Beat The Heat

Other than laying low during peak heat hours, wearing a broad-brimmed hat, and hydrating til the sun goes down, here are a few more ideas for staying cool despite the steamy temps.

Treat everyone to ice cream, Italian ice and more frozen treats at Zirilli’s Chilly Treats in Cape Coral; Pelican’s SnoBalls near Fort Myers Beach, in North Fort Myers, Port Charlotte, and Lehigh Acres, with mini-golf; Love Boat in south Fort Myers, and Royal Scoop in Bonita Springs, Fort Myers Beach, and Naples. Great Licks Ice Cream on Matlacha serves Queenie’s Ice Cream made locally.

Dave & Buster’s in south Fort Myers, where families can shoot baskets, play air hockey, bowl, “ride” motorcycles and much more without breaking a sweat. You can also find some of the same games indoors at Gator Mike’s Family Fun Park in Cape Coral. Other indoor arcades include Game Time at Gulf Coast Town Center and at Fasttrax near Fort Myers Beach.

Keep cool and learn something new. Let’s start at the Marco Island History Museum where the Key Marco Cat was discovered on the island in 1896 and is now on loan from the Smithsonian Institution, as well as rare pre-Columbian artifacts. The IMAG History & Science Center in Fort Myers offers exhibits, stingray feedings, a marine touch tank, virtual reality, and more. An ancient, 1-foot-long, 10-inch-wide woolly mammoth bone fossil is a must-see at the Cape Coral Historical Society & Museum. Along with its permanent interactive exhibits that promote learning, there’s always a new show at Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples.

Splash into Southwest Florida’s water parks. Sun Splash Family Waterpark in Cape Coral and Sun-N-Fun Lagoon in Naples. But you can also find waterslides and other cool-down amenities at Fort Myers Aquatic Center in the Sam Fleishman Regional Sports Complex and the Sanibel Recreation Center. The recently refurbished North Fort Myers Community Pool offers two additional swimming lanes, more umbrellas and other amenities.

Rediscover the indoor mall. There’s plenty to see with 125-plus retail and specialty businesses and restaurants under air conditioning at the Edison Mall in Fort Myers. The Coastland Center Mall is another excellent option which has a carousel that kids love.