• Illustration: Thom Glick

Welcome, campers! With Memorial Day weekend marking the official beginning of summer, it's time to make your to-do lists and get the most out of Vermont's short warm months. Seven Days aims to help by offering the 10 recommendations here. Please note: We're not saying these are the only things to do in Vermont this summer - far from it.

We've omitted many obvious options, either because we're covering them elsewhere in the paper or already did. Our plan is to add to an online tourism resource each year, creating a compendium of fun stuff for Vermonters and visitors alike. Boredom is not an option, people.

In addition to a bazillion events, Vermont offers a spacious spread of natural beauty to explore via bikes, boats, 'blades and breaststrokes. Or, of course, in your gas-guzzler. The good news? You can cross the state and return on a single tank. That's another excellent reason to keep your summer "localvore" - except for forays to our friendly northern neighbor, Québec.

Some of the following suggestions are perennials; some are unique to summer 2008. In other words, if you don't catch them in the next three months, they're gone forever. No pressure, though. Enjoy!

• Visit Electra's Complex: The Shelburne Museum
• Get Some Easy Pickin's: Strawberry Festival in East Thetford
• Take a Hike: Tillotson Camp
• Milk It: The Dairy Festival
• Spread a Blanket: The Northeast Kingdom Music Festival
• Drop 'Em in the Water: The Burlington Boat Show
• Catch an Eagle's Eye: Visiting VINS
• See All the State Become a Stage: Theater in Skinner Barn
• See a Flick Under the Stars: The Sunset Drive-In
• Taste the Terroir: Vermont Wineries