...here I come!

Summer is finally here. How do I know this? Is it because the sun is shining with a high in the 80’s today? Is it because the kids will be out of school in a couple more days or because we have more customers parading around in shorts? No. The Stanley Cup has been awarded! Hooray Red Wings ! They had me worried for a game or two but they pulled through. For me a sure sign of summer is the end of the hockey season. At least for a couple of weeks until the youth summer hockey league begins.

Another sign that summer is here is our annual Copperfest celebration which began today. This is an event I have looked forward to every year since I was a little girl. I anticipated the freedom of wandering aimlessly, absorbing the sights and sounds – the music of local bands blaring through the night, the first fireworks of the year, the warm butter dripping off the cob and down my arm. It was truly a weekend to be cherished. But what did it mean?

It recently dawned on me that I had no real idea why Oconto celebrated Copperfest each year. How is that possible? It is not only possible, but in my experience quite common that we tend to overlook the great destinations all around us. I have not been to Copper Culture State Park since elementary school and my only memory of this visit was rolling down “Susie’s Hill”. As far as I know my children have never explored this Park or Museum. How many other great local destinations have we overlooked in our hurry to escape this city, county, or state for our summer vacations?

With gas prices out of control, this will be the perfect summer to find all of those local hidden treasures. Next stop, my backyard!