Celebrate the USofA with the Ultimate All-American Summer Agenda

East Coast, West Coast, down South – one thing’s certain across the great USofA: We know how to summer. From inventive state fair dishes to seafood fests and baseball stadiums, here’s how to make the most of the sunny season (like it’s your patriotic duty).

Best Baseball Stadium Food

Baseball stadiums are seriously upping the ante on their concessions, so we’ll have to pass on those peanuts and cracker jacks from now on. At the Met’s Citi Field in New York, taste Shake Shack burgers and Brooklyn Brewery beer, or tuck into fresh Dungeness crab sandwiches at AT&T Park during a San Francisco Giant’s game.

In Baltimore, more specifically Oriole Park at Camden Yard, Boog’s Barbeque is a must – order the smoky pit-roasted beef, coleslaw and baked beans, slow-cooked with bacon and brown sugar. It’s a home run in our book.

Best Drive-In Theaters

Call us old-fashioned, but we love a retro drive-in. And while many aren’t around anymore, there are still a few gems to be found.

Fort Worth’s Coyote Drive-In is known for its live country bands, microbrews and southern eats (Frito pie, anyone?), while Connecticut’s Mansfield Drive-In is a vintage flea market by day and cinema by night.

For the ultimate throwback, head to Stars and Stripes in Lubbock, Texas, where a 1950s-style soda parlor makes homemade milkshakes to go (take that, burnt popcorn!).

Best Patriotic Drinks

Ask anyone to name a few favorite American pastimes and drinking will probably top their list (think about it…not even prohibition could stop us).

Summer-y Mint Julep varieties like pineapple and cranberry hit the outdoor deck at Phoenix newcomer, Okra; unique champagne cocktails are in great demand at Greenwich Village’s Margaux (at the Marlton Hotel); and with a healthy dose of bourbon (as American as a cocktail can get), we head to Barrelhouse Flat in Chicago for the best Old-Fashioned.

Best State Fairs

Deep-fried oreos, s’mores and pickles are just some of the plats du jour served up at our country’s finest state fairs, but there’s certainly more to these events than inventive (read: artery clogging) dishes.

At the Big E in West Springfield, Massachusetts – New England’s premiere state fair (that runs for 17-days straight) – horse shows, 4-H youth livestock shows and signature cream puffs attract millions.

In Louisville, the Kentucky State Fair does things a little differently (though they do have a prestigious horse show themselves), with more of an emphasis on mainstage performers like Reba, Chris Young and Brett Eldredge, competitions for homebrewers, and acrobatic acts held in the Expo Center.

This year, the Minnesota State Fair grandstand entices younger visitors with headliners Weezer, the Dixie Chicks, Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas, but fear not – they’re also packing loads of traditional agricultural exhibits and plenty of (insert literally any food item) on a stick.

Best Water Parks

You don’t have to be water wing-wearing age to feel the thrill of barreling down a waterslide on a hot summer day. So the next time the temperatures soar, resist the temptation to dust off the ‘ol inflatable backyard pool, and corral the crew and opt for some serious water park-grade aqua-tainment instead.

Virginia’s Water Country USA has more than 40 water slides with resort style amenities including poolside eats and a candy shop, plus the nation’s only slide offering both funnel and wave features.

Meanwhile, in Santa Claus, Indiana, daredevils endure long lines for the chance to ride down the Wildebeest, the longest waterslide in the world. But if you’re not one for roller-coaster-like-thrills, don’t worry, there’s something for you too.

Best Ice Cream Cones

Nothing tastes more like summer than ice cream. And while you can’t go wrong with old-school favorites, you really don’t want to miss the brilliant flavors on tap this summer. Moomer’s serve up 160 varieties of homemade ice cream on a family-run dairy pasture in Traverse City.

Dig your spoon into the Cinnamon Pumpkin Crisp and after, hop on a wagon ride tour around the expansive farm. Prefer for your scoops to be spiked? The Comfy Cow – a 6,500-square-foot ice cream palace in Louisville, KY – churns out the crowd-pleasing Bourbon Ball, which is laced with Old Forester.

If you’re looking for a happy medium between old and new-school flavors, The Juice Bar in Nantucket puts a killer spin on basic vanilla with the Crantucket – a creamy, vanilla ice cream with mashed chocolate-covered cranberries in a homemade waffle cone. Drool.

Best Swimming Holes

Sometimes, summer gets hot in all the wrong ways and finding a place to cool down becomes a priority.

Those in NYC should take to the Olympic-size, public Hamilton Fish Park pool (it’s kept exceptionally clean – we swear) on the Lower East Side.

Down in Austin, the three-acre Barton Springs Pool is a perfect testament to the Texas’ claim that they do everything “bigger and better.” Tucked away in Ziker Park, the mammoth year-round swimming hole (which maintains a steady temp of 70 degrees) has been drawing swimmers and sunbathers for decades – no surprise given adult passes run at $3 and $8 (for resident and non-resident, respectively).

Best Seafood Fests

It’s finally the season of seafood! Kick off the eatathon in the Florida panhandle near Destin, (Fort Walton Beach, to be exact) for the best crawfish boil around. Boats dock at the waterfront Cafe Italia 189, where there’s live music, a manmade beach, and a tiki hut with piles of fresh crawdads.

Up north, Maine holds a mean annual lobster fest with some of the country’s best crustaceans, and Maryland has a crab and beer feast that hauls in more than 30,000 blue crabs.

Best Lake Towns

Summer on the lake is a tradition for many Americans, and with such great variety across our country’s regions – there’s a retreat for every type of traveler. Lake Winnipesaukee may be hidden away in one of the tiniest states – hey, New Hampshire – but that hasn’t stopped it from becoming a sought-out destination for New Englanders and celebs alike (just ask Jimmy Fallon or Drew Barrymore).

Boating, fishing, ziplining, shopping, scenic drives, you name it – and NH’s Lakes Region has it. Montana may be a landlocked state, but when it comes to freshwater romps, Bigfork pulls out the big guns (see what we did there).

Go fly fishing by day (our rec goes to Bigfork Anglers) and catch shows at the Bigfork Summer Playhouse by night.

Best Beer Gardens

Let’s get one thing straight: Americans love their beer (just ask Budweiser), and in the summer, beer gardens are hopping. Take Astoria’s Bohemian Hall, where New Yorkers pack the picnic tables in the massive backyard for live music, Czech beer and a Slavic menu of sauerkraut, schnitzel and potato pierogies.

In LA, the Bavarian Wurstküche bar is popular for beers and brats by the beach (Venice Beach, that is). Choose from 24 imported brews on tap – try a potent pint of La Trappe, a Dutch variety made by Trappist monks – as well as exotic menu items like rattlesnake or crocodile sausage with Belgian fries.

For one of the most robust selections of ales and IPAs, Sheffield’s in Chicago has more than 130 craft brews.

This article was published through a partnership with Jetsetter magazine. Read the original story: Your Ultimate All-American Summer by Chelsea Stuart, a regular contributor to Jetsetter.

More from Jetsetter:

• Photos of Beautiful Walking Trails
• The Dreamiest Honeymoon Destinations
• 10 Travel Accessories to Buy On Amazon

---