S. W. Raine

Years ago, before I was using GPS on my phone, my husband’s cousin and I got in the car and let traffic lights choose our destination. Every time we reached a light, we’d randomly pick left, right, or straight and see where it led. Eventually, we ended up at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor.

Would I recommend this method of navigation? Absolutely not.

Would I do it again? Also yes.

Which got me thinking: every summer deserves a few side quests. Not a carefully planned itinerary designed to optimize every moment. Just a handful of adventures that sound fun.

So this year, I put together a summer side quest log—a collection of adventures I’d love to stumble into over the next few months.

Discovery Side Quests

This summer, I’d like to:

• Visit a town I’ve never explored before
• Find a hidden gem in my own city
• Take a random day trip somewhere

I have absolutely no idea what hidden gem I’m hoping to find, which is probably part of the appeal. Maybe it’ll be a quirky little bookstore. Or a cool historical site. Maybe it’ll be something I wasn’t even looking for in the first place.

Hopefully somewhere cool. Preferably somewhere with decent parking.

Bookish Side Quests

This summer, I’d like to:

• Explore different libraries
• Visit a new indie bookstore
• Discover a comic shop I’ve never been to

Libraries are a little different. At this point, I’m not just exploring them—I’m looking for one that can challenge my current favorite.

The Southfield Public Library has set the bar ridiculously high. It has three floors, gorgeous architecture, beautiful fireplace areas, a bronze statue of Mark Twain sitting on a bench where visitors can sit beside him for a photo (he’s reading Huckleberry Finn. I snuck a peek, lol), and a sleeping dragon in the children’s section that actually snores, among plenty of other things worth exploring.

So if another library wants the crown, it’s going to have to work for it.

Family Side Quests

This summer, I’d like to:

• Build LEGO sets with my son
• Let him choose an adventure destination
• Explore a new playground

I have a strong suspicion that letting an almost-nine-year-old choose the adventure may be the most dangerous item on this list… but I’m willing to take that risk.

Most of our adventures start because I stumble across an interesting event on Facebook and immediately think, “Yep, he’d love that.” The rest usually begin with a school field trip and turn into an excuse to revisit a favorite place.

Either way, watching him enjoy the adventure is usually just as much fun as the adventure itself.

Adventure Side Quests

This summer, I’d like to:

• Go on a nature walk
• Wander a street fair or festival
• Take an unplanned detour and see where it leads

Historically speaking, random detours have a surprisingly high success rate.

Street fairs are another favorite because there’s always the possibility of stumbling across something unexpected. A cool vendor. Or a unique gift. Even a local business I’d never heard of before. You never really know what you’ll find until you get there.

And that’s really kind of the point.

Side Quest Accepted

Will I complete every side quest on this list? Probably not. But summer isn’t really about completion. It’s about collecting experiences, making memories, and saying yes to the occasional unexpected adventure.

And if I happen to discover another Matthaei Botanical Gardens along the way, I’ll consider the season a success.

What’s on your summer side quest list? Let me know in the comments!

Raine