So it’s hot. Hotter than many of us tender Northwesterners tend to like. If that’s true for you (or if you just want to make the most of a sunny day), here are a few ways to cool off.
Head for the hills: Retreat to the woods for shade and maybe even a nice swim in a cold mountain lake. The Tonga Ridge hike is easy, quiet, kid-friendly and at a high elevation, making it a good candidate for a hot day. And you can continue on to Fisher Lake. Here are three more hikes where you can reward yourself with a swim, or get more ideas from our hiking guide.
Hit the water park: If you or the kids would rather do less work to get to the water, check out the pools and spray parks in the area. The outdoor water playgrounds at Forest Park in Everett and Willis Tucker Park near Snohomish are free.
See an outdoor movie: Escape your stuffy house and check out a film in the park. Among the showings planned tonight and Friday evenings are “Ghostbusters” in Everett, “Dolphin Tale” in Marysville, “Jack and Jill” in Monroe, and “Thor” at Willis Tucker park. More information about locations and showtimes here.
Go to the library: Local libraries have a boatload of activities going on (also, air conditioning). For instance, kids 5-11 can be engineers, building with Legos, K’Nex and other materials at the “Dream It — Build It” workshop from 2 to 3 p.m. today. And the Mill Creek Library is holding a digital scavenger hunt for teens from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday (advance registration is required). For more information about what’s happening at your local library, go to the Sno-Isle or Everett Public Library websites.
Get a milkshake: Our readers had loads of suggestions about their favorite places in the county to get a milkshake. If ever there were a time to try one of them, it’s now. Go here for the list, and see which one was voted the favorite (the voting is closed, but click on “view results” to see the winner).
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