Is spring in Grand County anyone’s favorite time of year?

No! Certainly not. After 30 years here, I have not once heard that “spring” is the best time in Grand County.

To take the sting out of the howling winds and roller coaster rides of sleet, snow and mud, however, Grand County Library District has much to offer. Dare I say, just like this year’s Summer Reading Program’s theme, GCLD offers our patrons “Oceans of Possibilities!”

Visit any of the five GCLD libraries or our online catalog, check out travel guides and plan a vacation! Waves of new books have arrived, including “50 States 500 Campgrounds,” National Geographic’s “1000 Perfect Weekends” and “100 Countries, 5,000 Ideas.” With a full-access library card, you can check out 100 items at a time, so no need to limit yourself to one location as you plan a getaway from “mud season.”

Whether you travel across the county, country, or world, make sure you download both the Libby app by OverDrive and GCLD’s newest online resource, hoopla Digital. Hoopla Digital has over 1 million titles, including movies, television shows, music, comic books, eBooks and audiobooks. The best part: there is no waiting with hoopla! So, if you are on the wait list for a Libby title, see if hoopla has it, and start enjoying it immediately.

Now that you have chosen reading materials, what to do and where to go?

Start by using your library card to check out a Colorado State Parks Pass and backpack. This state program was developed to encourage Colorado residents of all ages to explore nature in our state parks for free. And just in case the snow follows you, check out a pair of GCLD snowshoes to bring with you. If dogs are allowed at the park, GCLD also has dog backpacks so that your furry friend can carry their own supplies.

Maybe you have just a couple of hours or a day to play. In that case, reserve Access Grand’s free library passes to a Jenny Smith Yoga Class in Grand Lake, the Fraser Valley Rec, Grand Lake Fitness Center and/or Middle Park Heath Wellness Center in Kremmling. Then, go to one of the Grand County Historical Museums or the Headwaters River Journey Museum.

Heading over or around Berthoud Pass? The Butterfly Pavilion, the Botanic Gardens, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and Denver Firefighters Museum are popular Access Grand passes. If you have a little one, reserve a pass to Free and Wild in Dillion, where your child(ren) will use their imaginations to play in nature-inspired play areas, while adults can relax, read and enjoy some “me time” guilt free.

Perhaps you are happy to stay home or revel in escaping to a library. Online resources like Universal Class and Creativebug will help you find your inner artist, poet, chef, writer, boat builder or wood worker. GCLD has a plethora of crafting books and creative supplies, like soap and baking molds, sketching kits, and needles/hooks for crochet, felting and knitting. Remember, getting creative, even if it’s five minutes of doodling, is good for you. (And yes, we can check out a book for you on doodling.)

Soon GCLD’s Library of Things will have even more to offer! You can still check out sets for laser tag, pickleball, badminton, various board games, STEAM learning, musical instruments, and Dungeons and Dragons. New tennis rackets, a spikeball game set, bird and wildlife watching kits, basic bike tune up/repair kits, and more will be added to the catalog.

Stay alert! Visit GCLD.org or our beautiful libraries to see what “Oceans of Possibilities” are available to you. With a GCLD library card, you may just learn to love mud season!