As I spent my holiday visiting family in Vermont, I noticed that airports are bustling, highways are filled with campers and motorcycles and John Hodgman is preparing for his annual vacation in Maine. If the passage of Memorial Day wasn’t enough of a signal, those hallmarks show that summer has arrived.

From summiting 14,000-foot mountains to touring the state’s many breweries, there are hundreds of guidebooks telling folks what activities to do now that the sun is out and the weather is warm. Rather than repeat those perfect ideas, I’ll share some pop culture-focused suggestions on how to entertain one’s self. Think of these like a condensed version of my holiday gift guide.

Grab a book — Speaking of Maine, Stephen King just released “The Outsider,” a new page-turner that’s part horror and part police procedural. Breezy beach reads that are as scary as they are entertaining always make for a fun time. On the non-fiction side, David Sedaris and Michael Chabon both have new, poignant essay collections. In “Calypso,” Sedaris writes about his late mother and sister while grappling with his own mortality. “Pops” has Chabon musing on what it means to be a father. Combining both the police and non-fiction genres is Michelle McNamara’s true-crime book “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark.” Published posthumously two years after her death, it helped recently catch the Golden State Killer.

Go to the movies — Any theater will do, but now is also the perfect time to pull into a drive-in, splurge on a gorgeous IMAX premiere or relax by the water viewing classics on inflatable screens. With “Deadpool 2” and “Solo: A Star Wars Story” already out the summer blockbuster season is bound to be big. Soon we’ll be able to return to action packed worlds with “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” and “Ant Man and the Wasp.” “Ocean’s 8,” another sequel, takes everyone’s favorite heist flicks and gives it an all-star, all-female cast. If you’re looking for something a bit more eerie, neo-noir “Under the Silver Lake” and the grim “Hotel Artemis” are poised to deliver original tales. For the kids, and the young at heart, the much-anticipated “Incredibles 2” will surely delight.

See a concert — You can tell it’s summer when music floats freely in the air. Alamosa Live Music Association’s Sundays at Six series begins next month with Rebecca Folsom and continues for eight more weeks afterwards. Soon the train will be departing the station for performances in the foothills of Fir. There folks can hear Chris J. Arellano, Peter Yarrow, Pam Tillis and more. Outside of the San Luis Valley, there’s the ever-popular Red Rocks venue and a multitude of music festivals such as the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, the Jazz Aspen Festival and Fort Collin’s Bohemian Nights.

Binge — Summer used to be nothing but reruns though that thankfully isn’t the case anymore. While there may be a deluge of reality shows filling that hole, I find “Hollywood Game Night” to stand above the rest with its blend of trivia and humor. If you enjoyed her White House Correspondents’ Dinner performance then Netflix’s “The Break With Michelle Wolf” will keep you laughing weekly. Also on Netflix, both “GLOW” and “Luke Cage” return for a second season of fantastic punching and upbeat soundtracks. Season 11 of the award-winning “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” is currently underway and every mesmerizing travelogue will give you ideas on how to spend your next vacation.

Download some tunes — I normally don’t recommend music because tastes are so personal. However, road trips and plane rides are the perfect opportunity to fire up a playlist and find this year’s “Despacito.” New albums by CHVRCHES, Snow Patrol, Arctic Monkeys and Beach House will fire up your engines. Also be on the look out for upcoming releases such as Dirty Projectors’ “Lamp Lit Prose”, Neko Case’s “Hell-On,” and Florence + The Machine’s “High as Hope.”

Travel to Creede — You could travel anywhere in the wonderful Centennial State, but Creede has a lot happening for both Valley residents and visitors. The small, artsy town comes alive in the summer with shows at the Creede Repertory Theatre and special events frequently happening on Main Street. You can run along the Rio Grande at three different distances for the Runoff Runoff, watch pack burro races during the Donkey Dash and glimpse wild creations the following day at the Gravity Derby. If the signature shows are what excite you the most, be sure to watch the paper next week for my review of CRT’s “Barefoot in the Park.”