Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

On my mind: It's almost summer

It doesnt seem like another school year should be slipping away. Local colleges are already out for the summer, and the public schools will be finishing up by the end of the month. Where has the time gone?

I know that a lot of students are distraught about the fact that they will not have to go to school for a couple months. (I hope you sense the sarcasm.) But there is really no need for the youngsters to get disappointed because, believe it or not, there is a lot to do around here.

Dont believe me? Here are a few things I have thought of:

1. Gurdon Lake and Gurdon City Park  Why not grab rod and reel and hit the lake? I am always seeing people out there trying to get a bite. There are people of all ages out there. You can fish from the shore, or from a boat in the middle of the lake as I see many doing from time to time.

The park, which is located there by the lake, is full of fun things to do for kids of all ages. There are swings, a moon walk and a lot of other playground equipment. There is also a basketball court, tennis court and volleyball pit. (I hear that the city is talking about putting a soccer field out there, and that would only add more fun.)

2. Need to get in shape or maybe just add a little more to your exercise routine? Maybe you could check out the Gurdon Walking Trail. The city has put in a lot of work on the trail, and it is really nice. From what Ive seen, most of it is in a shaded area, so that would help in the hottest part of the summer.

3. The Arkadelphia Aquatic Park  Just up the road, there is a ton of fun waiting at the Arkadelphia Aquatic Park. Although the park is owned and operated by the city of Arkadelphia, they welcome people from all over. I have personally been to the park a couple of times, and it always seems like a good place to cool off. That might be a good place to spend an entire afternoon.

Of course there are a lot of other things to do in the surrounding areas if you arent able to take a big vacation this summer.

One of my favorite tourist attractions that is close by is the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock. I had the opportunity to tour it not long after it opened. I plan to go back and look through it again as I didnt have time to look at everything I wanted to the first go-round.

There are all kinds of interesting things in the library from the limousine Clinton used while president to some of the White House Christmas decorations. There is plenty to be fascinated with even if you are not a big Bill Clinton fan. Its history.

There are of course the bigger lakes like DeGray that are close enough to go up and spend a day or even camp for a week.

Make the most of your summer. There is plenty to do without getting too far from home.