All Over Albany

As a teenager my most reckless summer ever. We swam at this dam during a thunderstorm then realized the only way out was to jump down into the water from the top of the dam. It was one of those summers that won't ever be close to being repeated that will always be a fond time in my life.

Now I am cool with fresh food picnics with my awesome friends.

... said Lex on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:06 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is boogie boarding with my grandma!

... said Moe on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:06 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is jet skiing at Schroon Lake with my family!

... said Jessica Gunner on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:06 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is of middle of the night rides on my ten speed throughout my neighborhood in Albany (I lived on Second Avenue at the time). I was young and felt so free and fearless.

... said xina on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:07 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is camping with my family..

... said Matte on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:08 PM | link

Favorite summer memory...First is my second favorite summer memory...I asked my best friend of 10 years (22 years old when I asked, and 12 when we met) to be my bride. One year later, we were married. A light almost crashed on our skulls during the ceremony. It only made for good jokes during the reception. Don't care if I win the prize, but nothing and nobody will top this for me. I'm the luckiest guy in the world, because I found someone who can put up with my nonsense year in and year out. :)

... said Bobbo on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:08 PM | link

My favorite summer memory to date is going to California with the family over 5 years ago. We relaxed at a few beaches, visited the San Diego Zoo, Animal Kingdom and LEGOLAND. We hope to check out LEGOLAND Florida next year if possible.

... said Rich on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:10 PM | link

My favorite summer memory:
In the summer of 1983 my father decided not to teach summer school. Instead, he and my mother drove me and my two older siblings across country in a 1975 Dodge Monaco station wagon towing a 22' trailer.

The drive was endless, but the destinations were unmistakeably American. On this trip I saw my first glimpse of herds of bison and prong horned antelope. We wound over the great Rocky Mountains and sprawled in the heat of Devils Tower. But my favorite moment was on a hike in Glacier National Park in Montana. There we were blessed with an up close visit from a mama mountain goat and two of her kids. The beasts were a mere 30 years away! Even at 9-years-old, I knew this was an extremely rare moment that I would forever treasure.

That summer, 6 weeks of traveling, I remember so many details like it was just yesterday. Every piece of it precious as gold.

... said Alisa Costa on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:12 PM | link

The best and most relevant memory of 4 th of July in my life has been at the age of 13 or so, my father, who was not a young man, brought my friend Kim and I down town on the concourse to see the fireworks for the first time in my life in person. The vendors and crowds were over wehlming .Kim and I were climbing the sculptures and playing around before the show. Fantastic time! Then at a vendor booth I spotted a bunch of beautiful feathers dangling from a string of leather ,attached to a clip! I wanted it ,and I got it! My dad never suspecting what a nessary tool that clip would turn out to be in the next few years of my life as a wild eightys child! Still giggling after all these years!

... said Donna Hanlon on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:14 PM | link

My favorite summer memory was collecting fireflies in Mason jars underneath the grapevines with my elderly neighbor, Vivian.

... said Shelley on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:14 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is Kay's Pizza on Burden Lake. Yummm

... said 518boy on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:14 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is from August 7, 2010 when I married my beautiful wife!

... said Dan on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:15 PM | link

My favorite summer was my honeymoon in the Poconos 15+ years ago. (Great champagne glass bath, massages and pool in the room) then 4 years later - there were more fireworks + 9 months and we welcomed our beautiful son into the world. I would love a Taste of Albany and more fireworks. Thanks for the opportunity.

... said Michelle on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:15 PM | link

I'd have to say that the entire summer from 2005. I was home from college, 20 years old and working as a waiter in Saratoga. I went on a blind date for my buddy who was with the dates roommate. The date turned into one of those fantastic summer romances, equipped with sure-fire heartbreak at the end. Did it even rain that summer? I truly don't think it did.

... said me neither on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:17 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is being able to stay up all hours of the night and waking up late having no real plans during the day but lounging and maybe working 4 hour shifts somewhere.

... said Dan on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:17 PM | link

Tubing down the Sacandaga Rive...without any guidance. Not the brightest idea, but fun nonetheless.

... said Erin on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:18 PM | link

When I was in maybe 1st grade, my grandma, mom and I went camping at a state park that we used to go to quite often.

We had a cookout one night and my grandma had made fresh green beans which she "shucked" behind the camper. After dinner we started a fire and sat around toasting marshmallows for s'mores. I wasn't feeling great so I had my little beach chair reclined so I was kind of laying down.

All of a sudden my mom says "Nobody Move! There's a skunk." And, don't you know, this little (or average size, I suppose) skunk came sauntering around the camper and into our fire circle. He proceeded to put his front paws up on the head of my beach chair and stick his nose in my face. Then we walked over to my grandma, who had just pulled her marshmallow out of the fire and had a s'more ready, and put his paws up on her leg and took a good whiff on her marshmallow. I guess we didn't have more of what he wanted (the green beans we guessed) so, he sauntered off in the direction he had come from.

When my mom finally said "Ok. He's gone." I screamed, cried and ran into the camper (Don't judge. I was little.) and refused to come out for the rest of the night.

It may sound like a not so awesome summer memory but, it's a story that we can all laugh about now and one that's fun to share.

... said Cassie on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:18 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is my 3 day camp-out graduation keg party with all my closest friends!

... said Tori on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:18 PM | link

My favorite summer memories all revolve around the family vacation to Cape Cod we would take annual. A typical day involved going to the beach, coming to the same house we rented every year to make dinner, then going to see the sunset at Rock Harbor and stopping for ice cream at Emack and Bolio's on the way back to the house.

... said Mary on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:19 PM | link

I have a lot of great memories from vacationing in Virginia Beach and Colonial Williamsburg, but I also loved taking rides on the Minne-Ha-Ha with my family on Lake George.

... said Summer on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:19 PM | link

Best summer memory is also the best concert memory - SPAC, beautiful summer evening on the lawn - John Hiatt as the opener (Love him!).
A tremendous thunderstorm as Little Feat took the stage. We moved to shelter under the walkway, great music and a light show in the sky that was better than anything that has ever been done on stage....
Then people leaving gave us their ticket stubs, which we used to go sit inside in the PIT.
It was like 3 great separate events in one superb evening.

... said capgirl on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:19 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is throwing my annual backyard party. Love to have all my good friends and family members together in one place. It's like having a wedding reception every summer.

... said shutterbabe on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:19 PM | link

my favorite summer memory would have to be growing up going camping in the adirondacks with the family--and of course the s'mores around the campfire! gotta love summer!

... said Jen on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:20 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is spending the day fishing at North/South Lake as a young child.

... said Sarah on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:21 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is watching Monty Python on Saturday night with my parents when I was a kid. The sound of splashing in the swimming pool outside and the summer evening's heat made me feel so comfortable. I didn't understand all the skits, but I liked to see my parents laughing.

... said Kathleen Lisson on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:22 PM | link

My favorite is going to Thatcher Park on a nice summer day, specifically lookout point. Awesome views!

... said Brendan on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:27 PM | link

My favorite summer memory was our annual vacation to Wildwood, NJ - we would always go at the end of June right as school ended, so to me it would signal the begining of summer!

... said Krystyna on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:27 PM | link

Summer foods: corn of the cob, watermelon, tomatoes from the garden. Also, fireworks--which used to be ONLY on July 4.

... said chrisck on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:28 PM | link

Camping and hiking at Crater Lake when I lived in Oregon.

... said Julie on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:32 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is going up to my grandparents camp on Lake Champlain! We go every summer.

... said Cathy on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:33 PM | link

Sitting in the dark around the campfire by the lake with my cousins, drinking the booze we snuck from the liquor cabinet and filling in mad libs with our limited repertoire of dirty and risqué words.

... said Elle on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:33 PM | link

My favorite summer memory happened last year when I proposed to my fiancee at the sunrise drive over Mount Washing in Vermont. We will be getting married in October.

... said Paul on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:34 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is spending a week in a giant beach house on Cape Cod. The kids had their own floor and we could run out into the ocean every morning and nap on sand in the afternoon. Then we'd eat friend clams and taffy and go on the ferriswheel at night.

... said Glenna on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:35 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is from 1999. My soon-to-be hubby and I flew cross-country in a light plane from California to Upstate NY. The trip in itself was a journey of a lifetime. One of the best "sights" of the entire trip was flying 2000ft above the very tip of the Rockies at daybreak. The sky was a crisp blue, the colors from the sunrise were magnificent and the glacier ice sparkled blue and green colors as the sun rose. The beauty is hard to describe! Our trip was 4 days short and included many stops along the way. We met fabulous people, saw the United States from a view that most people don't, and reveled in the delight of happiness from our new found love! The trip back to California was just as adventuresome!

... said Kara Gilmore on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:37 PM | link

My favorite summer memories are all bunched together, a majority of which are from my childhood. The above ground pool in the backyard that was in constant shade so the water was always cold, picnics with melting ice cream cones making my chin sticky, mosquito bites, fireflies at night, the smell of hot asphalt, jump rope in the driveway, kickball in the street and the best memory of all - no school!!!!

... said cw on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:38 PM | link

Museum hopping with my grandpa every summer in elementary school.

... said M on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:39 PM | link

Most of my favorite memories come from summer... but my most favorite summer memory would have to be spending summers at a cabin on Brant Lake with my family - waterskiing, canoeing, swimming, roasting marshmallows, etc. Now, years later, my sister will be getting married at Brant Lake!

... said Amy on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:40 PM | link

My 9 week Geology field camp the summer of '97. It started in the Adirondacks and ended with a large mapping project in the San Juan Mountains between Durango and Silverton, CO. We drank hard, hiked hard, ate hard, and camped hard at an elevation of 12,500' for 3 weeks straight.

And I learned a lot about rocks n' stuff.

... said Kiera on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:43 PM | link

It is incredibly nerdy- but my first trip to an out-of-state geek convention with friends. Definitely life-changing!

... said LadyRed on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:46 PM | link

Best summer memories were pool parties at my grandmothers house on Van Rensselaer Blvd. She had the most amazing rock garden and a HUGE amount of property with a stream. We played bocce ball and badminton and there was no place on earth that had more fireflies.

... said Kristin on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:51 PM | link

My favorite summer memory took place while I was a camp counselor for the 4H Camp at Ridgefield Park. Working with my buddies for one final summer before college, plus making sure the kids had a fun, safe place to go during the summer, provided me with many fond memories.

... said David on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:51 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is one that occurs every year, camping with a bunch of people in the Adirondacks! 22 years in a row and counting!

... said Katie on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:54 PM | link

Summer vacation when I was a kid meant playing cops and robbers on our bikes throughout the neighborhoods in Delmar, with a popsicle in hand.

... said Sara E. on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:55 PM | link

Getting on dad's emerald green speedboat, sometimes for waterskiing, sometimes just enjoying the salt, wind and waves.

... said Maureen on Jun 23, 2011 at 4:59 PM | link

Getting the car packed up with things for five sisters on our annual summer trips to the village of Schroon Lake.We would make many pit stops along the way to the loo, and for our favorite burgers at the A & W. When we finally traveled via Rt 9 i was so happy because the fourth of july was the next day and their parade, and fireworks are the best !

... said mg on Jun 23, 2011 at 5:07 PM | link

My favorite memory occurred during the summer of 1975. I learned how to ride a horse at Girl Scout Camp.

... said Alana on Jun 23, 2011 at 5:19 PM | link

My past two summers were packed of good memories, I could say one of the best memories maybe a couple of BBQs I made w friends in Grafton lake

... said Camilo Andres Jimenez on Jun 23, 2011 at 5:22 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is camping with my sweetie last year. Most of the time, it rained, but we still had a great time. As long as we were surrounded by good friends, some music, yummy food and, weather-permitting, a great bonfire, we were happy. That's all we needed.

... said goldman_cafe on Jun 23, 2011 at 5:23 PM | link

One of my favorite summer memories as a child was going to the Gas-Up (an antique gas and steam engine show between Schoharie and Gallupville) for two weekends in June just before school ended. Brook's BBQ, ice cream made on site, music, a stream that feeds into the Schoharie Creek to swim in (and a bridge to jump into the stream if the water was deep enough that year).

It's also the back roads around there that during a Gas-Up my dad unexpectedly handed me the keys to his truck the month after I got my driving learner's permit.

... said Mildred on Jun 23, 2011 at 5:23 PM | link

The last minute of classes on the last day of every school year, knowing that what seemed as an endless summer of fun was about to start

... said David on Jun 23, 2011 at 5:28 PM | link

I think my favorite summer memory happened about 2 years ago when I met my now best friend. It is hard to point out exactly when or how we became the friends we are today. I think it was the sum of the little details that keep piling up to this day :)

... said Linda on Jun 23, 2011 at 5:33 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is getting an ice cream cone at Frank's on Albany Shaker at the start of the season!

... said Nancy on Jun 23, 2011 at 5:38 PM | link

Less one memory and more years worth rolled into one: long days in and on Crooked Lake with my siblings and cousins.

... said Allison on Jun 23, 2011 at 5:49 PM | link

Some of my best memories are of days spent in the water: at the beach, at the pool, at the lake, in a sprinkler that left us wrinkly as prunes by the afternoon.

... said Pearl on Jun 23, 2011 at 5:51 PM | link

Waking up early in the morning to have a donut from the Piseco Lake Lodge and watching the sun come up over the lake, shrouded in fog.

... said Ryan on Jun 23, 2011 at 5:51 PM | link

Every summer, my family would go up to my great-grandmothers house up near Lake George and fish/hike/relax on the beach. After a long day of fishing, we would bring the days catch back to the house and watch my 80+ great-grandmother fillet the fish and cook them on the grill. It is a memory I will never forget.

... said JD on Jun 23, 2011 at 5:52 PM | link

Being at my grandparents with my mom, dad, and brother -- sitting around their backyard and swimming until the sun went down. When I was younger, those days used to last forever, and it was great.

... said Jason on Jun 23, 2011 at 6:11 PM | link

A week in paradise in the Adirondacks with 100 of my closest friends that I've been attending since I was 10. Any PLers out there know what I'm talking about!

... said Lucy on Jun 23, 2011 at 6:36 PM | link

Last summer; it's the night before my mother's second cancer surgery.

But none of that matters.

Because for the first time that year, everything just feels -- right. The surgery is the next day. That night, though? I'm sitting on the swing in my parents' backyard, they're watering the plants; we're eating outside, we're singing songs. We're not letting cancer get to us, because it's summer, and things are mostly otherwise good, and everyone is home. Everyone is together. And the music's playing, and the song is good.

A year later, that moment rings in me every time I need something to make me smile. That moment before facing frightening odds when we all just let go and had the best damn summer night we could.

... said Rue on Jun 23, 2011 at 6:39 PM | link

The first memory that popped into my head was sleeping on the back porch as a kid and watching the fire flies. Life was so simple then.

... said Lissa on Jun 23, 2011 at 6:46 PM | link

Being a little girl, sitting outside the house with my lemonade stand and my puppy. I miss her.

... said IR on Jun 23, 2011 at 6:55 PM | link

favorite summer memory is life guarding at an empty town park.

... said mike on Jun 23, 2011 at 6:58 PM | link

Getting lost with my brothers during a family picnic.

... said Dan on Jun 23, 2011 at 7:11 PM | link

Trips as a kid with my family to camp in the mountains of Santa Fe, hiking the mountainside cave village of Bandelier (NM) and the Carlsbad Caverns.

... said James on Jun 23, 2011 at 7:30 PM | link

Watching our next door neighbors set off fireworks in their backyard while my sisters and I stood back 50 paces with what were called "punks"...some sort of incense-like stick that you lit and the tip would glow for about an hour...that was danger for us...and we were thrilled!!!

... said jkg on Jun 23, 2011 at 7:49 PM | link

Best summer memories are probably sitting on the law at Tanglewood with friends, wandering through the maze and seeing the fireworks to James Taylor. Berkshires tradition!

... said Mandy on Jun 23, 2011 at 7:53 PM | link

Favorite memory is burning up in Texas from the heat with family and friends!!

... said JD on Jun 23, 2011 at 7:55 PM | link

Giving birth to my first son after 47 hours of labor, on July 4th.

... said Caroline on Jun 23, 2011 at 8:06 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is getting to stay up late as a little kid, going crabbing at the Jersey shore. And then we'd get to go home and cook and eat up all the crabs immediately. Nothing better than a midnight feast of fresh crab with Old Bay. Yum!

... said Megan on Jun 23, 2011 at 8:23 PM | link

1986 Relighting of the Statue of Liberty. I was living on Governors Island at the time and everything that was going on seemed so exciting. Got to meet President Reagan, Kenny Rogers walked through my apartment building, and even though I couldn't go to the concert, I could hear it from my apartment.

Not to mention there was a mobile Burger King truck, which my friends and I loved. And my dad scored jelly bellies with the presidential logo on them!

... said Rochelle on Jun 23, 2011 at 8:23 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is driving the boat at my family's lake house. It made me feel very grown up, even though there wasn't anywhere to actually go.

... said Gretchen on Jun 23, 2011 at 8:33 PM | link

A moment during a drive home with my husband, all the way from South Carolina. It was our honeymoon and we were cruising back from Myrtle Beach in a rented Mustang convertible. The top was down, the moon was up, and from every direction came the overwhelming scent of jasmine growing wild on the roadside. A perfect night.

... said kizzi on Jun 23, 2011 at 8:36 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is sitting around the campfire with good friends, good food, and good drinks!

... said Katie on Jun 23, 2011 at 8:51 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is being a kid picking the tiny, sweet strawberries that grew in the field next to our house. Nothing store bought beats the taste of wild strawberries!

... said Jennifer on Jun 23, 2011 at 9:05 PM | link

Mr. Ding-a-ling was easily the most popular person in my neighborhood. We could hear his music blocks away and we'd go running in all directions to beg our parents for money. I had this old Fisher Price recorder player that played the same exact song the Ding-a-ling did. So sometimes I would sneak onto my front porch and set wind up the record player. All the kids would get excited, it was like Pavlov's Dog.. I would just sit back and watch. Eventually I revealed my trick, but not before soaking in the enjoyment of finally being the one to pull something over on the older kids.

... said shannon on Jun 23, 2011 at 9:31 PM | link

Being in Paris in July!

... said Bmonster on Jun 23, 2011 at 9:37 PM | link

When I was 18, I spent July soldering in a factory, then August driving around the country in a teal Mazda Protege. Crust punk fest in Wisconson, cattle ranch in Nebraska, hippy buses and hot springs in Colorado, and sleeping in an awesome shrubbery dome in Golden Gate park for a week.

... said rana on Jun 23, 2011 at 9:37 PM | link

summer memory - mondays are reserved for foodventures with my friend stephen from the Miss A diner. we usually make some pretty rad stuff to eat.

... said nicole on Jun 23, 2011 at 10:02 PM | link

Fireworks shows courtesy of my dad and his "friend with an aunt in South Carolina."

... said Jesse on Jun 23, 2011 at 10:07 PM | link

Watching the fireflies in the woods at the edge of the Mohawk River just after a beautiful sunset.

... said DOB on Jun 23, 2011 at 10:13 PM | link

My favorite summer memory was last year's two weeks in Germany with my husband to meet my in-laws. After months and months of recuperating from a back injury, I didn't think I'd make the trip but physical therapy and drugs did the trick and I made it. The views of Bavaria, the Alps, Munich and Salzburg were breathtaking and I fell in love with my in-laws.

... said Laura T. on Jun 23, 2011 at 10:22 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is of my wedding, July 4th. We had a picnic with 100 friends and family. Very casual, so much fun. Gorgeous weather and fireworks to boot. Now, we get fireworks for our anniversary every year!

... said Margie C on Jun 23, 2011 at 10:26 PM | link

Chasing fireflies as a child without a care in the world . . .

... said KS on Jun 23, 2011 at 10:51 PM | link

Hanging out with friends on the beach!

... said Laura on Jun 23, 2011 at 10:53 PM | link

Boy, picking one is hard, but if I had to, my daughters first soft serve ice cream at Ross's...the joy and pride in her eyes spilled over on me, and made me remember how new and wonderful life is when your are 2.

... said Brian on Jun 23, 2011 at 10:57 PM | link

Getting married aboard the Lac de Sac Sacrumant on Lake George with 120 of our closest friends, July 11, 1998. The rehearsal was the day before (a Friday) and the weather was perfect that day, suppose to be perfect the day of the wedding as well...no need to rehearse indoors, right?...a storm blew through the area unexpectadly, but made it past Lake George about an hour before the ceremony and, yes, "Three Hour Cruise"..all was well, and still is. We now take our two daughters up for a cruise most years on our anniversary, same ship, to celebrate. Would be perfect to see fireworks and celebrate exactly one week early if we win!

... said Anthony A on Jun 23, 2011 at 10:59 PM | link

A week long canoe trip through some parts of the Adirondacks!

... said helloalbany on Jun 23, 2011 at 11:44 PM | link

When I was growing up, a looong time ago, my family used to tent camp at Raquette Lake Golden Beach NYS Park. I have many fond memories including jumping into a bees' nest.

... said Bruce Allen on Jun 23, 2011 at 11:57 PM | link

Going to Schroon Lake and sleeping under an amazing night sky!

... said JB R on Jun 24, 2011 at 12:06 AM | link

having my whole family back together last August and going boating on the lake, feeling like there's nowhere else in the world we'd have rather been.

... said Shawna on Jun 24, 2011 at 12:39 AM | link

My favorite summer memory is playing on the beach at Cape Cod & getting ice cream from Sundae School!

... said Danielle on Jun 24, 2011 at 4:26 AM | link

My favorite summer memory is climbing my first mountain in the Alps (I'm German) with my father at about age five.

... said Gottfried on Jun 24, 2011 at 7:58 AM | link

my favorite summer memory is swimming with my sister at the city pool when we were young.

... said matt on Jun 24, 2011 at 8:23 AM | link

Digging for sand dollars with my grandmother in Florida.

... said C on Jun 24, 2011 at 8:26 AM | link

I was sitting in a bunk with 4 of my closest camp friends. We were telling stories and to this day I don't think that I've laughed as hard as I did with them. We were about 12 years old and still telling fart jokes. I remember thinking, life can't get better than this...why do we have to get married? I just want to live and be with my best friends laughing like this forever.

... said Lana on Jun 24, 2011 at 8:30 AM | link

My favorite Summer memory is hittin it big at the track and treating all my friends to dinner and drinks!

... said Ron on Jun 24, 2011 at 9:03 AM | link

Catchin' fireflies.

... said Duncan Crary on Jun 24, 2011 at 9:08 AM | link

My favorite summer memory is going to Naragansett beach in my home state of Rhode Island. I spent my teen years going with all my high school friends, and have since been able to introduce that beach to my now fiance.

... said Lauren on Jun 24, 2011 at 9:28 AM | link

My favorite summertime memory is when I won 2 tickets to have dinner while watching the Fourth of July fireworks from Taste.

... said Tim on Jun 24, 2011 at 9:34 AM | link

Riding on the tractor on my uncle's lap as a wee lad. Not a care in the world, and the summer lasted forever...

... said -R. on Jun 24, 2011 at 9:41 AM | link

My favorite summer memory is swimming at my grandmother's and getting a Bubble Play from the ice cream truck!

... said KRH on Jun 24, 2011 at 9:54 AM | link

My favorite memory is taking my kids on our first "real" vacation to Florida. Due to the wildfires they were having that year, our original plans had to be scrapped 2 hours before we were leaving. So we landed in Tampa, not sure what to do and started driving down the coast. We found a lovely motel, and there just happened to be a cancellation moments before we arrived. We spent 5 days at the beach and it was better than our original plan.

... said kathy on Jun 24, 2011 at 9:56 AM | link

Having the first date with my future bride on the last day of Summer 2003.

... said Guy on Jun 24, 2011 at 9:58 AM | link

Visiting family in distant, far away lands.

... said Bacon is my Master on Jun 24, 2011 at 9:59 AM | link

My mother surprise us, by not going to work on a "hot August day". She would pack a picnic lunch, pick up my Aunt Mary with her five children combined with myself and my 3 sisters, and we would head to Pine Lake beach for the day. The nine of us kids would sing in the car during the drive to and from the beach, and when we got there we would dance barefoot and in
our bathing suits in the pavilion, swim, build sand castles, eat all our favorite foods and play all day long.

... said Donna on Jun 24, 2011 at 10:00 AM | link

Grilling on the back deck with friends, good steaks, and a pitcher of sangria!

... said Lizz on Jun 24, 2011 at 10:03 AM | link

Spending two weeks every summer, many years ago, on Lake Michigan.

... said morgan on Jun 24, 2011 at 10:04 AM | link

Bobbin' on the lake.

... said Julie on Jun 24, 2011 at 10:13 AM | link

On our honeymoon, we found ourselves at the Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna, Italy on the Summer Solstice. On the front of the inside of the cathedral near the roof, mingled with the stars in the painting of the sky, there was a hole that let the sun shine in and it moved up and down a line on the cathedral floor between the Summer and Winter Solstices - it lit up with a blazing light the day we were there. Truly amazing and inspiring.

... said Kathleen on Jun 24, 2011 at 10:14 AM | link

Playing dress-up and putting on skits with my friends on my deck :-)

... said Hannah on Jun 24, 2011 at 10:17 AM | link

Riding huge waves on a raft with my cousins in Nags Head, NC.

... said Jared on Jun 24, 2011 at 10:25 AM | link

my favorite sumer memory is the smell of wet concrete on a hot summer day.

... said Dave on Jun 24, 2011 at 10:25 AM | link

Walking on the trails with my dad for a break from our extended family during picnic reunions in Bethpage State Park.

... said Lisa on Jun 24, 2011 at 10:36 AM | link

The summer of 2009 - drive in movies, sitting on top of the car, fried dough in hand, staring at the stars between movies, radio turned all the way up and trying to keep the bugs away.

... said LauraD on Jun 24, 2011 at 10:40 AM | link

Going to our cottage in the Adirondacks (Lake Bonaparte) for the entire summer. There were no phones, no traffic, and tons of laughter with the family. Fishing, swimming, and a bonfire every night seemed like a perfect remedy to de-stress the everyone who visited.

The entire lake seemed to collect on the 4th for a cheesy fireworks show and "boat parade"!

Plus, I got the responsibility of driving the boat home from "Beer Island" (a real place). I thought it was pretty cool when I was 12! In today's world, my parents would have been incarcerated for this, and I would have been shipped to a foster home.

... said Brett on Jun 24, 2011 at 10:41 AM | link

Riding bikes with my husband (boyfriend at the time) all around Albany, exploring new neigborhoods and picking out houses we would like to live in one day.

... said Jessica on Jun 24, 2011 at 10:42 AM | link

Best summer memory is going to Europe with my cousin on a 3 week backpacking trip.

... said Chris on Jun 24, 2011 at 10:58 AM | link

My favorite summer memory is grilling my first hot dog!

... said Jeff on Jun 24, 2011 at 11:06 AM | link

That sounds AWESOME!

...but I already have a date with James Taylor at Tanglewood on the 4th. Enjoy, whoever is lucky enough to win!

... said Slacker on Jun 24, 2011 at 11:09 AM | link

My favorite summer memories revolve around time spent on Long Beach Island, NJ with tons of family. The ocean, fireworks, seafood... perfect!

... said Betsy on Jun 24, 2011 at 11:12 AM | link

Sitting by the side of my family's pond, spitting watermelon seeds into the grass and waiting for the fire to get big enough for marshmallow roasting. Add a few fireflies and that comfortable warm feeling you get from sitting in your bathing suit all day.

... said Heather on Jun 24, 2011 at 11:27 AM | link

My favorite summer memory is eating watermelon in the backyard with my siblings!

... said Lori on Jun 24, 2011 at 11:29 AM | link

Hiking on the carriage road to the cool, clear waters of Lake Awosting for a swim and snacking on wild blueberries along the way...

... said ADB on Jun 24, 2011 at 11:49 AM | link

my favorite summer memory is camping.

... said J on Jun 24, 2011 at 12:06 PM | link

House boating with some old friends on Raystown Lake, PA. That's was also on the 4th, and while it set a high ceiling, I think Taste can break it!

... said AMS on Jun 24, 2011 at 12:09 PM | link

Sea kayaking in Monterey Bay with my relatives. Jazz music was playing on a porch of a restaurant nearby, and sea otters kept approaching our lazily floating boats, wanting to get our attention.

... said N on Jun 24, 2011 at 12:24 PM | link

Picking the first tomato of the season in my garden.

... said Lu on Jun 24, 2011 at 12:26 PM | link

Hanging from a rope halfway down a 300' escarpment chopping fossil mammoth ivory out of permafrost with an axe. best summer job ever!

... said Heywood on Jun 24, 2011 at 1:06 PM | link

Perhaps the night I had my first kiss - out on the boat dock of the lake at which my family was camping, with the boy whose family owned the camp store. It was one of those perfect summer nights and he took me out to sit and "watch the stars" but every time we would start to snuggle a little closer, we would be disturbed by a fisherman or people from a different campsite. It's amusing in retrospect. I think we sat on 4 or 5 different docks before we were alone long enough for him to work up the nerve to kiss me, but I did eventually get to see stars.

... said julie on Jun 24, 2011 at 1:08 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is getting mint chocolate chip ice cream at the window at Friendly's.

... said Robert on Jun 24, 2011 at 1:50 PM | link

Camping with my family as a child in our old Coleman pop up trailer. I can still smell the woods if I think hard enough.

... said Emily on Jun 24, 2011 at 2:08 PM | link

Going down the shore with my family. So many great memories: boardwalk bike riding, making sandcastles, boogie boarding, arcade games, and begging our parents for ice cream from the fudgie wudgie man. I wish we still had those vacations!

... said Kells on Jun 24, 2011 at 2:18 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is my wife (girlfriend at the time) and my first trip to Brewster together. She grew up going to the Cape, and related many, many fond memories, and I had never been. She took me to so many places that she had gone as a child and had an amazing story about each of them. It was an unforgettable vacation that situably ended with me on my knee asking her to marry me on the very same beach where she spent many a summer with her grandfather!

... said Rob on Jun 24, 2011 at 2:18 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is going to a beach in Maine and eating lobster with my family until we felt our stomachs were going to burst from all the seafood!

... said Antonia on Jun 24, 2011 at 2:19 PM | link

My favorite summer memory was the first summer I was old enough to really explore my grandparents cottage. Finding a large waterfall, seeing the surrounding town/area, disappearing in our boat. Good times. :)

... said Ken on Jun 24, 2011 at 2:51 PM | link

Summer camp at the Teton Science School in Wyoming. Learning about science with hands-on experiments and hikes in the mountains. Best summer ever.

... said StanfordSteph on Jun 24, 2011 at 3:33 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is the yearly family picnic at the Saratoga race track. Lots of good food, and lots of losing tickets.

... said Ben on Jun 24, 2011 at 3:43 PM | link

One of my most favorite summer memories would have to be the time my friend and I planned "girls' camping" weekend. We were 25 and looking forward to a quiet weekend of relaxation. We rented a canoe to bring and while attaching it to the roof of my car, the helpful attendant (recovering from a broken toe) was explaining to us how to secure it, since we was unable to assist. Low and behold, while my friend was listening attentively to the instructions, she stepped on the attendant's broken TOE! The poor man yelped and I swear I saw tears in his eyes, he walked away, we finished and went on our way. On our way back to return the canoe, a nice young man was waiting to retrieve our canoe. We promptly asked how the man with the broken toe was, and he just looked at us and said, "oh, you're the girls, huh? He's fine, but you've been the subject of conversation all weekend!" We felt horrible at the time, but that story brings us to fits of laughter 15+ years later!

... said Dee Dee on Jun 24, 2011 at 3:49 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is the year my friend and I (we were probably about 10) spent every morning playing hopscotch, then every afternoon swimming. If it was a raining we'd play Clue, Life and Monopoly on my back porch.

... said Lori on Jun 24, 2011 at 5:47 PM | link

One of my favorite memories has to be....breaking my leg playing Frisbee the very DAY we were let out of school for the summer in 6th grade. The irony kills me! Still had a blast on those crutches!

... said William on Jun 24, 2011 at 6:08 PM | link

Drinking country time lemonade on the front porch...

... said Mdelfs on Jun 24, 2011 at 6:19 PM | link

I once spent an entire night floating on a raft in my parents pool. I can still remember the sounds and the stars.

... said matt on Jun 24, 2011 at 7:16 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is of laying on the top of a mountain in Iceland with my best friend, at midnight, in the twilight, on this crazy bed of moss that must have been a foot thick. There was this pristine lake up there, and everything was completely silent, and we took off our shoes and did somersaults for like an hour before hiking back down and eating rhubarb crumble.
I miss Iceland.

... said M. on Jun 24, 2011 at 8:37 PM | link

Favorite summer memory - when life was still simple. I remember my parents piling all 6 of us kids in the station wagon for our annual trek to Atlantic City. Before AC became a gambling mecca - when life was sweet walking on the boardwalk, enjoying salt water taffy and buying pet rocks.
But the best memory of this summer time trip was the station wagon itself - it was one of those that the rear seat faced the rear. I always thought that was so cool - we could have cared less about Atlantic City, we just liked sitting in the rear seat and watching life whiz by, and waving at people.
Oh, and the station wagon had that wooden panel stripe across the side. Like the brown wooden paneling we had in our dining room back then. Oh, the memories . . . . .

... said Pam on Jun 24, 2011 at 9:06 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is my August wedding!

... said GLR on Jun 24, 2011 at 9:07 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is tonight knowing my brother can now marry the man he loves. New York State same sex marriage legislation passed 6/24/2011. Thank you Albany!

... said Caroline on Jun 24, 2011 at 10:37 PM | link

Favorite memories of summer are swimming during the day and SPAC under the stars!

... said Christine on Jun 24, 2011 at 10:56 PM | link

My favorite summer memory growing up in North Albany was riding along the Corning Preserve on my bike with my dad and my brothers - and then stopping for Italian Ice on the way home.

... said kjh on Jun 24, 2011 at 11:03 PM | link

My favorite summer memory is swimming in my pool and running in the lawn sprinklers as a kid. We would also play all kinds of games in the pool and stay out as late as we could.

... said Brent on Jun 26, 2011 at 4:30 PM | link