Community Corner

3 Ways to Beat the Heat This Weekend

Do you prefer staying indoors or out this hot pre-Fourth of July weekend? We have some options for things to do - and eat – to keep cool.

It's gonna be hot. You know it. We know it. So go outside and enjoy it! But you need to know where to cool down or get an appropriately icy treat, right?

Think beach, big screens and banana splits.

There is the obvious of course: The beach! You will be joined by many thousands of your friends as temperatures at the coast are expected to reach the low 80s Saturday and Sunday, a huge relief to those suffering from the upper 80s and 90s on the thermometer in La Mesa, Lemon Grove and other parts of East County. 

Beach communities are cooperating this weekend, because there are some fun events coming up just in time for the temps to soar. Imperial Beach hosts the Sun & Sea Festival at 11 a.m. Sunday, a scaled-down revival of the old sandcastle competition, while Coronado opens the beach for the Low Tide Ride & Stride early the same day. That's a run down the coastline to IB, through Navy training grounds normally closed to the public.

In San Diego you can make a day of it and pick up the ferry to Coronado. What's better than a boat ride on a hot day – and one that costs $4.25 to boot?

Do you prefer indoor activities and sweet treats? 

A cineplex is always a good option for quick A/C relief, as is staying up late for an outdoor flick when the temps have slipped a bit. The summer's big blockbusters, Man of Steel, Fast and the Furious 6 and Star Trek Into Darkness, are still in theaters. Monsters University is good for the kids. The Heat and White House Down open this weekend. This summer's quirky hit is the thriller The Purge.

La Mesa and Lemon Grove best bets for movies are the Reading Cinema Grossmont Center and Edwards Rancho San Diego Stadium 15.

And now for the best part – cool treats, a good end to a hot day, whether at the beach or the movies. Head over to Baskin-Robbins on La Mesa Boulevard and Coldstone Creamery in Grossmont Center for that perfect bit of icy goodness or Fruitmania on Broadway in Lemon Grove for fresh fruit juice to cold it's like a slushy.

Meanwhile, be aware of what the officials want you to know: Drink lots of water, don't do your big outdoor, tiring projects in the heat, watch out for older folks who might succumb to heatstroke or other illnesses and NEVER leave a pet or child in a hot car.


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