Beating the heat in Phoenix's notorious summers
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Cooling off at Wet-N-Wild Water Park in 2017. Photo: Ralph Freso/Getty Images
Given how brutal the Valley's summers are, finding ways to beat the heat is critical.
What you're saying: We asked you to share your favorite ways to have fun while keeping at least relatively cool:
Go north: Most responders suggested escaping the Valley for cooler climates.
- Reader Guy Finney recommended Munds Park, where highs still peak around 90, but temperatures drop quickly in the late afternoon and monsoon thunderstorms are "always a treat."
- Megan Slattery said one of her favorite summer adventures is to head to the Pine Trailhead for an early hike, then off to the Old Country Inn for pizza and beer. If you prefer a cocktail, she suggested the lavender drop, made with blooms grown at a nearby farm.
- Leora Jacober and her family used to make annual summer pilgrimages to Rim Country, and she spends summers in the White Mountains now that she's retired.
Stay put: Hayley Ringle suggested seeing a movie in a theater, taking advantage of the nighttime hours at Golfland Sunsplash, or checking out the Phoenix Art Museum, Musical Instrument Museum or Heard Museum. If you're headed out of town, she said any place with woods and water, like Oak Creek, will fit the bill.
- You can stay active, as long as you don't mind doing it in the dark. Reader Sarabeth Bjorndahl said she and her husband go mountain biking at night, with powerful lights as their guide.
- Jacober's kids always favored basketball in the park at night. And needless to say, they frequently took advantage of their home pool.
My thought bubble: If you're looking for a fun place to take the kids and get out of the heat, my family is a big fan of Great Wolf Lodge, with its indoor pools, water slides and other attractions.
- For an easy trip, Flagstaff offers cooler temperatures and plenty of fun.