End of Summer Fun

Just because the kids have gone back to school and the days have started getting shorter doesn’t mean summer fun has to end. There are still plenty of opportunities to enjoy what’s left of the dwindling season. You can extend your warm weather adventures with these activities all over the country.

BhaktiFest

Get your zen on to ward off winter gloom at one of the largest outdoor yoga music festivals in the world. BhaktiFest originated on the stage of Woodstock when founder Sridhar Silberfein looked over the crowd of 500,000 before introducing his Swami for an invocation, and promised he would someday bring together this many to celebrate the power of love with kirtan music and yoga. Forty years later, he did just that by assembling the best yoga teachers, Eastern spiritual leaders and musicians from around the world and bringing them to Joshua Tree. BhaktiFest, which loosely translates to a devotional opening of the heart, was soon followed by ShaktiFest, a celebration of the feminine divine that coincides every year with Mother’s Day. This year, BhaktiFest is offering families a special rate for two adults and up to four kids for only $315, that’s more than half off the regular rate of $700. This includes all activities in the Family Village and kids are welcome in all workshops and yoga classes in this drug- and alcohol-free event. This is your family’s chance to salute the sun while it’s still shining. BhaktiFest runs Sept. 25–30.

Endless Santa Monica Summer

Everyday through Sept. 30 is an opportunity for family fun at Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade’s Experiment Stage. Bring your kids, your honey and your dance shoes to Salsa Familia Sundays, where you can sway to the setting sun with instruction offered before the dancing begins. Monday afternoons, celebrity fitness instructor Selah Victor will incorporate her 14-month-old son into a challenging fitness routine you too can practice with your baby or child. A good laugh can relieve the sadness of saying goodbye to summer on Thursdays when the Westside Comedy Theater will have you laughing into fall during the family-friendly comedy routines. Fridays are a grab-bag of family fun as activities vary so check the website for details. All events are free.

At Yogi Kids Land by Sandra Godin

Lost Paddle Rafting

Get lost in summer on the Arkansas River in Cañon City, Colorado, to escape the coming snow by taking one of the full- or half-day river rafting trips with Lost Paddle Rafting. About 120 miles from Denver, you can soak in the last bits of heat with a splash in one of the many swimming holes you’ll float by. You may even spot some wildlife as they stock up their food supplies along the river for the winter. Your guides will help with everything. This is the perfect way to learn about white water rafting and kids as young as 6 are welcome. Your end of summer adventure can even include an overnight trip with a chef-created dinner and dutch oven dessert. Half-day trips start at $52, overnights at $369 and go until October. If you like the idea of a Colorado river, but not the actual river part, you can still float in a river-like setting at Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center’s lazy river. They’re saying goodbye to summer with a special Swim and Stay deal that gives the kids access to all the waterpark activities and even a sweet little summer gift bag.

Yellowstone

You can ditch the crowds in Yellowstone National Park in September, when temperatures average in the 60s and everyone but the wildlife has left the park. Austin Adventures creates customized, all-inclusive tour packages that will let your little explorers savor every last bit of sunshine while they witness Old Faithful blasting into the air and giggle at the belching antics of Mud Volcano. You’ll navigate the landscape on horseback and raft, hiking in to discover many still untouched bits of park land. At the end of the day, slip into one of the natural hot springs for some R and R, Mother Nature style. There’s no better way to end the season.