Above: Barbara Drew’s perfect summer day location–the lake in New Hampshire.

At home with friends and family, enjoying a day by the pool, with picnic foods and cold drinks, followed by a visit to a local ice cream shop. – Maria Baratta

Almost anywhere in France. – Beth Brasor

Yellowstone National Park – Sue Busch

John and I love going to Spring Lake at the Jersey shore, and we’re planning to go in September. – Kathie Chaikin

I started thinking about the perfect summer day and realized that if I pinned it down, it would tell me that those days won’t happen anymore. But I loved when the kids were in elementary school, and we went to the family beach house in South Carolina. It was oceanfront so you could go in and out whenever you felt like it. There would be a canopy on the beach so you could have shade if you wanted. The kids were young enough to play in the tide pools and ask you to help them build castles or to go swimming with them. The water is warmer down there, so one could spend hours riding the waves. You could go in to get a snack or lunch on tomato sandwiches and peaches and sit on the screened-in porch with a beer if it was too hot or later after you had enough of the beach. Reading a great book on or off the beach. Many different games being played. Always a good seafood dinner out. Out on the beach again at night to look for crabs, watch the moonlight on the water, or look at the stars. Alas, the kids are bigger, and the beach house is sold. – Parker Cohen

We had a great trip to Switzerland in early September a few years ago, so I would go back in a heartbeat. Surprisingly, it was quite warm! – Scott Cullen

 On a private beach with zero flies and zero jellyfish. – Sara del Castillo 

At the lake in New Hampshire. The lake where we camped as a family when I was a kid and where I have returned for a week with my siblings the past six years. – Barbara Drew

Spring Lake on the Jersey Shore. – John Fowler

I’m more of a mountains than beach person, so it would be somewhere in upper New England or upstate New York, a cabin with a beautiful view, far enough from the hustle and bustle so that I wouldn’t hear traffic or “city” noises but also somewhere where I could get to at least one decent restaurant 20-30 minutes by car. – Mike Gianella

Spring Lake on the Jersey Shore. – John Fowler

I’d stroll along the promenade at Maldon, Essex, looking at the Blackwater estuary, where I learned to sail. I’d turn round at the statue of the Anglo-Saxon warrior Byrhtnoth and continue along the wharf looking at the Thames sailing barges, still plying their trade. Since this is a perfect summer’s day, the Morris men will be dancing, and I’ll watch until the smell of fish and chips draws me into one of the local pubs. And, yes, this is the same Maldon that makes the Maldon Salt you see on your grocer’s shelves. – Michael Howe-Smith

Greenwich Park, London. – Andrew Kidd

In the mountains on a lake, taking in the views, hiking, and enjoying the crisp, cool air. – Dianne Kidd-Ross

Swimming laps at the pool. – Geri Koblis

There are so many beautiful places I’ve been and so, so many more I’ve not yet experienced. I think I’d spend my perfect summer day pretty much anywhere. There are wonders all around us. What would make it perfect is having company with me who’s also open to receiving that wonder. Mountains, rivers, forests, beaches, cities, suburbs, traffic, stuck in an airport. Beauty can be found in all of it. But I would need some shade, wherever I’m at. I need to preserve the “vampire chic” aesthetic I’ve cultivated over the years. – Chris Marietti

Mostly, I do not enjoy summer. I really dislike heat and humidity. If I could spend one perfect summer day anywhere, it would be in the Adirondacks. I would be in my kayak at dawn, paddling through the mist, listening to the loons, and watching the day begin. I would enjoy breakfast with blueberries I picked on yesterday’s hike. After breakfast, I would pack my lunch and head out to hike one of the local peaks. On the way home, I would stop for fresh produce at one of the many roadside stands. After a refreshing shower, I would prepare dinner and eat on my deck, overlooking the lake. If I still have energy, I might get back in the kayak for a sunset paddle. If not, I would curl up with a good book. If it is nice and chilly, I would build a fire and sit outside, listening to the night creatures come out. – Loren McAlister

Reading on the beach, an uncrowded beach with no radios allowed! – Lynne Molnar

Probably at a beach somewhere with a good book. – Jane Root

Banff and Lake Louise. – Steve Saddlemire

The Amalfi Coast with a dip in the brisk Mediterranean and a glass of wine overlooking the sea. – Joe Schenk

So many places to consider, I can’t pick one. Martha’s Vineyard, the Eastern Shore, Cornwall in the U.K. come to mind. – Anne Sears

In the woods, by a lake or river with a good bottle of wine and Roger. – Lynda Shapiro

Magens Bay, St. Thomas. – Roger Shapiro

At this stage of life, location doesn’t matter as much as who I am with. And number one is my wife, Jackie. Walking in the woods, helping in the flower and vegetable garden with her—these bring me peace.  And number two is being with family and friends. Playing pickleball, golf, and looking at the sky and the trees, rabbits, squirrels, and birds in our backyard. – David Thomas

Probably in Maine. We spent many years there while my daughters were growing up—a very special place on Mt. Desert Island. – Dan Tuft

At the beach. – Susan Vigilante