Summer Send Off and Embracing Fall

It’s summer’s last hurrah: Labor Day weekend! For some of us, this weekend is the end of the race, the finish line of the season. After all, school usually starts right after labor day, there’s roughly three weeks of the warmer weather left before nature goes through another seasonal metamorphosis of shedding green leaves that feel like they only just bloomed a short while ago. I’m quite passionate about summer because I love the warmer weather and spending time outdoors enjoying it. So although Labor Day weekend doesn’t have the same bells and whistles as say, the Fourth of July, I tend it take it pretty seriously. It’s the weekend of Summer’s Send Off in Sheboygan, here are some ideas for you to enjoy this year.  

Would it be a stretch to say summer evenings feel sacred to the feeling of absorbing the feeling of summer? Maybe dramatic, but let me defend my argument. What is more classic than a summer evening cookout? Dinner roasting on the grill, the golden sunset basking our shoulders, crickets starting to chirp in the background, kids running around on the lawn, and a happy hour drink never far from your free hand. Perhaps a bonfire with s’mores supplies wait after dinner, family gathering around to be goofy or tell campfire stories while roasting melting marshmallows. I loved this kind of summer evening as a kid, and I love it even more when I’m on a family trip in late summer, the brisk threat of fall air creeping in at dusk, just enough that you want to pull out your favorite sweater or flannel for your arms. This weekend, I’m going out of my way to make sure that I dine al fresco, maybe sip a summer sangria, snack on slices of watermelon while eagerly waiting for my marshmallow to be juuust the right amount of burnt for me to build my perfect s’more. The best part of this vision is that it’s so easy to bring to life at Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan. Not only can you enjoy dinner and drinks on the patio with lakeside views, but when you’re finished eating simply head down the grand staircase to the bonfire pits for campfire vibes with complimentary s’mores as evening turns to night. We want it easy and relaxing, and that’s exactly what you’ll get!

It wouldn’t be a Sheboygan summer send off without a trip to the beach or a day spent enjoying the lakeside! I am a firm believer that sand on my skin means I had a good day. Before you pack away your swimsuits and sandals for the season, slide them on and get to the lake! My ideal day starts with a coffee and spreading my beach towel on the shores of Lake Michigan, hot sand beneath my feet, a good book, and cool-down breaks splashing in the waves of the Great Lake. Swimming in the lake simultaneously makes me feel calm and connected to nature, while also reminding me of being a kid. I always loved to go splash around in pools, lakes, the ocean, anything when I was younger. Jumping in the lake feels like releasing little Em and the thrill I get always makes me nostalgic for childhood summers. My favorite part of the beach as an adult is laying under the sun with a book (or two). Summer is a busy season spent hopping from event to event, plans overlapping left and right, and rarely a weekend spent in one place without obligations. Even just half a day of relaxation, the sound of waves slowing you down while you fulfill your need to relax is beyond just a pleasure, it’s a luxury. So fit some of this valuable relaxation time into this final weekend of summer if you can! Enjoy the little things about the season that you’ll miss come the colder months; like the sound of the birds chirping overhead, the feeling of the sun on your skin, sand between your toes, and the rustling the leaves on the trees make when the breeze drifts by.

Life’s a party- especially in the summer. There’s no better way to send off this lively season than in the company of the people you love. Thankfully, Sheboygan has endless opportunities for families and groups, no one can call the boredom card! Downtown and the Riverwalk are lined with shops and restaurants to gather at, business that offer new experiences for you to try together, and in between it all are the beautiful public parks and beaches that Sheboygan locals and tourists alike love! School has already started for some, and for others, Labor Day Weekend is the last weekend before kiddos return to start their school year. Family time looks different during the school year, which is why it feels so special to fit in one last memorable summer weekend all together. Guests at Blue Harbor Resort can treat their kiddos to the B a Kid Fun Pass or VIK package giving them access to special kid’s activities, games, and more! Families with children won’t want to miss this opportunity filled with summer fun. The memories you’ll take home will last far beyond the season, and will be special reminders you share as a family forever. Years from now, your family will still be exchanging stories reminiscing on the fun had and the memorable moments of your vacation together. Nostalgia is a powerful feeling, and sometimes we don’t even realize we’re building up future feelings of nostalgia. Sheboygan is one of those places where you get swept away in the moment, and it isn’t until later that you realize you’ve built core memories with your family and friends by returning to this Midwest beach town, participating in activities old and new, and the feeling of arriving at your happy place.

Something I love about late August and early September are the clashing of seasons I start to witness outside. Chillier evenings slowly creep in as the sun starts to set a little bit earlier day by day. It’s still warm out, but without the sun on your skin, you can start to feel bits of autumn in the breeze. Most of all, I love the flowers blooming, towering trees with mostly green leaves but small bursts of yellow and red here are there, like Mother Nature is teasing us with the beauty that is on the horizon. I get excited for this transitional period, letting go of my tank tops and opting for a cardigan to toss on. In Sheboygan, we’re starting to feel that touch of fall air coming off Lake Michigan, and pops of color here and there along the tree line. I will miss summer deeply, it’s my favorite season alongside fall, but I love the greenness and warmth of summer the most. It’s time to start slowly letting go of these seasonal traits however, and embrace the change that’s coming our way. I hope you’ll join me in celebrating summer’s send off and starting to welcome the bits of fall that are creeping our way.

I hope everyone has a happy, safe, and memorable Labor Day Weekend! See you next year summer, and get ready for more fall content coming next week!