From poolside to park trails, soaking up season’s final weekend in Berks

There were many days this summer when it was too hot — much too hot — to enjoy the outdoors in Berks County.

Remember the June heat wave caused by the oppressive “heat dome”?

Surely you remember soggy July, when humidity clung to the air and daily thunderstorms brought flash flooding.

By mid-August the stickiness broke, only to give way to crisp, almost autumn-like days that felt premature.

But heading into September, the weather evened out. This Labor Day weekend, the unofficial end of summer, brought what many agreed was the best weather of the season — blue skies, warm sunshine and a steady breeze that made the unofficial goodbye to summer a little easier.

Walks and picnics

At the Reading Public Museum Arboretum, midday temperatures lingered in the upper 70s as families, couples, and dog walkers shared the shaded path along Wyomissing Creek. The bubbling current was the main soundtrack, punctuated only by chirping birds and the occasional shout of a child.

Ashley Torres of Millmont chose a quiet spot beneath a tulip poplar to lay down a picnic blanket for her son Jared, 4, and his cousin Sebastian.

Despite some stretches of brutal weather, Torres said she managed to bring the boys outdoors nearly every day this summer — to playgrounds, pickleball courts or simply to collect rocks along the creek.

“We usually bring their bikes, because it’s flat,” she said. “Where we live, we’re on a hill, and it’s bumpy. I feel like we had a pretty good summer. We got outside at least one part of the day most days.”

Nearby, Wyomissing Parkland was equally busy with walkers and cyclists. For Don Mattern, 95, and his partner, Jean Hyer, 90, of Wyomissing, the morning stroll and bench break were restorative.

“This is so lovely here,” Hyer said. “It keeps your spirits up. The smells and listening to the water. It’s just like paradise.”

One last dip

Labor Day also marked the traditional last hurrah for community pools. The Wyomissing Swimming Pool stayed open through the holiday, with families trickling in for one final dip before the gates shut for the season.

Chris George, pool manager, said attendance around Labor Day can be hit-or-miss since school already is back in session.

“It was tough, but luckily our members and the residents here are really understanding,” George said of a the summer’s unsteady weather. “If storms come, we have to close for safety, but usually people are back the next day, happy to enjoy the pool again.”

Among the first through the doors at noon were friends Quinn Kaufmann and Krista Bitting, along with daughters Piper and Scarlett, both 11. The two families are regulars at the pool, taking full advantage of summer before routines resume.

“Oh, we had a great summer,” Kaufmann said. “It was really busy. My husband and I both teach, so summer’s a time for us to regroup. We were at the pool a lot, the girls did camps, and we got outside whenever we could.”

For Bitting, the pool was more than recreation — it was a reprieve.

“I like coming here because then I don’t see my house chores,” she said with a laugh. “We take walks, the girls ride bikes. This area is the best for that. The pool is just the bonus.”

Both moms, more so than their girls, said they’ll be sad to see the winding down of summer.

Closing the chapter

On Monday afternoon the sun was still bright, the breeze steady and the air warm enough to be comfortable at poolside. For many across the area,  the holiday was less about marking the end of summer and more about savoring what it had left to give.

Just like the brown leaves drifting down Wyomissing Creek, change is inevitable — but, for a day, summer held on.

Source: Berkshire mont