Best Ways To Enjoy The Warm Weather
The weather is improving for those of us in the northern hemisphere, and that means seizing every opportunity to get outside and attack a new adventure! In the Pacific Northwest where I live, we have reasonable weather all year round but seasons still exist, and that holds me back. Dark afternoons in wintertime are miserable! I want to barbecue late into the afternoon and evening with friends, I want to lounge in a kiddie pool during the day smoking a fat spliff, and I want to take long hikes on trails I’ve passed a hundred times and never thought to explore.
If you’ve been a slacker though the winter months, it’s time to get moving again. Get your buddies together, find yourself a destination nearby or pay a non-smoker designated driver for the day and take a roadtrip. Get lost driving somewhere you’ve never been before. Look for an emerald green lake that you saw in a magazine once. Plan an adventure. Don’t plan an adventure. But, please, DO NOT just sit on the couch and wish you were outside enjoying life. Get out there and really do it!
Look Locally, Socially
Nice weather means things are different. People come out of the woodwork and suddenly there are places close to home you never noticed before that are pumping: cider houses that you drive past each day on the way to work are full, the roadhouse that you pass on your evening jog now has live music on the back patio. The new brewery nearby has live bands and food. The is a winery opening 10mi down the road: want to go sample some wine? Get on your bike with a friend and make that ride to the winery! The sunshine will nourish you until the wine hits your dry and thirsty palate.
Local Destinations
Everywhere is a destination for someone else: you might live in the middle of nowhere and you might reckon it is the most boring place on Earth… but someone was once there for some other reason that was important to them! Have you ever driven around the area you live in and seen signs for trailheads or hikes or museums or cultural centres? Have you walked downtown where you live and explored the art galleries and the local Farmer’s Markets? Have you been in to the local artisan’s businesses in your town? Be a tourist in your own hometown and do it well. Spend the day browsing antique shops or local flea markets. You might learn something about where you live! If you seriously think where you live is that bad and you just can’t be creative, look online at places nearby that you can explore. Maybe the next city or town over has a cool trail you can explore for the day with some friends!
Picnics
Picnics can be whatever you want them to be, but they should ALWAYS involve food, cannabis, good company (or a good book) and some downtime in the beautiful weather. Head to your local Goodwill store or look online for a cheap secondhand picnic basket (this is not essential to your experience, but it does make it seem much more fun somehow! Check out local parks, reserves, trails, or median strips (that’s a joke, folks) for somewhere with something fun to play on: look for playgrounds (go when kids are at school so you don’t have to wait for your turn), trails with waterfalls, city parks where you can people watch for hours and hours… and then hit the grocery store! Stock up on good healthy snacks, good edibles so you’re not bothering the locals with your pot smoke, and get your picnic blanket out. Lay in the sun and indulge! Vaporizers are awesome for this kind of adventure, discretion is always advised!
