Month: April 2018

Summer 2018 Bucket List

Spring is FINALLY here and Michigan is excited! After the tough winter we had, it’s obvious we’re all pretty pumped about the warmer weather. We’ve been dreaming of outdoor activities for months now and it’s time to get those on our calendars! In order to keep you from getting overwhelmed with your options for this Spring/Summer, we’ve put together a list of activities for the ultimate summer!

Hiking: Pick a trail! There’s plenty of options for this activity in Michigan. Google hiking trails near you and I’m sure you’ll have tons of choices! Make a day of it and take your time enjoying the fresh air. Take a camera and capture the scenery!

Hammocking: An up and coming “activity” that doesn’t involve much effort at all. Take your hammock anywhere and just relax. Bring a book to read or just take a nap! It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you’re having fun and enjoying nature.

Tie-dying: More fun than you think! This is an activity that I always do outside so that I don’t get any unwanted dye in the house. Do this outside to enjoy the weather and let your new creations dry faster in the outdoors! Now you’ll have something unique and stylish to wear for your other summer activities!

Tubing: Who doesn’t like floating down a river with your family and friends? This is a no-effort, time consuming activity. Plan for a whole day in the sun! Bring food, drinks, and A LOT of sunscreen. It’ll feel nice and cool in the water but the sun will be very direct. You don’t want to get heat stroke so sunscreen and drinking water will be necessary!

Kayaking: This activity is pretty similar to the Tubing (see above). The only difference is that this one involves a little more effort and will go faster. You have the option of just sitting back and floating down the river, OR you can paddle and move a lot faster. This is more of an arm/back work out and is still an absolute blast! Strap a cooler on your kayak and make a day of it. This is a great way to have fun in the outdoors and get some exercise at the same time.

Paddle boarding: I’ve only done this once but it was so fun! Make sure you’re prepared to fall into the water because any change in balance could have you in the lake. This is more often done on a lake in the open water and is more active.

Bonfire: Everyone loves a good bonfire! Make some s’mores, stay up late, and tell some wild stories. A bonfire is one of the most classic summertime activities and they never get old.

Meteor shower: There’s usually at least 1 big meteor shower every summer and they are spectacular! These are typically in August and can be seen from anywhere. It’s best to have a more rural area to watch from, if you’re in town the lights will make it more difficult to see the stars. Usually if you just watch the news, they’ll tell you when this is what the best times are to go outside and watch this happening. Otherwise, you can google it and find a TON of info. Meteor showers are amazing and they’re worth it to stay up late for. You might lose a little bit of sleep, but you won’t regret it!

Picnic: Eating food, enjoying fresh air, and catching rays all sound like a good time to me! Let’s have more picnics this summer. We eat 3 meals a day, at least one of them can be outside! Using your lunch break as some time to get some air will make for a more peaceful rest of your work day. You don’t have to go too far, wherever there’s a lush spot of grass there can be a picnic!

Camping (the real kind): We’re talking tents, campfires, hammocks, and coolers. Spend the night in the great outdoors and eat some delicious fire food while you’re there. Camping is a great way to get some peace and quiet while appreciating nature. Camping is good for your soul and will rejuvenate you.  

Visit one of the Great Lakes: We’re so blessed to have access to the largest bodies of fresh water. We need to take advantage of them and go and see them! Swim or just lay on the beach. These lakes are so beautiful you could just spend all day gazing at them. There’s endless options and so many opportunities! I encourage you to spend a day at the lake this summer, do it for yourself.

 JUST A REMINDER – now that spring is upon us, more parties and gatherings are going to be held in our backyards. Graduation parties, open houses, weddings, receptions, and other large get-togethers may get out of hand. It’s always a good idea to get an insurance policy for those types of situations. They’re usually pretty cheap and it’ll keep you covered in the event of an accident. ALSO – be sure to call your insurance company when you update your home or vehicles. If you’re updating your home, there’s discount opportunities for those new features, make sure you call to keep your insurance up to date and get all possible discounts.

Having a recreational vehicle is a wonderful thing. It gives you a chance to have some real fun in the outdoors! Whether you’re on the lake in your family boat or riding backwoods trails on your bike or ATV, these are all summer activities that we enjoy and participate it. The only part of these hobbies that isn’t exciting, is that they’re dangerous. We need to make sure that your outdoor, summertime toys are protected and also that you have liability for those as well.

Now that all of the recreational vehicles are coming out of storage it’s time to just remind everyone of some basic safety tips when driving!

1. Always look twice in both directions before moving forwards. There may be a smaller vehicle, like a motorcycle, that you didn’t see the first time. A quick glance in each direction isn’t going to cut it in the summer.

2. Give people with trailers, campers, and mobile homes more room to make wide turns. Those vehicles need a lot of space and it’s better for everyone if we just give them some additional room to safely make the turns they need to.

3. Give people with trailers, campers, and mobile homes more stopping distance. Those vehicles are also very heavy and will need more time to reach a full stop. All other vehicles need to be prepared for that.

4. Wear a helmet. If you’re riding any vehicle that doesn’t have a complete exterior surrounding all drivers and passengers then a helmet is a good idea. It may not be the law to wear a helmet, but it’s always good to protect your head. These accidents are often fatal and wearing a helmet can prevent that.

5. When riding/driving recreational vehicles on trails, it’s important to have a flag on your vehicle so people can see you from a distance and through the woods. This way, when vehicles come from other directions or crossing trails, they’ll see you better. Also make sure your headlights are on.

6. When riding/driving recreational vehicles on trails, make sure you’re aware of all of the ways and rules of participating in those activities. You’ll need your helmet for sure. You’ll need to know how to use the number system when there’s multiple people in your group so the other traffic can prepare for the other members of your party. The number system is just clearly displaying (using your left hand) how many vehicles are behind you in your group. This will keep all opposing traffic prepared for what’s coming.

7. Always know your surroundings. When riding on trails, it’s important to know the lay of the land. You don’t want to get lost and you don’t want to get hurt. Many trails look the same so getting lost is easy. Keep a map with you and make sure you’re aware of what checkpoint you’re at (or closest to). You’ll also need to now this in case of an emergency. It will take an ambulance a long time to get back on those trails so knowing the nearest check point can easily cut that time in half.

We’re all stoked for summer so let’s make sure we all cooperate and follow these rules together! It will make the warm weather and late nights much more enjoyable when we feel a little safer. Make sure you get all of your recreational vehicles insured before driving them, for your safety and the vehicle itself. If you would like a quote, contact any personal lines agent at our agency! Our contact info can be found here http://www.allins.com/content/employees.aspx

Enjoy your weekend and drive safe!