Six percent (6%) of Americans rate the summer of 2007 as the best ever and another 53% said this summer was good or excellent. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 29% considered this summer fair and 12% rated it as poor.

Americans participated in a plethora of activities during the steamy season. The top activity this summer was cookouts and barbecues. Seventy-eight percent (78%) of adults enjoyed grilling burgers, hot dogs or other popular concoctions. This matches our survey conducted around this time last year.

Other popular summer activities included playing board or card games (67%), reading (67%) and watching fireworks (63%). Married Adults were more likely to watch fireworks than non-married adults. Reading was more activity among women than men.

Meanwhile, 55% went swimming in a pool or late this summer and 53% vacationed with friends and family. That’s nearly equivalent to the number of adults who said they watched movies in a movie theater.

The popular film, Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix was released in July. A separate survey conducted a month ago showed that 32% were very likely to see the film. Most (65%) said they were unlikely to watch the movie. [link]

Only 41% made it to the beach so far this summer.

A survey taken in March reveals summer as America’s favorite season of the year.