Jonathan Williams

1. See what’s happening around the coast

Summer is nearly here. With long days full of cool mornings that turn into warm, blissful afternoons and celestial sunsets, it’s the most exciting time on the North Coast.

The season kicks into high gear with Astoria Pride and Goonies Days the first weekend in June, making this the perfect time to explore the coast, try a new restaurant or cultural event. Make this summer the time to springboard into the rest of the year.

The Columbia-Pacific region offers many events to try throughout the summer.

Spend Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays perusing the bounty of goods from local artisans and food producers at the Astoria, Seaside, Cannon Beach and Washington’s Long Beach and Ilwaco’s farmers markets.

Attend one of the many art walks in Gearhart, Seaside and Astoria the first and second Saturdays of each month.

Or get adventurous and go for a hike: the Fort to Sea Trail, Oswald Park and Ecola State Park all offer stunning views and rewarding treks.

And don’t forget to take a stroll on one of the many beaches from Manzanita north to Cannon Beach, Seaside and Gearhart, Fort Stevens State Park and across the river to Cape Disappointment, Seaview, Long Beach and Ocean Park.

There’s also new things happening this summer. The Liberty Theatre has an exciting smattering of concerts in June including Blind Pilot and 45th Parallel Universal Orchestra, the Pyixs Quartet (which will perform a string quartet by Handel in complete darkness) and Hermitage Piano Trio. In July, the Liberty is also premiering the “Gearhart Hotel Musical.”

Plays like “Nunsense!” and “And Then There Were One” are coming to the Coaster Theatre in Cannon Beach.

There’s also co-ed softball, women’s volleyball and summer league swim teams in Astoria.

Of course there’s the annual summer staples, too: the Scandinavian Festival in June, Fourth of July fireworks over the Columbia River; outdoor movies at Astoria’s McClure Park in July and Fred Lindstrom Memorial Park in August; summer concerts every Saturday in July and August at Cape Disappointment’s Waikiki Beach; concerts and parades; the Astor Street Opry Company’s production of “Shanghaied in Astoria,” the Clatsop County Fair and Seaside Beach Volleyball Tournament.

And don’t forget this year marks the 125th Regatta in Astoria.

Summer is also the best time to try food and drinks at restaurants new and old that embrace the flavors of the season.

It’s also the best time go camping, catch up on some reading and learn a new craft.

Whether this is your first or 50th summer on the North Coast, there’s news things to see and do for everyone. No list of events will be the same, so go find your next adventure. It’s waiting.