Christenson's List of 50

the garden, lie on the grass, and watch the clouds.

3. Hang out in Chinatown, Greektown, Pilsen, Polonia, Hyde Park, Wrigleyville, Wicker Park, Bucktown, Lincoln Park, Old Town, etc.

4. Have a Ball! Go bowling or play pool. I recommend going old school - Beverly Lanes in Arl. Hts, Southport Lanes, which still employs pin boys, or Lee Street Pool Hall in Des Plaines.

5. Play Ghost in the Grave Yard...in a grave yard.

6. Go for a long bike ride. Yes, it's still fun. I suggest Busse Woods.

7. Get out on the water. Canoe the Chicago River or Des Plaines River. (You can rent canoes - www.cmcanoerental.com, www.chicagoriverpaddle.com). Go on a scenic boat trip or tour the Chicago River. You can also rent a boat at Independence Grove Forest Preserve in Libertyville (see www.lcfpd.org for more details).

8. See at least two movies from the American Film Institutes list of top 100 films (see www.afi.com). I recommend - Crash, Shawshank Redeption, Schindler's List, The Graduate, Thank you for Smoking, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Life is Beautiful, American Beauty, and too many more to list...

9. Eat Ice Cream at Oberwise Dairy or similar place. Go big or go home.

10. Commit Random Acts of Kindness - mow a neighbor's lawn. Refuse any payment. Better yet, deny doing it; it'll really drive 'em crazy.

11. Go on a college visit - seriously! You'll be applying for college in the fall. Start now. Virtually is a good place to begin. Also hang out on a college campus, bookstore, or student union. Loyola, DePaul, UIC, Northwestern, Harper, doesn't matter, just go check 'em out! Not sure about college? There are lots of cool options. Check out www.gapyear.com, www.cityyear.com. The point is...start looking and thinking. Not as scary as you imagine.

12. Wander around an arts festival. There are dozens to choose from all summer long.

13. Bake your favorite cookies..... from scratch.

14. Road trip to Evanston. Check out Flat Top Grill, Vintage Vinyl, Kafein Inc., Italian Coffee Bar... the general area of Davis and Main St. is one place to start.

15. Grab some golf clubs and hit a bucket of balls at the driving range. The beauty of this is that you don't have to get the ball in the little hole. Just grip it and rip it. A good way to let out aggressions.

16. Spend an afternoon hanging out with a grandparent or older person. You'd be surprised at the stories they can tell. Ask them about their own adolescence or your parents. It might lend some interesting perspectives on life.

17. Get out of town! As far as possible. Indiana State Park Dunes, St. Charles, Lake Geneva, Starved Rock. Bonus points for no GPS. No problem! Take the Metra train to Woodstock (classic small town Americana - Groundhog Day was filmed here).

18. Swing on a playground. Spin till you fall down and feel like throwing up (Edgar Allen Poe Elementary School has been recommended). Laugh till your stomach hurts.

19. Hang out at the beach..... Gilson Beach (Wilmette), Oak Street, North Ave. Beach (Chicago), Light House Beach in Evanston are just a few. Illinois State Park up by Wisconsin is also good. Don't forget sunscreen; you'll thank me later.

20. Rainy day? No problem. Clean your whole room. Yes! Drawers, closets, under the bed... Be ruthless; that means you, packrats! Rule of Thumb: If you haven't worn it or needed it in the last year, give it to Good Will, put it in the basement/attic, or throw it out. Sounds like a drag but this will make you feel great, trust me.

21. Go to a Cubs or Sox game. Go as cheaply as possible. Idea - Wait till just after the start of the game and beg/demand ultra low prices from the scalpers. Bring your own peanuts in the shell.

22. Do at least one thing that scares you.. ride the biggest roller coaster, jump off the high dive, watch a scary movie, call that person you have a crush on...

23. Go green. Grab all the change in your house, a backpack, and ride your bike to the Farmer's Market (Arl. Hts on Sat., Mt. Prospect on Sunday). Buy berries, peaches, corn on the cob, watermelon, and anything else. Eat fruit and veggies all day. No junk food allowed.

24. Go International. Pretend you're in a foreign country by visiting Mitsuwa Marketplace, home of all things Japanese. (100 E. Algonquin Rd.). Buy something strange. Eat something strange.

25. Go for at least 24 hours without wearing shoes. (My record is 7 days.)

26. Go wild - check out the zoo - Lincoln Park or Brookfield. Free "Jamming at the Zoo" concerts are cool. Check their websites.

27. Go camping - even if it's in a backyard with a fire pit, that's ok - eat lots s'mores (real ones!) and stay up all night talking. Bonus points for the best creepy stories.

28. Learn (or relearn) to play an instrument.

29. Go for a walk during a warm summer rain. You aren't made of sugar; you won't melt.

30. Get to Lake Michigan in time to watch the sun rise.

31. Go to a neighborhood festival or parking lot carnival. Eat crappy, bad-for-you food, talk to the carnies, people-watch for laughs. Buy a few extra tickets and give them to the most deserving little kid you can find there. Gain Karma points.

32. Draw a masterpiece with sidewalk chalk. YouTube/Google search Julian Beever, an amazing sidewalk chalk artist, for inspiration. Crazy cool stuff.

33. Go to the museum of your choice - Shedd, Art Institute (new Modern Wing is awesome and accessible from the bridge at Millennium Park), Field Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, Adler Planetarium. Some days are free at several of these. Looking for something more off-beat? Try the International Museum of Surgical Science located on the Gold Coast.

34. Occasionally hygiene is overrated, especially in the summer. See how long you can go without a shower. Individual results will vary. (Ask about my family record). Not recommended while you're in a sports camp. Note: daily teeth brushing is still mandatory.

35. Go ice skating on the hottest day of summer. Remember, winter will be back soon.

36. Catch a pet and keep it for 24 hours... firefly, snake, frog, grasshopper, ant, cricket, or anything else will do. Your pet is NOT allowed to die.

37. Create your own gourmet picnic - dusk is a good time 'cause it's cooler. Don't forget a blanket. Watch the sunset then light tea candles. Listen to music and watch for the first stars to come out.

38. Eat a hot dog in Chicago. Suggestions: Wiener Circle, SuperDawg, Demon Dogs (No ketchup allowed).

39. Play the Traveling Gnome Game (or some variation thereof). Take pictures of your "borrowed" object, write notes, be sure to return it.

40. Tour a garden - Chicago Botanic Gardens on Lake-Cook Rd in Highland Park, Baha'i Temple, Morton Arboretum, Garfield Park Conservatory, or many other local gardens. Bonus points if you volunteer an afternoon helping your parents in the yard. (Good suck up move).

41. Go fly a kite. Cheap kites still work magic on windy days. Check out the Chicago Kite Fest at the Chicago Botanic Gardens (Lake Cook Rd. in Glencoe) Aug 8-9 (parking not included).

42. Walk, run, bike, skip around Lake Arlington.

43. Rainy day activity - hang out at Barnes and Noble or Borders. Wander around ALL the aisles (there's some crazy stuff!), pick any book that interests you, sit in a comfy chair and browse. Treat yourself or a friend to a Caramel Macchiato or Cafe Mocha.

44. Watch The Wizard of Oz while listening to Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon - YouTube for more information.

45. Call or text a friend you haven't seen in a while. Maybe go out for lunch.

46. Check out the new scale model of Chicago at the Chicago Architecture Foundation. 224 S. Michigan Ave. They have great info and self-guided walking your maps. Free! (architecture.org)

47. Watch every episode of a TV show you haven't seen. I suggest True Blood. Gory and nasty, but good.

48. Make a Summer 2012 Play List - sounds a bit cheesy/middle school-ish, but it's still fun.

49. Don't forget about your summer book group. No test required, just read the book, contribute to casual discussion. Start the school year strong. (Info on Hersey website).

50. Create your own activity. Email Christenson with your idea to add to The List or update me on your adventures. [email protected]
THE LIST is intended to be an inspiration for an awesome summer. Do as many as you want. It's not a competition, but you'll win total admiration and recognition if you do all 50. Have fun! Good luck! Be safe! Boredom is Lame
Carpe Diem!