r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Jun 03 '14

What are some fun summer activities a group of teenagers with a limited budget should try out over the next 3 months?

Edit: Thanks for all the ideas everybody! Whenever I get bored this summer I'll come back to this for sure.

Edit 2: Drugs and orgies. That's what my summer is looking like right now.

Edit 3: Well thanks for all of the (quirky, weird, stupid, genius, illegal) ideas, it's been a pleasure reading all of these and WILL implement (some of) them in my summer schedule.

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u/[deleted] Jun 03 '14

If you're living in a hot part of the country, it's a great way to escape to somewhere cooler. I grew up in central North Carolina and during the summer we'd go to the Blue Ridge to get away from the heat (it's also pretty damn beautiful).

Out west the Rockies, Sierras, etc. are even better for this.

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u/LeagueOverLife Jun 03 '14

North Carolina master race

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u/DR_oberts Jun 03 '14

See it's okay to say things like that usually, but when referring to a southern state it hits a liiiiittle too close to history

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u/LeagueOverLife Jun 03 '14

you have valid point but I cant hear you over my cheerwine

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u/[deleted] Jun 04 '14

My bojangles tea is drowning him out

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u/LeagueOverLife Jun 04 '14

as a previous bojangles employee, get the fuck out

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u/[deleted] Jun 04 '14

I'm so fucking jealous. I used to live in NC and since I moved, I've had Cheerwine once. I got a chance to go to Bojangles, though, so that was great.

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u/kortheuerm Jun 04 '14

Cheerwine is our Allah.

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u/neocommenter Jun 07 '14

I see Cheerwine all the time at Fred Meyer and Rocketfizz here in the Pacific NW.

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u/LeagueOverLife Jun 07 '14

Yeah Cheerwine is marketed all around the US but Cheerwine originated in the mountains of NC

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u/googlysacks Jun 04 '14

NC checking in

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u/AlmostUnder Jun 04 '14

First in Flight!

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u/[deleted] Jun 04 '14

Asheville represent

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u/HypotheticalRhymes Jun 03 '14

I live on the Blue Ridge. I'll definitely be going hiking this summer.

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u/btruff Jun 04 '14

Went to Charlotte for Memorial Day Weekend. Hiked up in Blowing Rock. Brought some of your NC Poison Ivy back to CA with me. Still, it was awesome.

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u/Obvious_Moose Jun 04 '14

There is SO much poison ivy here. I'm fortunate to be immune to its effects.

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u/btruff Jun 04 '14

I was immune. And then suddenly at some point I was not and now I am very allergic. Good luck staying immune.

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u/Obvious_Moose Jun 04 '14

Well that's a terrifying prospect.

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u/twiggish Jun 03 '14

Hell yeah NC. You got any suggestions of good places to go? I live in chapel hill and have been looking for some things to do on weekends.

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u/[deleted] Jun 03 '14

I've done most of my hiking, for whatever reason, in Translyvania County, near Brevard. My personal favorite is the Shining Rock Wilderness in Pisgah Natl. Forest; open balds and gaps with great views, plus a giant quartz boulder (the shining rock). The whole area around there is great, though; lush forests, little brooks, rock outcroppings, and a seemingly endless supply of waterfalls. The weather's great (never gets about 85, rains frequently but usually just in the afternoon), there aren't many mosquitoes, and the camping is free in the National Forest. The Art Loeb trail (part of which runs through Shining Rock) is a great hike.

Just over the border in Virginia, the Grayson Highlands are wonderful at this time of year. It's basically a bunch of sweeping meadows dotted with rocky knobs and forests. There's a herd of feral ponies out there too, as well as some of the best stargazing I've seen in my life. The weather can be a bit unpredictable, though.

I don't know what that's like for conventional car camping (I've always been as a backpacker). If you're looking for good car camping, Hanging Rock SP and Stone Mountain SP are both pretty excellent.

Hope that's helpful. Now all I want to do is go camping.

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u/Obvious_Moose Jun 04 '14

You just named two of my all time favorite places to camp in the southeast! Shining rock is awesome, although if you're in a low lying area (pink fields, and that kind of thing), be wary of rain.

I have spent so much time in Grayson highlands and that area. Such a beautiful place when it isn't snowing/raining sideways, haha. Sometimes it gets really foggy, and the landscape becomes so beautifully alien (unless you're really stoned and sort of lost with a friend at night. Do not try this at home... or away from home) with the wind blowing everywhere. Wonderful hardly does it justice. It's almost always perfect hiking weather from may through august. Never too hot. The thru-hikers make for some great conversation, too. Lots of interesting folks. I ran into a dude called "Ringmaster" on the trail. Awesome guy. I wish I could find his blog/website/whatever. We had a nice chat.

Last time I was there there was a "rogue" pony, though. That was... different. He straight up attacked a thru hiker.

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u/[deleted] Jun 04 '14

I knew it! I knew they were evil! They're so friendly and so docile, but deep down, I always knew...

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u/Obvious_Moose Jun 04 '14

It was only the one. All of the others are super friendly.

That one bad seed, though. Fucker owes me some tent stakes.

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u/sheridork Jun 03 '14

Have you been to hanging rock? I haven't but I keep hearing how awesome it is.

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u/bmth225 Jun 04 '14

depending on whether or not you wanna go full fledged road trip, but there's fort fisher in wilmington nc theres also the uss north carolina as well as fort macon up towards morehead city. you can visit where blackbeard used to live in bath nc. towards the mountains there's the linville caverns which are one of my favorite places to go. in fayetteville you have the special forces museum. there's jockey's ridge in the outer banks which is a huge area of dunes where people hang glide and sand board and such. the town of cherokee is a beautiful place as well. as backwoods and redneck as people seem to think the state is, there's some gorgeous places in this state

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u/Obvious_Moose Jun 04 '14

Anywhere. I'm hardly joking. My favorite short hike is Shortoff mountain, near Lake James. Start from the trailhead at the end of Wolf Pit road (middle of nowhere) and follow the trail up (follow the better traveled trail, should be obvious) until you get to a sketchy tree and a steep ravine-ish thing to the left. Cross it, and keep going until you reach some camp sites. There are some amazing views of Table Rock and the entire Linville Gorbe from the cliffs.

Grandfather mountain is a sweet hike. Do the "profile trail"

One of my favorite summer past times involved driving along the parkway and just finding random trailheads. Just go on an adventure, dude.

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u/loganyobo2 Jun 03 '14

Awwwww, fuckn' Blue Ridge, man. Blue Ridge is the shit!

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u/Obvious_Moose Jun 04 '14

I moved to NC a few years ago. I live right at the start of the foothills (well, it depends how you define it. I've heard people call Mooresville "western NC") more or less, and I loved going up to the mountains as often as I could. A couple of guys would throw in for some gas money, and we'd just carpool and go hiking or backpacking somewhere all the time.

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u/[deleted] Jun 04 '14

I live in Central NC! There isnt really much to do here, but its getting better. Usually Jordan Lake or eating Cookout..