I don’t have to tell many people that summer is my favorite time of the year. Despite my aversion to bathing suits, I love that summer brings the possibility of spending more time outside. So far, I’ve been able to do a number of summer fun activities, here are some options to consider.

Baseball is one of my all-time favorite summer activities. Luckily DC has the Washington Nationals and a stadium with cheap ($5) seats. Bring your own beer–a draft will cost you upwards of $7.

Outdoor movie festivals are typically free and show older movies you may not have stopped to appreciate in awhile. David and I went to see the Liz Taylor classic Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and found it to be more funny and developed than some of the more modern films.

Concerts are abound in the city, particularly jazz concerts. My favorite is jazz in the sculpture garden at the Smithsonian. We’ll be taking this in tonight as part of our date night. Kennedy Center still offers free Millenium Stage shows every night at 6 PM.

Art-o-matic hosts a diversion from routine when local artists display their work in a unique forum–each year the committee chooses a random building that is unable to be rented in the current market. This year the views from the building near the Nat’s stadium are breathtaking. Walk from one side of the building and you will the Washington Monument; on the other, the Capitol–looming.

DC has culture abound at our many museums–most of which are free. In addition to seeing the Air and Space museum for the first time, I’ve also checked out the National Art Museum, the Portrait Gallery and have plans to take in the Corcoran museum again too. Make sure to check with the local museums for free audio tours or film screenings on some of your favorite subjects.

Fooding
Another favorite summer activity is food. I say food in general because I love to both try local fresh food and make (sometimes disasterous) dinners (i.e. confusing cumin and curry). Farmer’s Markets are my favorite way to spend Saturday mornings. Naturally, my favorite is Eastern Market in southeast DC, but the King Street market in Alexandria is a close second.

Summer is also a great time to take up outdoor eating–get to restaurants early to grab great patio seats. David and I have tried a few new eateries in addition to our traditional local spots. We recommend: Harry’s on E street, Los Tios in Alexandria, Eamons in Alexandria, Two Amy’s in Tenleytown, Hello Cupcake in DuPont Circle and the Lavender Moon cupcakery in Alexandria. By far, my favorite is Good Stuff Eatery, the burger heaven near Capitol Hill. While a Obama burger will run you upwards of $7 this Spike-from-Top-Chef-joint knows how to do high class burgers even better than Five Guys; yes, I said it. I’ll let you know how our excursion at Morton’s goes tonight.

One of my favorite summer activities is learning–this summer I’ve taken a knife skills course, I’ll be going on a yoga retreat in August and have even learned a thing or two about indesign software. The local Hill’s Kitchen serves up great opportunities for those foodies at heart.

This hasn’t even touched on hiking, water activities, or just plain staying in, but I haven’t had time for those yet this summer. Recommendations are welcome.