Phoenix Beat the Heat Fun Summer Ideas

According to Wikipedia, Phoenix receives the most sunshine of any major city on earth! With an average of 107 days a year measuring in at over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, that's a lot of heat to beat! You can bet that Phoenicians have found some great ways to stay cool (and hopefully calm and collected too). So when other people in cities like Seattle or New Orleans are going inside to escape the rain, Phoenicians are finding fun activities that keep them out of the sun. We have a list here that we think you will enjoy, and that also will hopefully keep you cool (and yes. . .calm and collected too).

• Carnival of Illusion

  No matter which of their three upscale Valley locations you visit, you'll be sure to stay cool in one of their magical parlour settings. And what’s more fun than "Magic, Mystery, and Oooh La La?" Take a trip into mystery with Roland Sarlot and Susan Eyde in this Vaudeville-inspired parlour show. You will be absolutely delighted by their skills of prestidigitation and mystique, all done in an up-close and personal setting. The Carnival of Illusion is great for adults (but kids 10 and older are allowed to visit.) Be sure to book your tickets early as shows sell out fast!

• Top Golf

  

  With two locations in the Valley, one in Scottsdale and one in Gilbert, Top Golf is the place to be this summer. Even if you’re a novice golfer, this multi-level driving range offers a wide variety of games, complete with clubs. Think of it as a cross between a driving range, bowling, and darts. You tee up, take aim at one of the many targets out on the range, and take your shot. Between turns, take a seat at your table and the friendly staff will take your orders for drinks and food. A great way to spend and afternoon or an evening, or for something different on a date. Need more great date ideas? The Oracle has some other great date suggestions in the Phoenix area.

• Desert Botanical Garden – Flashlight Tours

  

  Flashlight Tours. Sure, it’s really hot outside during the day, and the last thing you want to do is go spend lots of time outdoors, despite how beautiful the Desert Botanical Garden is. But don’t cross it off your list just yet! From May until September, the DBG offers some amazing flashlight tours through the garden at night. Experience the sights and sounds of the desert as nocturnal creatures come alive and night-blooming flowers open up.

• Uptown Alley

  

  In Surprise AZ, there is a place that will surprise and delight—Uptown Alley. This place has it all—a bowling alley, a casual but upscale restaurant, two high-energy bars, laser tag, an ultra lounge for the adults, billiards, sports theater, video and arcade games, and much, much more! For families or adults, this place will make you feel like a kid again, no matter your age! And it is all blissfully located in their state-of-the-art air-conditioned facility.

• Arcadia Ice Arena

  

  There's nothing like ice to cool you down, and so it makes sense that a whole arena full of ice would really do the trick when you just want to spend the day being chill. The Arcadia Ice Arena has lots of public skate ice times every day of the week. And don't worry if you don't own a pair of skates, as you can always rent a pair for a reasonable price. This is one of the Oracle's favorite ways to cool off. You might even need to wear a hat, scarf and mittens! If you get really good, you can even decide to take lessons. And be sure to stop in to the Icehouse Tavern for further cooling down with a cool one. You can sit and watch everyone else skate, as the tavern overlooks the arena.

• Dolly Steamboat at Canyon Lake

  

  Experience the beautiful Arizona scenery from the comfort of a Dolly Steamboat cruise. The Nature Cruises allow you to experience bald eagles, bighorn sheep, and a myriad of desert flora and fauna in the spectacular cliffs that line the lake. The Dinner Cruises offer a different view at sunset, traveling upriver for another 3-4 miles, and return under the stars while enjoying a delicious buffet dinner.

• The Comedy Spot

  

  Ready for some laughs? Visit the Comedy Spot in Scottsdale for an evening of laughter in a casual setting. Offering a full bar, this is a great place for a fun and unique date night or just a night out with friends. Remember, as with most comedy clubs, there is a two drink minimum for each guest. Non-alcoholic beverages are available. After you enjoy the show, keep the evening going by visiting the many nearby popular bars and restaurants in Old Town Scottsdale.

• Sweet Republic Artisan Ice Cream

  

  This hand-made ice-cream does everything from scratch from its locally sourced milk and cream to its fresh fruit and gourmet ingredients. The cookies, waffle cones, toppings and sauces are all made from scratch as well. Nothing is artificial, hydrogenated or full of preservatives. There are some vegan options too. Helen Yung is the chef behind the flavors, some of which are totally unique like Sichuan Chocolate, Sweet Corn and Blue Cheese. This place does everything right including recycling plastic and glass (just hand those items to the staff), using sustainably harvested birch wood ice cream sticks and eco friendly materials throughout the shop. What's not to like? You can even go to their site to see "today's flavors" at any given time.

• Oasis Water Park

  

  This water park is listed as one of the best of the best. The only catch is you have to be a guest of the hotel. But when you compare the price of one room for the night that could easily sleep two or three people, and the normal adult ticket price for other water parks, then it actually can work out to be an OK deal, plus you get a mini vacation to boot. This is a 7-acre park with some pretty impressive water slides, wave pool and the option of booking your own cabana. Their 8-story tower features three different water slides to choose from. Or how about inner tubing on their side-by-side "river". And for those on the much younger side there is an area for them as well. Book a room, bring the kids and get wet!

• Odysea Aquarium

  

  At the Odysea Aquarium you will follow a drop of water as it travels from stream to river to marsh to deep ocean depths. Visit the creatures that inhabit these watery places. With about 2 million gallons of water on the premises housing about 500 different species of water loving creatures, you will certainly have an exciting and educational time at the Aquarium. And if you decide to get wet yourself you can sign up for the SeaTrek helmet diving experience (costs extra). Bring a bathing suit, don a wetsuit and special gear, and enter a watery world of fish and fun.

• Tubing on the Salt River

  

  Get wet and get cool! Get out of Phoenix and head out to the Salt River Recreation Area. Either go with the company Salt River Tubing, or bring your own tube and supplies and avoid the fees for tube rentals etc. Either way bring plenty of water, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and water shoes. It can also help to bring a sheet or something to cover the tube with, as the rubber can get hot in the sun. Depending on where you exit the river, trips take anywhere from 2 to 6 hours. Tubing is generally done between May and September. If you are looking for something adventurous and reason to escape the asphalt and heat of the city, tubing down the Salt River might be for you. And don't forget that the river only goes one way. . . downriver. . . so be sure to bring a buddy with another car so you can get back to where you started.

• Arizona Falls

  

  Arizona Falls doubles as a recently restored hydroelectric plant along the Arizona Canal, and a public artwork project. The "park" offers an opportunity to enjoy three waterfalls from a shaded viewing area, where you are gently cooled by the walls of water. Through the sheets of water you can see the antique gears of the original hydroelectric plant that has existed off and on since 1902. The installation, which is offically called WaterWorks, was designed and created by the artists Mags Harries and Lajos Héder. It is free to visit day or night and although you cannot go in the water, the falls themselves will provide that feeling of "aaaaah".

The Event Oracle may be all knowing, but staying cool is still hard to do when it is so darn hot out, oracle or not. It helps when you have a list of sure fire ways to beat the heat, and this list should give you some great ideas. Or if you're looking for some other ideas for things to do in Phoenix today, then visit the Event Oracle's Phoenix Events Today page.