Tourism News
Terry’s Top 10: Ways to beat the summer heat
By Terry Massey
Last week’s top 10 list told you about the best beach bars to catch some sun and have a cold drink. If you’ve tried half of them in this heat, it’s time for some A/C.
It’s technically not even summer yet and already the humidity is making it feel like the dog days. But there are plenty of ways to beat the heat in Myrtle Beach.
That’s why this week’s top 10 list tells you about some great places to hang out without getting sunburned or going broke. No need to take a chill pill, just read:
10) Grocery stores: OK, this sounds bit strange, but have you ever spent any time in the frozen food isle and not been cold to the bone? Instead of rushing to the store when you realize you are out of milk or bread, make a quick stop in the middle of the day when you are sweating bullets and spend extra time comparative shopping for frozen items. In a rush? Hit the convenience store and pop into the beer cave while pretending to price shop for your favorite brew while you get cool.
9) Ripley’s Aquarium: The sea critters aren’t the only one cooling off by taking a dip. The place is packed not only with all kinds of aquatic life but also some kicking A/C. The contrast between the bright sunlight outside and the dimly lit hallways surrounded by fish tanks is enough to make your mind cool off by a few degrees, but the ice-cold air is a refreshing break from the sweltering pavement at Broadway at the Beach. Maybe this is why you never see a fish sweat.
8) Ice cream shops: Here’s a way to cool off your taste buds and your temperature at the same time. Ever press your forehead against the glass counter of an ice cream shop while you’re pretending to check out the 31 different flavors? If not, try it. If so, you already know what I’m talking about. Once your head is sufficiently chilled, it’s time to do the same for your tummy with a milk shake, malt or a scoop of your favorite flavor. Hard to go wrong with cookies and cream.
7) Broadway at the Beach: It can get pretty toasty walking around the entertainment and shopping complex in the summer, but virtually every store knows the trick to draw you in. Stand inside the doorway of pretty much any shop and you’ll be hit by a wave of cool breeze coming from inside. The store owners are smart to waste a little A/C. They know how to reel you in from the oppressive heat. Go on in a browse for a while. It’s free to look around, and to steal a little A/C.
6) Restaurants: Ever sit down at a restaurant and realize you are sitting directly under the air vent? Nine months of the year that’s a bad thing. You end up feeling frozen and so does you food unless you wolf it down. But this time of year, those are prime seats. Grab a spot under the A/C, get a glass of iced tea and order a salad so you don’t have to scarf it down. Enjoy a slow, cold lunch and order ice cream for dessert. By the end of the meal you’ll be looking forward to going back outside.
5) Movie theaters: I haven’t been a big movie-goer ever since the invention of the VCR/DVD player. It makes more sense to me to kick back in the recliner, make my own popcorn for pennies per kernel and hit the pause button when I need to run to the fridge or restroom. But modern theaters not only have new high-tech screens and speakers, they also provide A/C so cold you could hang meat in the aisles. Of course, the meat would probably have to pay full admission, but it’s worth a few bucks to get out of the heat and into a cold, dark room while enjoying a new release. No matter what movie you see, the A/C is always in 3-D.
4) Water fountain: Places around town like Plyler Park and Broadway at the Beach have installed outdoor water fountains that allow kids of all ages to run and play like the good old days. You’ve seen pictures of kids opening fire hydrants to splash around tin the streets. These modern conveniences allow you to cool off in the spraying water without getting in trouble with the law. Kick off your shoes and socks and anything else you can bear to bare and cool off the old-fashioned way.
3) Swimming pools: Is there anything more refreshing than that first splash from the 100-degree heat to the coolness of a swimming pool? Not for me. It’s like your body temperature immediately drops a few dozen degrees just by taking a quick plunge. Lots of hotels have pools and lazy rivers where you can take a dip. It’s a little tougher if you’re a local. Some crash hotel pools or join clubs that have swimming facilities or make friends with a stranger that has one at home. Whatever you do to get in the pool, it’s worth it.
2) Water Parks: Myrtle Waves, Wild Water and Wheels – these places specialize in getting wet while having a good time. There’s a regular pool or a wave pool that lets you do it the traditional way if you’re an old man like me, or there are lots of rides and water slides that make it more fun than simply making a splash. Many of these parks have special rates for locals or offer season passes so you can spend the whole summer getting chilled and thrilled for pennies per splash.
1) The beach at night: It might seem strange that the same place where you got hot in the first place is the same spot to turn to when you need a break from the heat, but a night in the ocean breeze is a perfect way to chase the summer heat away. Walk waist deep in the ocean and let the waves splash over your body, then take a stroll down the coastline and let the ocean breeze cool you off while drying you off. For all the many man-made forms of A/C, nature is still the coolest.
