The days are long, pools are open, and school is out––it’s summertime! Whether you’re going to hit up an awesome local hike or stay glued to your A/C, there’s surely fun to be had this summer.
Camping in a State or National Parks
Want to get out of the house and into nature? The National Park System includes 423 national park sites, including National Battlegrounds, National Historic Sites, National Lakeshores, National Seashores, and many more! There’s really something for everyone, from the outdoors enthusiast to the history buff.
If you’re interested in sleeping in the great outdoors, here is a map of all the campsites available in the National Park System. Not seeing something close enough? Don’t forget about State Parks!
Hiking is the new jogging. Even if you’ve never been a fan of running, don’t knock hiking until you’ve tried it. Hiking is great for your health, in that it is good for your body, mind, and spirit, too! Depending on the difficulty of your trail, hiking can be a cardio challenge. You’ll use different muscles than you do walking on a flat surface, so it’s great strength training too. And there’s nothing like being out in nature to refresh your spirit and give you a new perspective.
Enjoy Your Public Spaces
If you’re wanting to make the most of your town or city, be sure to check out the goings-on at your local library. The unsung heroes of our society (also known as librarians) spend much of their time curating community events, most of which are free! From knitting classes to puppet shows, yoga classes to chess lessons, free movies to family story times… the library is the place to be for wholesome community engagement.
If your city has public parks, there are often wonderful community offerings there as well, such as naturalist-led group walks, where you can learn about native species in your area from a local expert. Parks often offer classes on topics such as composting, wildlife photography, and star-gazing, among many others. Best of all, most classes will be either free or inexpensive!
Here We Are Now, Entertain Us!
With your ICBA membership, you can enjoy up to 55% off of movie theater tickets at major companies such as AMC and Regal. If you’re looking to treat yourself to live entertainment, you can also score major discounts on tickets to Broadway productions and Cirque du Soleil.
Whether you thrive off of adrenaline or balloon animals are more your speed, there is something for everyone at major theme parks like Walt Disney World and SeaWorld. Good news––you get a discount there, too! All of our entertainment and travel deals can be found here. (Including something for you, hockey fans!)
Traveling? Did you know that your ICBA membership can save you an average of 26% on a hotel and 25% on a rental car? Head over to our Discounts & Savings page to check out all the savings available to you as an ICBA member.
Have a wonderful summer!