It’s that time of year, fellow Arizonians! Time when the days get longer and Hotter! Here are some ways to keep cool. Add your suggestions in the comments below, or send us an email.

First, some general advice. You probably know some of these already, like the suggestion to drink plenty of water.

Here’s one my mom taught me – a “makeshift swamp cooler”! You put a bowl of ice in front of a table fan. Sit in front of the table fan with a tall glass of ice water.

Another of mom’s ideas (she grew up before central AC). Soak a bandanna in cold water, wring out excess water (or not!), tie around your neck loosely. If you sit in front of the fan, you get double the cooling effect. I used to take this idea one step further and hop on my moped (you could also use your golf cart) for a cool, breezy, relaxing ride!

 Here are some more ideas and places to go cool off:

 Snow-cones & Shaved Ice recipes:

Recipe suggestions and flavor combinations from Hawaiian Shaved Ice.

http://www.hawaiianshavedice.com/mashicelipr.html

Here’s a recipe I saw online a while ago:

Fill a Styrofoam cup with shaved ice. Pour in a good dash of Bailey’s Irish Cream, add a dash of Amaretto. Pour a little chocolate syrup over all.

Make a little hole in the ice with your spoon, fill it with whipped cream, add chocolate sprinkles.

Eat! But don’t drive!

Walmart sells a variety of snow cone machines – something to fit every budget.

If you need a good ice-maker, Walmart also sells those. We’ve had one in our household since May 2016. It’s portable, easy to operate and clean, and can churn out 28 pounds of ice a day.

And if you need extra syrup or a better variety of flavors – you guessed it – Walmart to the rescue! Every flavor you can imagine (and some you Can’t!)

Places to go! Click on the name for more information

Water Parks – $28 – $46

Golfland Sunsplash – 155 W. Hampton Ave; Mesa; $28.99 (Children and Seniors age 60+) – $32.99 (reg admission); $5.99 Toddlers (age 12-35 months); infants up to 12 months old are FREE. Check the website for dates and hours of admission, as well as other specials, including a reduced rate for evening admission.

Wet n’ Wild Phoenix – 4243 W. Pinnacle Peak Rd; Glendale; $35.99 for children (up to 42″ tall); $45.99 adults; Children up to 2 years old are FREE. There is also a $15 charge for parking. Check the website for prices on season passes.

Amusement Park with “Splash Zone” – FREE Admission; $5 – $23 splash park & rides

Enchanted Island Amusement Park – 1202 W. Encanto Blvd; Phoenix. Free parking, No admission fee, pay just for the rides you ride. All-day Splash Zone pass is just $5. All-day rides pass is $21.75 – a real bargain since individual tickets are $1.25 and each ride costs 3-5 tickets. A yearly pass is $48.

Recreation Center – $0.75 – $7

Kiwanis Recreation Center with Wave Pool; 6111 S. All-America Way; Tempe;  General admission $5 – $7 Wave pool season pass $36 (ages 3-12) – $46 (ages 12 and up)

Escalante Pool; 2150 E. Orange St; Tempe;  .75 – $1.25 for a day pass; $19 – $57 for a season swim pass, see website for details.

McClintock Pool; 1830 E. Del Rio Dr; Tempe; .75 – $1.25 for a day pass; $19 – $57 for a season swim pass, see website for details.

Mall Splash pads (FREE)

Desert Ridge Marketplace; 21001 N. Tatum Blvd; Phoenix

Mesa Riverview; N. Dobson and Loop 202; Mesa

SanTan Village; 2218 E. Williams Field Road; Gilbert

Scottsdale Quarter; 15059 N. Scottsdale Road; Scottsdale

Tempe Marketplace; 2000 E. Rio Salado Pkwy; Tempe

When all else fails – laugh!

https://www.zazzle.com/welcome_to_arizona_t_shirt-235530387392256439

These are just some of the ways we keep cool here in the “Valley of the Sun.” How do you keep cool? Send us your ideas and suggestions and we may use them in an upcoming article.