There are 99 days from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but all those days don’t really count. Those sultry, sticky weekdays, when we are encumbered by suits and ties, car exhaust and deadlines, somehow don’t mesh with our dreams of long lazy days and even longer ice cold drinks. That’s why we tend to think of summer in terms of that glorious notion of free time. Weekends. Fifteen to be precise. That’s really what summer comes down to, right?

So we’ve packaged your summer in 15 weekends that send you everywhere from the clean-air blue-sky mountains to the gaudy and glitzy Atlantic City casinos. We’ll take you to the Inn at Little Washington to splurge outrageously and shamelessly. We’ll show you how to embrace your inner redneck.

We’ve designed weekends in town and out; for the eater and the drinker; for the thrillseeker and the laid-back tourist.

You can be anything, do anything you want. That’s what summer is all about. Fifteen weekends. Endless possibilities.

May 29-31: Escape the bustle of the big beaches in Ocracoke, N.C.
June 5-6: Adventure on the James River.
June 12-13: Pop open some suds for a redneck weekend.
June 19-20: Have a vacation without leaving the city.
June 26-27: Head to Ashburn for the 3rd Annual Virginia Beer Festival.
July 3-4: July 4th in the nation’s capital.
July 10-11: No summer is complete without theme parks!
July 17-18: Ways to satisfy the thrillseeker in you.
July 24-25: When the weather gets hot head to the ballpark.
July 31-August 1: Enjoy a true boardwalk experience on the Jersey Shore.
August 7-8: Hoist sail for the Chesapeake Bay.
August 14-15: Tour New York without being a stranger.
August 21-22: Set the weekend aside to eat till you drop.
August 28-29: Head for the high ground at Shenandoah National Park.
September 4-5: Where to wallow in unbridled decadence.

Calendar: Plan your own weekend with our interactive calendar.Talk Back: What’s your idea of the perfect weekend getaway?Outdoor Music: Closer to home events