If you want to use your sunshine on more than weeding time this year, you don’t have to think about long trips to a remote getaway. There are plenty of things to do around here — and why also would so many people visit the area? Save the driving or flying for another time and start discovering what you can do a little closer to home.

First thing that probably comes to mind is water recreation. There is so much water, so many picturesque nooks and crannies, that it would be a shame not to splash in it one way or another. The saying goes that the boat owners’ two happiest occasions are when they first buy the boat and when they sell it. If you want to skip to the in-between stage, rent instead. No worries about all the technical details, but you still get to enjoy the view.

The Olympic Outdoor Center (www.olympicoutdoorcenter.com) in Poulsbo has kayaks and sail boats. The one-hour rentals include all the equipment and basic instruction so even novices can try it. Since the center is right on Liberty Bay, you waste no time. This summer, they will even offer weeklong kayak camps where you can learn safety and rescue, natural history and hear about Captain George Vancouver’s visit to Puget Sound — the first such recorded feat. Kids and adult will have separate programs, where participants will exercise their mind and body at the same time, for example learning trivia like how Mount Rainier got its name.

If you prefer the motorized boat variety, head to downtown Gig Harbor, where at Gig Harbor Rent-A-Boat (www.gigharborrentaboat.com) you can rent 15- to 18-foot boats for as long as eight hours, along with other watercraft.

If you prefer a more motionless way to enjoy the water, you can always go fishing. The folks at Kitsap Fly Anglers (http://homepages.donobi.net/kfa), a local nonprofit club, have monthly group outings that sometimes venture as far as Idaho. The group also advocates habitat preservation and conservation, and holds information sessions with notable Norwest fishing experts, book authors along with fly-tying classes and even raffles.

If you can’t make up your mind whether the day is best spent fishing or golfing, have it both ways at the Trophy Lake and Golf (www.trophylakegolf.com) in Port Orchard. True, you will have to pay for fishing time — a small inconvenience for not having to drive between locations.

If you prefer to stay dry, you have almost as big a selection of trails and parks in Greater Kitsap as you have of gimmicks in your spam email. There are bike trails, marine trails, horse trails, hiking trails — just in case you want variety. A comprehensive map called “Outdoor Adventure” created by the Kitsap Peninsula Visitors and Convention Bureau and the county Public Works Department, has bike routes, boat access points, diving locations, and lots of other information. Pick one up at the Port Orchard visitors’ center, call 800-416-5615 or see www.visitkitsap.com.

For a full-fledged adventure slightly beyond Kitsap, you may want to call upon local guide Glenn Cantwell of Silverdale’s Gray Wolf Outfitters (www.graywolfoutfitters.com). When first lady Laura Bush visited the Olympic Peninsula last year, the park rangers called him. Unfortunately, Cantwell was on a trip at the time and got the message too late — but if your schedule is a little more flexible than the first lady’s, he’ll no doubt be able to accommodate. In the fall, Cantwell offers some hunting guide services, but summertime is filled with horseback pack trips, drop camps, deluxe trips to the Olympic National Park where he arranges everything including the cooking, or dinner rides. Beginning horse riders and those as young as 8 can count on Cantwell too.

He’s been visiting the Olympic Mountains since the ‘60s and no doubt knows them like the back of his hand. “I always loved the animals and the mountains and streams, and I wanted to share what I love with other people,” he said.

Should the sight of rain dampen your adventurous spirits as you ponder a day full of fun, don’t reach for a book just yet. Get your rock climbing gear and visit Vertical World in Bremerton, an outdoor rock-climbing gym geared to all skill levels. You may not get the view or hear the birds, but you’ll still get the adrenaline rush.