---
title: I Know What You (Did) Want To Do (Last) This Summer
description: Americans are most looking forward to cookouts, general relaxing outdoors, and going to the beach this summer. MaxDiff experiment.
image: https://i4.createsend1.com/ei/t/E6/D57/30C/csimport/2023-06_md_pop_plot_newsletter.074308.png
---

![Maxdiff experiment showing most preferred summer activities for Americans](https://i4.createsend1.com/ei/t/E6/D57/30C/csimport/2023-06_md_pop_plot_newsletter.074308.png)

[Cory Manento](https://www.gradientmetrics.com/trendlines/author/cory-manento)2023/06/071 min read

# I Know What You (Did) Want To Do (Last) This Summer

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Summer is *hot* and all, but Americans [just aren’t](https://email.gradientmetrics.com/t/t-l-zjdikid-jldktdjrtu-b/) *in love* with summer, y’know? If we can avoid allowing our thoughts to drift toward pumpkin spice for a moment, perhaps we can stop and appreciate some of the slow jams that summer has been blasting from the boombox outside our window.

 

During possibly one of the last summers in which there are available activities beyond “sheltering indoors away from the uninhabitable heat,” which activities are Americans most (and least) looking forward to this upcoming season? We conducted a [MaxDiff experiment](https://email.gradientmetrics.com/t/t-l-zjdikid-jldktdjrtu-n/), *our* favorite summer activity, to find out.

 

Americans trying to avoid “Summertime Sadness” are **most looking forward to some (Lana Del) rays of sunshine in the form of cookouts, general relaxing outdoors, and going to the beach**. If you really want to impress your friends, host a barbecue (most preferred activity) and optimize your menu with the [best BBQ menu items](https://email.gradientmetrics.com/t/t-l-zjdikid-jldktdjrtu-p/). And then immediately annoy your friends by mentioning that your ideas derive from data-driven **Trendlines** insights. Much less anticipated summer activities are yardwork, sailing, and summer sports, which, let’s face it, reads like the to-do list of a sheltered teenager summering with their wealthy aunt and uncle on Martha’s Vineyard.

 

![](https://i4.createsend1.com/ei/t/E6/D57/30C/csimport/2023-06_md_pop_plot_newsletter.074308.png)

![avatar](https://www.gradientmetrics.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Landing%20Page/team_photos/gradient-cory.png?width=290&name=gradient-cory.png)

[Cory Manento

](https://www.gradientmetrics.com/trendlines/author/cory-manento)Cory holds a master’s degree and PhD in Political Science from Brown University, specializing in experimental survey research on voter attitudes, behavior, and electoral preferences. Coming from a background in which success is achieved through rigorous causal inference and sharp research design, Cory thrives on translating client needs into testable questions that yield actionable results.

[mailto:cory@gradientmetrics.com](mailto:cory@gradientmetrics.com)

## RELATED ARTICLES

<https://www.gradientmetrics.com/trendlines/i-know-what-you-did-want-to-do-last-this-summer#>

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