Looking for something fun to do? Check out some of our SouthCoast summer favorites.

August feels like the Sunday of summer. It's the final stretch before school is back in session and life starts to get a little more hectic. That doesn't mean there isn't plenty of time left to enjoy the nice weather and explore the SouthCoast.

To give readers a head start on some fun things to do this month, we asked some of our writers for their favorite summer places and activities and not surprisingly, we got a variety of answers.

Maybe you share some memories of these places or they will now be added to your list of things to do.

Whether you like to hike and explore, indulge in a frozen treat, or want to check out a new restaurant here are some of our SouthCoast favorites.

Fort Barton

360 Highland Road, Tiverton, R.I.

A favorite summer activity from my childhood remains a favorite activity to this day: hiking the trails at Fort Barton in Tiverton, and then ending the outing with a climb up the observation tower for a truly glorious view of Tiverton, Portsmouth, Newport, and beyond. Fort Barton Woods, located off Highland Avenue in Tiverton (just down the street from my grandparent's old house), offers 3.5 miles of relatively easy trails along Sin and Flesh Brook. When we were young, my siblings and cousins thought these trails were pretty darn exotic, and climbing the tower was a magnificent feat (granted, we were like 8 years old). The site is named for Lt. Col. William Barton, who managed to capture British Commanding General Richard Prescott during the Revolutionary War (tales that he led the general out of his Portsmouth headquarters in his pajamas was reportedly a morale booster for American troops!).

— Lynne Sullivan, Regional Executive Editor, The Herald News, Standard-Times, Taunton Daily Gazette, and Brockton Enterprise

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Pier 3

51 MacArthur Dr., New Bedford

Customers walk past the newly opened Mirasol's Cafe Express at Pier 3 in New Bedford.
Customers walk past the newly opened Mirasol's Cafe Express at Pier 3 in New Bedford.

New Bedford's Pier 3 has continued to become a hot spot in the city with so much to do from fine dining, ice cream, sightseeing, and now coffee. With Mirasol's Cafe Express now offering its Chippi from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., the pier is now completely full of things to do. At The Black Whale, (under the same ownership as Cisco Brewers in the South End, which is also another fun place to go this summer), you can get a bunch of tasty treats such as their grilled swordfish kebobs, lobster roll, and mussels Mozambique.

There's also the Whale Tail Clam Bar with a flavorful clam chowder as well as their must-try fried clams. For dessert, Acushnet Creamery serves up some delicious treats -- and for someone who has tried several ice cream places around town -- this little house is not to be overlooked. My favorite flavor is black raspberry.

Finally, the view is the best part of Pier 3. Aside from the Seaport Artwalk on MacArthur Drive, observing the scenic New Bedford harbor and fishing vessels (especially at sunset) is the place to be to end another fun summer night in New Bedford.

— Seth Chitwood, Special Projects Reporter, The Standard-Times

Broad Cove

Broad Cove St., Somerset

This is where Broad Cove meets the mighty Taunton River estuary, on the town line between Somerset and Dighton. I love to stop here for a few minutes on a summer evening bike ride, enjoy the seemingly perpetual cooling breeze, and enjoy the view both ways, Cove-ward and estuary-ward. A disturbing fact about someone who loves maps and geography: It’s just been in the last year or so that I’ve realized when looking out across the Taunton River estuary from here, it’s Berkley, not Assonet, staring me in the face.

— Greg Sullivan, Correspondent, The Herald News

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Feast of the Blessed Sacrament

50 Madeira Ave., New Bedford

Carne de Espeto being cooked at the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament.
Carne de Espeto being cooked at the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament.

Among summer's highlights is my mother's and I's trip to the Festa do Santissimo Sacramento - the Madeira Feast. We arrive after noon, a vane attempt to beat the multitudes sure to come. We maneuver ourselves towards a flaming chasm surrounded by merrymakers laying long, metal stakes of carne de espeto (think kabobs, but more Portuguese) to roast above it. The smells of the barbecue, the chefs rotating their specimens, and adding spritzes of homemade marinade, make it a communion with the Portuguese culture that is my heritage. This is what I call home.

My happiest recent memory was in 2019 at the Festa do Santissimo Sacramento aka the Madeira Feast. My mom and I just went to the BBQ pit after renting our stake and buying our meat we'd go to the pit and assemble the various parts before jockeying for a spot at the barbecue pit. After making sure there was enough space on both sides to mount the stake, relax and chat with loved ones. Allow your senses to be overtaken by the smells of grilled meat and the conversations of those gathered - many with their own special recipe marinades, packed in a spray bottle, ready to launch the long-distances to ensure the juiciness of the day's feast.

— Kevin G. Andrade, Senior Reporter, The Standard-Times

Gooseberry Island

E Beach Road, Westport

A man and young boy build a sandcastle on Gooseberry Island in Westport.
A man and young boy build a sandcastle on Gooseberry Island in Westport.

One of the best summer spots on the South Coast is Gooseberry Island. This Department of Conservation and Recreation island off mainland Westport is located at the end of Route 88. Town residents with beach stickers can park on a small lot adjacent to a bridge to the island a destination within itself for those who just want to sit in their cars and watch the waves. For those who want to hike, bike, swim, or kayak, Gooseberry provides those opportunities on the island, where parking is free. At the beach, residents can swim, launch a boat or just relax in the sand. The waves are just the right size for those who like moderate waves to accompany a refreshing swim. Hikers can pick any path. All trails lead to the same place – a picturesque rocky shore. Gooseberry sunsets are awe-inspiring. The park is open from dusk to dawn so watching the sun fade into the SouthCoast sky is a great way to end a summer’s day.

— Jeff Wagner, Correspondent, The Herald News and Standard-Times

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Tom & Jimmy's

337 Winthrop St., Taunton

Get your summer treat at Tom and Jimmy’s in Taunton.
Get your summer treat at Tom and Jimmy’s in Taunton.

One of the best things about summer in Taunton is Tom & Jimmy's. There isn't very much that I enjoy about summer, but Tom & Jimmy's mint chocolate chip ice cream is the best, and it takes the sting out of the insufferably hot weather. They've got just the right amount of mint, and big chunks of rich, dark chocolate. The only thing better? Grabbing a new book from Readmore (conveniently across the street from them!) and then enjoying that nice, mint chocolate chip ice cream.

— Kristina Fontes, Digital Producer, The Herald News and Taunton Gazette.

Bicentennial Park

1 Brownell St., Fall River

The state's official monument to Gold Star families is located at Bicentennial Park in Fall River.
The state's official monument to Gold Star families is located at Bicentennial Park in Fall River.

What better way to end a summer day than with a family walk by the water? Fall River’s boardwalk is a special place great for people watching and for getting some exercise. But the most impressive part for me is the stop in Bicentennial Park. This place is just extraordinary and it’s located right here in Fall River. Of course, there’s the replica of the Iwo Jima monument (more formally known as the United States Marine Corps War Memorial), a sculpture made by Felix de Weldon and based on a photograph of six Marines who raised the U.S. flag on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. The newest memorial is a replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., a powerful tribute to U.S. forces killed or missing in action during the Vietnam War. But the one that really gets me is the Gold Star Families Memorial. The cutout of the saluting soldier is so poignant - the death of these soldiers has literally left a hole in their families. You can’t just jog past these monuments - they draw you in, to pause and to reflect. I don’t want to say the mood is somber - while the loss of these service members is heartbreaking, the mood in the park is more reflective. One could even say it’s thankful, for their service.

— Lynne Sullivan, Regional Executive Editor, The Herald News, Standard-Times, Taunton Daily Gazette, and Brockton Enterprise

Wood’s Ice Cream

17 Adamsville Road, Westport

Wood's Ice Cream in Westport.
Wood's Ice Cream in Westport.

Wood’s Ice Cream on Adamsville Road in Westport also is a must-visit destination.  It’s surrounded by farmland. So, ice cream lovers can enjoy their cones while petting goats or watching chickens and cows. As long as your dog behaves around farm animals, you can bring your four-legged friends. There are even a few menu items for them. The ice cream is pretty good as well, offering a variety of flavors, cones, generous scoops (a small ice cream is considered a large to this writer), and a Moose Tracks flavor to die for.

— Jeff Wagner, Correspondent, The Herald News and Standard-Times

Schultzy’s Snack Shack

346 Park Ave., Portsmouth, R.I.

Schultzy's Snack Shack is open for the season.
Schultzy's Snack Shack is open for the season.

The SouthCoast rules get bent, just a tad, with this choice for a special summer place. I take you to the Island Park area of Portsmouth where Schultzy’s Snack Shack, a summer season restaurant on Park Avenue, sits virtually on the scenic Sakonnet River. My old belly doesn’t handle fried foods well – french fries are somehow gastronomically exempt – but when I want/need fried clams, I MUST HAVE. We enjoy the 20-minute drive from Somerset to Island Park, especially the final mile or so south along Park Ave. I believe opting for the second exit into Portsmouth actually makes for a quicker ride, but we love the eclectic (hate when people use that word; bad Greg) collection of homes and businesses along Park. Schultzy’s offers no indoor dining, but who cares with the broad Sakonnet staring you in the face? There are a handful of picnic tables and there’s the beach wall just steps away across the street. Somehow, we always seem to get to Schultzy’s when the ordering line is short. That line usually doubles and triples in size in the ensuing five minutes. I’ve been known to bring my own can of Pepsi. Schultzy, by the way, is a nice person. And living just a minute away is my longtime friend Dave Medeiros and his wife Mary-jo (a big Petticoat Junction fan).

- Greg Sullivan, Correspondent, The Herald News

In this Herald News file photo from 2019, the ingredients for salads are placed in a bowl for the Lebanese mahrajan at St. Anthony of the Desert in Fall River.
In this Herald News file photo from 2019, the ingredients for salads are placed in a bowl for the Lebanese mahrajan at St. Anthony of the Desert in Fall River.

Lebanese mahrajan

This summer I'm thrilled to see feasts and festivals returning to the SouthCoast. I can't wait to see the Great Feast of the Holy Ghost crown return to Fall River's Kennedy Park in a few weeks and it was nice to see the return of the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament in New Bedford last weekend. While those are the "big ones' on the SouthCoast, my personal favorite is St. Anthony of the Desert's Lebanese festival known as a mahrajan. I wrote a story about it several years ago when the church revived the mahrajan tradition and had a chance to meet many of the long-time devoted parishioners as they prepped fare for the event that year. On the menu that year was "500 pounds of shish kebab, 500 pounds of chicken kebab, 5,000 stuffed grape leaves, 43 trays of kibbee, 200 pounds of hummus and 400 pounds of tabouli." I'm happy to see that the mahrajan is back again this summer running from Friday, Aug. 26 to Sunday, Aug. 28 on the church grounds at 300 Eastern Ave., Fall River.

Buttonwood Park Zoo

425 Hawthorn St., New Bedford

One of the sea otters at the Buttonwood Park Zoo.
One of the sea otters at the Buttonwood Park Zoo.

I know, I know — Buttonwood Park Zoo is always on these listings, but when I think of my favorite SouthCoast activity it is the first on the list. I can't help but think of a time when I was younger and you could feed peanuts to Emily! Or recall watching how my children's faces would light up as the train wound through the zoo. It has always been our family's go-to place for generations to enjoy an afternoon. There may be larger zoos in Mass with more animals, but none will ever hold as many memories for us of grandparents, parents, and children enjoying Sally the otter swimming in loops and Ruth the elephant basking in the sun.

— Faith Harrington, Editorial Assistant, The Standard-Times

Kilburn Mill

127 W Rodney French Blvd., New Bedford

A view from the roof at the Kilburn Mill. The rooftop bar is open on Sundays from 5 p.m to 9 p.m. for a sunset concert series.
A view from the roof at the Kilburn Mill. The rooftop bar is open on Sundays from 5 p.m to 9 p.m. for a sunset concert series.

If you need a place to escape from the hot sun, the Kilburn Mill offers a full day of activities. Built in 1903, the former cotton and textile mill building in the city overlooking Clark's Cove is full of small businesses, a great breakfast/lunch place, a rooftop bar, and other activities such as yoga, arts and crafts, and a selfie museum.

Supporting small businesses is one of my favorite activities and Kilburn offers several locally owned places such as a flower shop, a crystal store, a used shoe business, and a very impressive doll museum store and museum. There's also a gym, a dance studio, and a place to do yoga overlooking the water. The second floor also has an artisan center offering art classes throughout the week and a selfie museum with fun backdrops to take that perfect photo for Instagram.

There is also Antiques at the Cove where people can get lost antiquing in their humongous space full of, well, pretty much everything. And when it's time to eat the Dough Company is a must-try, especially for their blueberry lemon pancakes and Mozambique potatoes. It's a great place for food or at the very least a flavorful coffee to grab-and-go before heading back into the mill for more exploring.

Then, I highly suggest ending the day at the rooftop bar listening to live music and toasting to the gorgeous sunset over New Bedford after enjoying another fun summer day in the SouthCoast.

—Seth Chitwood, Special Projects Reporter, The Standard-Times

Olaff is Standard-Times Reporter Matthew Ferreira's bearded dragon.
Olaff is Standard-Times Reporter Matthew Ferreira's bearded dragon.

Sometimes you don't even need to leave your own backyard:

In the summertime my family enjoys letting our bearded dragon, Olaff, spend time outside. His species needs a lot of warmth so summertime is when he gets to hang outdoors the most. The rest of the year, when he's not hanging in his vivarium, he's playing hide-and-seek around the house. (He only hides, but he's good at it.)

— Matthew Ferreira, Reporter, The Standard-Times

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Things to do in Fall River and New Bedford