Try these spots to escape the inevitable heat waves

With the solstice occurring this morning, summer 2022 is officially here. The hottest average temperatures occur in July in Cincinnati, but there will be plenty of heat from now through August, so you might want to start thinking about some places to cool off.

The sun reached its highest point in the sky for the Northern Hemisphere, as measured from the North Pole, at 5:13 EDT this morning — which is known as the summer solstice. The Earth’s axis is at its maximum tilt toward the sun, about 23.5 degrees.

While many say it’s the longest day of the year, it’s technically the day with the most daylight — all days contain 24 hours. We will experience 14 hours, 55 minutes of light today, according to timeanddate.com, which compiles a plethora of time, calendar, weather and climate data. The average high temperature in June is 83 degrees, according to weather.com, while in July, it’s 87, and in August, it’s 86.

Here are places where you can go to cool off in the water or in the shade in the region:

Aqua Adventures Waterpark at Land of Illusion Adventure Park
8762 Thomas Road, Middletown

Find your way through an inflatable floating obstacle course that includes 65 pieces — from launch pads to cliffhangers to halfpipes and action towers. Try out Ohio’s largest inflatable slide, at 36 feet tall. Enjoy paddle boarding in Paddle Bay.

Big Bone Lick State Park
3380 Beaver Road, Union, Kentucky

Bison roam the park and are viewable every day of the year. Discovery Trail is a half-mile trail with interpretive panels along the way. Also in the park: a campground with 62 sites, showers, restrooms and a laundry; grocery store; gift shop; 4.5 miles of hiking trails; miniature golf; 40 acres of picnic grounds; two playgrounds; swimming pool for campground guests; and tennis courts.

Brookville Lake
Brookville, Indiana

As part of the Brookville Lake-Whitewater Memorial State Park Complex, the Brookville Reservoir lies in the east fork of the Whitewater River Valley. It became operational in 1974 and has a maximum depth of 140 feet, with the average depth being 30 feet. More

than 25 miles of hiking trails, boating opportunities and recreational and sport fishing are available. The property also contains two beaches and more than 400 campsites.

Cincinnati Recreation Commission city pools
various locations in city

So far, eight of the city’s 24 pools are open, according to a spokeswoman: Dempsey Pool, 933 Hawthorne Ave., East Price Hill; Evanston Pool, 3204 Woodburn Ave., Evanston; Lincoln Pool, 1027 Linn St., West End; McKie Pool, 1655 Chase Ave., Northside; Oakley Pool, 3900 Paxton Ave., Oakley; Otto Armleder Memorial Family Aquatic Center at Hirsch Pool, 3630 Reading Road, Avondale; Otto Armleder Memorial Regional Aquatic Center at Dunham Recreation Complex Pool, 4356 Dunham Lane, Westwood; Pleasant Ridge Pool, 5915 Ridge Ave., Pleasant Ridge. Also open are all nine of the commission’s spraygrounds, the spokeswoman said. Check the website for locations. (https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/recreation/facilities1/pools/)

Coney Island
6201 Kellogg Ave., Anderson Township

Located along the Ohio River, it’s where Cincinnatians have gone to play since its start in 1886. Its Sunlite Pool, North America’s largest recirculating pool with an erupting hydrostorm, sits at 200 feet wide and 401 feet long, and holds more than 3 million gallons of water. It is larger than a football field at 2 acres, with shallow water making up half of that for smaller children. New this year is the nation’s largest Aquaglide pool obstacle course, The Challenge Zone, with balance beams, climbing obstacles, monkey bars and more.

East Fork State Park
3294 Elklick Road, Bethel

The 4,870-acre park is one of the largest state parks in Ohio, with diverse recreational and natural-history opportunities. The park’s Harsha Lake offers unlimited-horsepower boating as well as paddling, fishing and swimming. A large campground, picnic shelters and a nature center are on the grounds, and a vast trail system for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking and backpacking is available.

Hueston Woods State Park
6301 Park Office Road, College Corner

Park visitors can sunbathe and swim along the 1,500-foot public beach at Acton Lake. Other outdoor options include golfing, fishing, boating, hiking, horseback riding and picnicking. A nature center and a charming covered bridge also are on the grounds.

Kings Island
6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason

Celebrating its 50th year, the amusement park provides breezy rides and experiences to give you a temporary respite from the heat. Travel at 30 miles an hour while hanging 301 feet in the air in the Windseeker, and enjoy the wind in your face. Get wet — and maybe soaked — in White Water Canyon. But the best place to cool off is in its Soak City Water Park, with more than 50 water activities, including 36 water slides, two wave pools, rushing rivers and relaxing lagoons.

Northland Ice Center
10400 Reading Road, Evendale

Cincinnati’s first indoor year-round ice skating rink opened in summer 1973 and features a regulation National Hockey League-size ice surface (200 feet by 85 feet). The rink is home to Cincinnati Adult Hockey Leagues, Cincinnati Amateur Hockey Association, the Queen City Figure Skating Club, Northland Figure Skating Academy, University of Cincinnati Hockey Club and practice ice for the Cincinnati Cyclones. Learn to skate or play hockey.