57°F
weather icon Mostly Clear

Boomers have many ways to avoid summer doldrums

When temperatures are vaulting over the 100-degree mark it can seem like the perfect time to slow down and take it easy, yet the long days of summer almost beg for adventure, or at least a slight change in course.

In fact, with no holiday errands on the calendar or after-school activities to shuffle the kids or grandkids to, maybe it’s finally time to take those tap dance lessons, or bump up the social media skills by learning how to navigate Facebook and Twitter.

There are still all kinds of summer offerings across the valley through community centers, YMCAs, the College of Southern Nevada and local library districts, among others.

For those who have been bitten by the theater bug, the Charleston Heights Arts Center offers a four-week adult class called Drama Fundamentals starting at the end of this month that covers basics such as character development and improvisation. Another class, Autobiographic Acting, uses participants’ own lives as material for basic acting concepts. Both take place on weekday afternoons and cost $40.

The Las Vegas Senior Center and East Las Vegas Community Center have a host of daytime dance classes for anyone 50 and older, including a belly dance workshop and beginning to advanced tap, while the Henderson Multigenerational Center offers novice line dancing for those 35 and older on Tuesdays beginning at 10:30 a.m.

Those who are ready to start mind-body practices such as yoga and tai chi have a variety of options. Clark County’s Hollywood Recreation Center, for example, offers yoga classes for adults on Saturday mornings, Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and an early-bird class three times a week at 6 a.m. Desert Breeze Community Center offers two tai chi classes on Friday mornings.

Locals who don’t mind heading to the Strip can splurge on a day of Dolphin Yoga at The Mirage, where the class actually takes place inside the glass-walled dolphin viewing area at the hotel’s Dolphin Habitat. Students can watch the dolphins frolic underwater and even sidle up to the glass. The classes take place at 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., Friday through Sunday, and cost $50, including access to the spa amenities for a day.

Maybe you’ve had the itch to finally finish that family tree. The Clark County Genealogical Society will be having a genealogy fair at the Paseo Verde Library in Henderson on Friday from 6 to 10 p.m. and holds regular seminars at the library, including a Beginning Genealogy Workshop on July 30, at noon.

The Sahara West Library hosts a genealogical workshop the third Sunday of every month that covers issues such as search techniques. It takes place from 1 to 3 p.m. and is co-sponsored by the Jewish Genealogy Society of Southern Nevada.

There are several free beginner and intermediate computer classes offered through both the Henderson and Las Vegas-Clark County library districts. The Summerlin Library, for example, hosts classes on downloading e-books and basic Internet use, while the West Las Vegas Library has an introductory class about navigating Facebook. There also are several more advanced sessions that cover topics such as Microsoft Word and advanced Microsoft Excel.The College of Southern Nevada Community and Personal Enrichment program still has some noncredit summer classes available, many of them taking place for only a few hours on a Saturday morning or weekday evening, just long enough to get fired up about that new hobby or life goal.

Some of the courses scheduled for August include Online Dating for Over 50s. It covers topics such as how to create the best profile and dating safety. Another class is Kayaking 101, or the ins and outs of kayaking skills and safety, and How to Start Your Own Business.

Some may be inspired to get in shape this summer, perhaps even serious enough to find a personal trainer. Several local community centers offer one-on-one training as well as small-group sessions if you want to bring some friends along. The local YMCA centers, for example, offer members 10 one-on-one training sessions, 30 minutes each, for $265. But those who want to work independently can get a fitness assessment over two sessions and the creation of a personal four- to six-week program for $25.

The city of Henderson also offers personal-training sessions at all of its recreation and senior centers at $26 an hour, or semiprivate sessions for $20 per hour.

Finally, those who want to end the summer on a high note can take the trek up to the Mount Charleston area for Camp Silver Pines, a three-day, two-night camping trip for those age 50 and older. It’s sponsored by the Clark County Parks and Recreation Department and takes place Sept. 14-16.

Campers stay in group cabins at Camp Lee Canyon and activities include hiking, outdoor cooking, drawing, bocce ball, tai chi and line dancing. The cost is $125 for those who register in July, and $140 after that. More information can be found at clarkcountynv.gov/parks or county community centers.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Doctors’ advice for staying healthy after age 40

Sorry, millennials: You’re getting older. Typically, the 40-year mark of life creeps up on us because we’re just so busy doing other things.