Icy Cool Summer Vacation Spots
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Sweating it out in a theme park line waiting for the one, wet ride.
Baking your brains on a crowded beach.
Slogging through a concrete jungle where the heat renders a city’s smells more noticeable than its sights.
Soaring temperatures during the summer travel months can make a vacation to paradise suddenly feel like it’s headed elsewhere in the proverbial handbasket.
Looking to keep your cool during your summer vacation? Consider setting your sights on some of the planet’s most refreshing destinations.
It’s as easy as heading north. Or way, way south.
Bariloche, Argentina
A two-hour flight from cosmopolitan Buenos Aires lands you in the foothills of the Andes Mountains in Argentina’s Patagonia. San Carlos de Bariloche was settled by Germans and Austrians at the end of the 19th century, and it still feels like a little slice of alpine heaven in South America. During the northern hemisphere’s summer months (June-August), Bariloche lures skiers and snowboarders for some of South America’s best terrain. And if snowy pursuits aren’t your thing, you can cruise the sights by making the legendary Lake District crossing - a boat and coach journey from Argentina to Chile that takes in some of the continent’s most pristine and impressive scenery along the way.
Iceland
Its name along is enough to entice heat haters to this northern European island nation adrift in the Atlantic Ocean, but Iceland’s climate is kept surprisingly temperate thanks to Gulf Stream currents. Calling the scenery here ‘dramatic’ is a gross understatement - volcanic crater lakes and lava fields give way to the glaciers that cover more than 10 percent of the overall terrain, and natural geothermal spas just begging for a skinny dip abound. Summer is far and away the best time to visit, with the midnight sun giving you far more daylight hours than dusk (it never truly gets dark in June).
Mackinac Island, Michigan
Summertime temperatures that stick mostly to the 70s (the average July temperature is a sublime 75 degrees) make this tiny island in Lake Huron abundantly appealing. Access is by boat or plane only, and no motorized vehicles are allowed (you can get around by foot or rent a bike or a horse-drawn carriage). More than 80 percent of the terrain is designated Mackinac Island State Park, and when you’re not cruising the rocky and sandy beaches, there are hiking trails and Victorian-era villages to explore. Don’t miss a visit to the island’s premier property – the circa 1887 Grand Hotel.
Shimla, India
When Delhi dwellers want to flee the Subcontinent’s sizzling heat, they head north (nine hours by bus or 12 hours by train) to Himachal Pradesh’s mountainous terrain and the quaint hill station of Shimla. The former summertime capital of British India, Shimla retains colonial era buildings with Tudor framing – a surreal foreground for the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas looming in the distance. Hike with the monkeys in the cedar forests surrounding the village, and be sure to return in time for the nightly promenade, when tourists and locals alike head out for a see-and-be-seen stroll around town.
South Coast Maine
It’s less than two hours driving time from Boston to the southern coast of Maine, where pleasant summertime temperatures that hover in the 70s make visiting the area’s historic 19th century villages, nature reserves, bird and wildlife sanctuaries and miles of sandy beaches all the more alluring. Consider heading offshore for a whale watch cruise to spot migrating humpback, Minke and North American right whales.
Nova Scotia, Canada
Pristine beaches scattered with secret surf spots, authentic fishing villages and rugged inland terrain give Nova Scotia across-the-board appeal. Dubbed Canada’s Seacoast, outdoor pursuits – rock climbing, hiking in hemlock forests, and moose-spotting on nature safaris, to name a few – take center stage. Indulgent lobster dinners are a delicious dining cliché, and you can just as easily snag a bag of fish and chips from a seaside vendor for a casual meal. Temperatures rarely escape the 70s in the summer months.
North Island, New Zealand
The northern hemisphere summer is prime time to hit the Antipodes for some temperature relief. Save visiting New Zealand’s fabulous South Island for the Down Under summer (December- February), when all of the famed hiking trails are open. The North Island offers milder climes year-round, with an average temperature of about 60 degrees on the coast during the winter months (June-August). Winery hopping, skiing at Mount Ruapehu, fly fishing for trout in a lowland stream or surfing the great breaks outside of hip Auckland (the country’s biggest city), are just a taste of what awaits.
Olympic National Park, Washington
Can’t make it all the way to New Zealand? This domestic gem is as impressive in its own right, with rainforest valleys, glacier-encrusted peaks and wild Pacific Ocean beaches. Congress designated a full 95 percent of the park wilderness, and backcountry camping here is a truly wild experiences. Day hikes, paved camping sites and hot spring pools are enticing alternatives for the tamer at heart. Summer is the park’s driest season, with average temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees.