looking at pages and pages of endless listings can leave you, dear reader, nearly paralyzed by the sheer number of events [Read more…]

August | There’s so much to do in Rochester in the summer. So much, in fact, that just looking at pages and pages of endless listings can leave you, dear reader, nearly paralyzed by the sheer number of events [Read more…]