Camps close. Schools begin. Labor Day looms.

But don’t say goodbye to summer yet. It’s not over. You’ve got things to do, and time to do them, a month, to be precise.

Rejoice. Enjoy. Live a little.

We’ve got some suggestions, some quintessential ways to seize the season and to experience the last blast of summer.

Go outside.

Okay, suit yourself. Go inside. Now’s the time. The days are numbered before the Haffenreffer Museum in Bristol closes its doors. And when they close behind you, savor the open air.

Take in a free concert — blues, jazz, whatever suits you. Take a dip; seek out a swimming hole. Or take a walk — in a park, or in a park-like place: a winery. We’ve got a few of them.

Or maybe you could take in a show-to-go: a drive-in movie. Set sail, assuming you know how. And if you don’t, learn.

Pack a picnic, and the family. Polo’s played every weekend in Portsmouth.

Pick a flavor, and a cone. Nothing says summer like ice cream.

Pack a picnic for polo in Portsmouth1

Polo players practice at the polo fields at Glen Farm in Portsmouth.

The Providence Journal / Kris Craig

Horse around. Portsmouth is the place. Every Saturday through September you can see power at play: polo, half-ton horses running at 40 mph.

“It’s an action-packed sport,” said Agnes Keating, general manager of the Newport International Polo Series. “It’s 10 times the speed of man, so it’s very different from watching a baseball or football game.”

The series is in its 17th season. Among this year’s remaining notable competitors are teams from England and South Africa.

If you’re new to polo, here’s a primer: Each team has four riders who change horses after each of six periods, called chukkers, which are seven minutes long. The players use mallets to hit a ball on an 800-by-400-foot field, trying to put the ball between two posts, 24 feet apart, at each end.

The event is presented by the Newport Polo Club, the oldest polo club in the country, now in its 132nd year. The matches take place at Glen Farm in Portsmouth.

“It’s like going to a lovely park. Children love the setting, the open fields.”

The remaining August matches start at 5 p.m.; those in September are at 4 p.m. Spectators are encouraged to turn the match into a social event. Pack a picnic. Come early. The gates open two hours before the matches. Admission is $10, free for those 15 and younger. A match program will help you understand the game, as will the announcer of the match.

For more information: www.glenfarm.com, (401) 847-7090.

— Bryan Rourke

Ocean State’s wineries are worth the sip1

Greenvale Vineyards of Portsmouth produces this Greenvale Chardonnay.

JOURNAL FILES

While it may never rival Napa Valley, the Ocean State boasts more than a half-dozen wineries, many of which offer homegrown versions of Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir and other popular varietals. Bragging rights as the state’s oldest winery go to Sakonnet Vineyards, which opened in Little Compton in 1975 and continues to produce award-winning wines under current owners Susan and Earl Samson. Other wineries worth seeking out include Newport Vineyards and Winery in Middletown, Diamond Hill Vineyard in Cumberland, Langworthy Farm Winery in Westerly. All have tasting rooms where visitors can sample recent vintages and some, like Sakonnet, also sponsor cooking demonstrations, musical performances and other activities. For a special end-of-summer experience, try Greenvale Vineyards, which occupies a stunning 50-acre site overlooking the Sakonnet River in Portsmouth. Besides producing some top-notch wines, Greenvale sponsors a weekly jazz series every Saturday (1 to 4 p.m.) through October.

For more information:

Diamond Hill Vineyard (Cumberland): 800-752-2502, www.favorlabel.com

Greenvale Vineyards (Portsmouth): 401-847-3777, www.greenvale.com

Langworthy Farm Winery (Westerly): 888-355-7083, www.langworthyfarm.com

Newport Vineyards and Winery (Middletown): 401-848-5161, www.newportvineyards.com

Sakonnet Vineyards (Little Compton): 800-919-4637, www.sakonnetwine.com

Shelalara Vineyards and Winery (Warwick): 401-623-8606, www.shelalara.com

— Bill Van Siclen

Top 10 freshwater swimming holes1

Cassandra Bey, left, of Providence and Milton Goncalves, right, of Pawtucket cool off in Olney Pond at Lincoln Woods State Park.

The Providence Journal / Bill Murphy

Even though we’re known far and wide as the Ocean State, Rhode Island has its share of great freshwater places to swim.

Here are our Top 10 picks for swimming holes:

1. Watchaug Pond (Burlingame State Park Picnic Area, Route 1 Charlestown). Covering about 1,000 acres, Watchaug is one of Rhode Island’s largest bodies of water, and the sandy beach in Burlingame State Park is the best place to jump in a lake in the state. Surrounded by tall stands of oaks and pines, the beach looks as if it might be someplace in Maine. Another sandy beach is across the lake: It’s part of Burlingame Camping Area, used by campers in the popular state park. Info at www.riparks.com

2. Wallum Lake (Douglas State Forest, 107 Wallum Lake Rd., Douglas, Mass.). Beautiful Wallum Lake sits astride the state border, half in Rhode Island and half in Massachusetts. The only public swimming beach on the lake is in Massachusetts’ Douglas State Forest, and it’s a great one. Info at www.mass.gov/

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3. Olney Pond (Lincoln Woods State Park, Route 146, Lincoln). The most popular freshwater beach in Rhode Island is Moody Beach on Olney Pond. Minutes from Providence, Pawtucket and Central Falls, it gets very crowded on hot days, but it’s a lovely place to swim. Don’t like crowds? Find a spot along the shore to take a dip, or kayak to a remote, wooded cove. Info at www.riparks.com.

4. Spring Lake (Town Recreation Area, 46 Pine Crest Lane, Burrillville). This is a great place to know about if you have children. In addition to the beach on the lake, there’s a game arcade full of vintage games. Info at www.burrillville.org/

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5. Georgiaville Pond (Stillwater Road, Smithfield). Small, quiet town beach is a peaceful, out-of-the-way spot. Info at www.smithfieldri.com/recreation.htm

6. Wenscott Reservoir (Governor Notte Park, 1160 Douglas Ave., Route 7, North Providence). Once known as Twin Rivers, this town-run park and beach has two entrances. To get to the beach, take the second entrance as you are heading north on Route 7. Info at www.northprovidenceri.gov.

7. Peck Pond (Pulaski Memorial Recreation Area, Route 44, Glocester/Burrillville). Located inside the 4,000-acre George Washington State Management Area, 13-acre Peck Pond is small but scenic. Ringed with woods, it’s popular for families with young children. Info at www.riparks.com.

8. Sachem Pond (Corn Neck Road, Block Island). The locals pronounce it “Sock-em,” and it’s a large pond at the north end of the island, easily accessible from the north end of Corn Neck Road. The island’s other major freshwater body is Fresh Pond, where some secret spots to jump in are off Lakeside Drive just south of its intersection with Cooneymus Road.

9. Bradford Swimming Hole (Bradford village, Route 91, Westerly). Just south of the intersection where Routes 216 and 91 come together in the mill village of Bradford, this classic swimming hole has been a favorite for generations. You can swing out over the still water of the Pawcatuck River on a rope swing. There’s a small parking area beside the river at a state fishing access point.

10. Tiogue Lake (Briar Point Beach, Briar Point Avenue off Arnold Avenue, Coventry). Most of the perimeter of Tiogue is heavily developed, but there’s a small community-run public beach here, mostly used by locals.

— Katherine Imbrie

Top 10 ice cream places1

Homemade ice cream in a handmade waffle cone is a summer favorite.

THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL / BOB THAYER

All ice creams are good, but certain ice creams are better.

The difference has to do with the quality of the ingredients, the butterfat content of the cream, the amount of air incorporated into the mix as it’s frozen, the temperature of the freezer, and the talent of the ice cream maker in combining all of these factors into one cold, creamy confection. Some ice cream places that you might assume make their own ice cream actually don’t anymore, even if they once did. Sunshine Creamery in East Providence, Dear Hearts in the Warwick area, Lickety Splits in Hope Valley, and Vanilla Bean in Matunuck are all very popular, but they don’t make their own ice creams. In fact, it’s safe to say that if you don’t see the word “Homemade” prominently displayed, the ice cream comes from a factory. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, because some factories make very good ice cream — ice cream that actually tastes better than some that are “homemade.”

Here are our choices for the Top 10 ice cream places around here:

1. Somerset Creamery, Route 6, Somerset, Mass. www.somersetcreamery.com. Though its location is nothing special (on busy Route 6 between Swansea and Somerset), the ice cream here is the very best we found –– creamy smooth, dense but not too dense, and tasting of the top quality ingredients that go into it. Special favorite flavors: Grape-Nut, Cranberry Bog, Mocha Chip.

2. Daily Scoop, Barrington and Bristol. www.dailyscoopicecream.com. This is a close –– very close –– runner-up to Somerset. Very smooth, very creamy ice cream, made with top quality ingredients you can taste. The Bristol location (on Thames Street overlooking a harbor-front park) is lovely; the Barrington one (on busy Route 114) is right off the East Bay Bike Path across from the Shaw’s plaza. Special flavors: Lemon, black raspberry chip.

3. Gray’s, Tiverton and Bristol. www.graysicecream.com. At its original location in Four Corners, Tiverton, Gray’s has atmosphere to spare: People love to lick their cones while sitting on the old stone walls watching the cows in the field. The newer location in Thames Street Landing is also primo real estate –– on a deck overlooking Bristol Harbor. For a time a few years back, Gray’s quality seemed to suffer while the management changed, but now it’s as good as it ever was. Special flavor: Pumpkin in the fall.

4. Sweet Spot, Galilee, Narragansett. This little spot is a surprise to find outside Champlin’s Seafood on the breachway in Galilee. You can sit on the patio outside and watch the boats and ferries going by just a few feet away while you enjoy excellent homemade ice cream. The coffee heath bar is as intensely coffee-flavored as any you’ll find.

5. Krueger’s, 7510 Post Rd., North Kingstown. Krueger’s makes a denser ice cream than others, which means there is less air in the mix. It’s so dense and so creamy, it’s almost gelato-like. If that’s what you like, you’ll like Krueger’s, especially the chocolates: Belgian and espresso.

6. Cold Fusion, Thames St., Newport. www.coldfusiongelato.com. While we’re speaking of gelatos, this one is the best –– homemade and fabulously rich in a changing gallery of artisanal flavors that range from chocolate or vanilla all the way to avocado.

7. Uncle Ed’s Front Porch, Route 44, Rehoboth, Mass. This homey little place is a find –– and the fact that for more than 20 years people have continued to find it, tucked away in the woods just east of the intersection of Routes 118 and 44, is a testament to the quality of its ice creams. (“Uncle Ed” was the name of the owner’s uncle.) The ice cream is classic –– no bean specks in the vanilla, plenty of chocolate in the chocolate –– and you’ll find some inventive combinations of flavors, too . . . some more successful than others, but all interesting.

8. Aldo’s, Weldon’s Way, Old Harbor, Block Island. Aldo’s is an institution on the island: a family enterprise that includes a bakery, the Ice Cream Place, moped and bike rentals, a boat-side muffin delivery service. Aldo’s has the only homemade ice cream on Block Island: All the rest is Ben & Jerry’s.

9. Haagen-Dazs, Emerald Square and Swansea Malls, Mass. Speaking of factory ice creams, there is none in the world to touch Haagen-Dazs, which makes a rich, natural ice cream that is far superior to many homemade ice creams. Just look at the ingredient list for HD’s vanilla: Cream, milk, sugar, egg yolks and natural vanilla. Now, compare that with the ingredients in Cold Stone Creamery’s “French Vanilla,” which contains no egg yolks but does contain guar and cellulose gum, carrageenan, mono and diglycerides, Polysorbate 80, annatto extract, and Vanillin, which is an artificial vanilla flavoring. You can get Haagen-Dazs by the pint or quart in supermarkets, but when you want just a cone of super-fresh stuff, isn’t it nice to know you can go to these two malls to find it? A new flavor this summer is a vanilla made with honey. Haagen-Dazs pistachio ice cream is made with real pistachios, so it’s not that awful shade of unnatural green that so many ice cream places artificially color their pistachio with. And HD’s Dulce de Leche — does it get any better than that?

10. Dairy Queen, 3rd floor, Providence Place mall. www.dairyqueen.com. What Haagen-Dazs is to hard ice cream, Dairy Queen is to soft ice cream, which is to say that there simply is no better. So why is it that there is only one DQ in the Ocean State when there are dozens in nearby Massachusetts and on the Cape? The corporate mystery is not likely to be solved here, but the fact remains: You can get it in Rhode Island only on the third floor of the Providence Place mall. The next closest is in North Attleboro.

— Katherine Imbrie

Visit the Haffenreffer Museum (while you still can)1

Masks from Peru on display at the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology in Bristol.

The Providence Journal / Andrew Dickerman

First the bad news: Rhode Island’s top ethnographic museum, Bristol’s Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, is closing its doors as of Aug. 31. The reason: an out-of-date building that the museum’s owner, Brown University, has decided is too expensive to repair. Now the good news: the museum, which boasts a collection of more than 100,000 objects ranging from Navajo pottery to West African masks to Hmong story cloths, isn’t going to disappear. Instead, Brown plans to construct a new museum closer to its East Side campus — a process that’s expected to take several years.

In the meantime, Rhode Islanders still have a week to sample the Haffenreffer’s riches, which include a display of Plains Indian beaded moccasins, feather-studded clothing from the Cashinahua people of Peru and a striking collection of Guatemalan ceremonial masks.

The Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology is located at 300 Tower St. (off Route 136) in Bristol. Hours are Tues.-Sun. 11-5. For more information, call (401) 863-2031. (Note: Brown also operates a smaller Haffenreffer gallery on its Providence campus. That gallery, located in Manning Hall on the Brown University Green, is not affected by the museum’s closing.)

— Bill Van Siclen

Catch remaining summer concerts1

Watermelon Slim

Summer may be waning, and most of the free summer concert series across the state have packed it in, but there are a few chances to catch bands in the great outdoors.

Tonight, you can see the end of the American Locomotive Works summer concert series, on the lawn in front of the complex at 555 Valley St., Providence, with award-winning bluesman Watermelon Slim, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Or you can head over to Slater Park, in Pawtucket, for the end of the concert series there with The Nightlife Orchestra, starting at 6:30.

The Music Around the Town concert series in Cranston was supposed to be over by now, but Bandstand Revue’s rescheduled show (postponed from the original July date) will happen on Aug. 28 at the Knightsville Gazebo at 6:30.

— Rick Massimo

Away from the shore, Pulaski fills the bill1

The pretty Bowdish Reservoir is next to the Pulaski Memorial Recreation Area in Glocester.

THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL / STEVE SZYDLOWSKI

It may not have the sweeping bay views of Jamestown’s scenic Beavertail State Park, but for a pristine slice of Rhode Island woods it’s hard to beat the Pulaski Memorial Recreation Area in Glocester, just a stone’s throw from the Connecticut border.

This rolling 100-acre tract of tall pines and oak — part of the 4,000-acre George Washington Management Area — is open year-round from sunrise to sunset and offers hiking, fishing, picnicking and swimming. There’s also a playing field where you can toss a football around or play Frisbee. Horseshoe pits are located nearby.

The park, named for Casimir Pulaski, a Polish-born cavalry officer who lost his life in the Revolutionary War, is about 25 miles west of Providence on Route 44, on the Connecticut line. There’s no camping, but there are scads of picnic tables and fireplaces scattered throughout the grounds, and a sandy beach where you can take a dip in a cordoned off area of 13-acre Peck Pond. A lifeguard is on duty from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

A covered pavilion next to the pond, with picnic tables and a large stone fireplace, can be rented for family get-togethers by the day for $35. Call (401) 568-2085 for reservations.

You can fish anywhere in the pond (it’s stocked with trout) except from the beach or from a boat, said ranger Tom Doherty. Boats and flotation devices are prohibited.

Doherty said that picnic area 3, the first parking lot you come to when entering the park, is a favorite spot of family reunions and birthday parties because it’s an open area away from the rest of the crowds.

Ten miles of groomed trails used for cross-country skiing in the winter months make for good summertime hiking..

There is no entry fee. And if you bring a dog, keep it on a leash. Also, no alcohol.

— Channing Gray