It’s summertime, and for the people of Bradford that means a season full of outdoor adventure. “We plan on visiting all the hidden gems in the local area,” said Michael Forney of Bradford. Forney, and his daughter Mychael, have visited many of the local outdoor areas.

“We’ve been all over the place. We’ve been to Allegany State Park, the Kinzua Dam, we’ve seen all the bigger places in the local area, so we’re going to try something new this summer,” he said. His daughter, Mychael, was eager to explain what exactly they had planned.

“This summer, we’re gonna try and find some spots of our own — hidden swimming holes and fishing spots. It’s gonna be fun to mark them on the map,” she said.

Tomi Dolan, also of Bradford, has plans of her own for the summer. “I love the summer. I get to do all the things I love like enjoy the downtown events and traveling. I especially love being able to ride horses. It’s just my favorite time of the year,” she said.

Jennifer Wright, formerly of Bradford, traveled all the way from Florida to spend her summer vacation in Bradford.

“We always come back to the area,” Wright said. “ We just went and visited the Arts on the Island in Smethport. Now we plan on visiting the state parks and just enjoying the weather. It’s nice and warm here, but we get a cooler breeze than we do in Florida, so it’s nice to spend the summers here,” she said.

Although the summer has officially begun, it seems the spring is holding on to the weather, with rain and thunderstorms scattered throughout the next week. Friday will see thunderstorms, but Saturday and Sunday are hopeful days for the folks of Bradford looking to take to the outdoors with clear skies in the mid 70 degrees.

Events this weekend include the Relay For Life of McKean County, taking place at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, and the 20th Penn’s Woods Jeep Jamboree which starts at Pitt-Bradford.