9 Ways To Beat The Heat
There’s more to do in Bergen than sit in your air-conditioned home! You’ll forget about summer’s scorchers doing these fun activities.
We’re expected to get a reprieve from the oppressive heat—The Weather Channel predicts temperatures getting up to only 89 this weekend with scattered showers next week. Enjoy it while it lasts: By the end of the month, the mercury and the humidity are both anticipated to rise again.
When the days get too hot, don’t feel like you have to stay sheltered in your air-conditioned home all day. After all, it’s summer, the season to dive into swimming pools and watch movies in the park. Want more ideas that’ll help you and your family and friends beat the heat? Read on:
Head for the hills. An easy way to forget about the heat is to play in the snow, and there’s plenty of it at American Dream’s Big Snow in East Rutherford. Day passes for indoor skiing, snowboarding, tubing and Sno-Go biking are available, and lessons are offered for those who want to fine-tune their skills on the slope. Skis in stowed away in the basement? The facility has equipment rentals too.
Sample sweets. Summer and ice cream go hand in hand, but why not go beyond your usual chocolate and vanilla flavors? Bergen’s independent ice cream shops offer an assortment of unique—and delicious—flavors, and they’re great destinations on a hot summer day.
Enjoy a secret sip. Heading to a crowded bar for a cocktail might not be your cup of tea, especially when it’s hot. But Bergen is home to a handful of hangouts with speakeasy vibes—great drinks and conversation, dim lights and, of course, an “if you know you know” crowd. Feel that atmosphere at The Roosevelt in East Rutherford and Five Twelve in Cliffside Park.
Knock ’em down. Too steamy outside for pickleball, one of the fastest growing sports in America? Then head back inside for bowling, an activity that’s been entertaining families and friends for ages. The game hasn’t changed since you last played, but the venues today cater to more than just league play. Places like Bowlero in Fair Lawn and Wallington and Humdingers in Paramus are popular hangouts for all ages—and they have full food menus, arcades, pool tables and other games.
Jump on board. Who doesn’t love engaging in an hours-long game of Monopoly or building settlements in Catan? Playing board games at home has been a family pastime for ages, but if you can’t round up a crew for a session around the kitchen table, there are Meetup groups that play throughout Bergen County. North Jersey Geeks & Nerds is a cool group that comes together almost every week at Bella Pizza in Hasbrouck Heights for tabletop games.
Book a suite. Love air conditioning but want to escape the scenery of your living room? Stay a night or two at an area hotel, where you can crank up the AC, order room service and take a dip in the pool. The Element New York Wood-Ridge offers all of that and more, including its roof-top bar, Concourse Club, where you can watch charter flights take off and land at nearby Teterboro Airport.
Watch a joust. Betcha haven’t seen a knight slay a dragon in a while. Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament in Lyndhurst provides hours of enjoyment for every family or friend group, such as real light sword fights and horse-mounted jousts. Of course, everyone gets a four-course meal fit for royalty.
Reach for the skies. OK, so you’re not literally in the sky, but the simulator at iFly in Paramus will make you feel like you’re soaring. The indoor skydiving facility suits you in full gear, puts you through a safety session and then lets you experience the feeling of flight. Have nightmares about falling? Don’t fret, as the simulator simply makes you feel suspended in air, not in free fall.
Get creative. Bring the kids and their friends—or you and yours—to paint a masterpiece at a popular paint and sip spot (Pinot’s Palette in Ridgewood or Paint Zone Art Studio in Rutherford, for instance). If you’d rather have art to display on a table instead of on a wall, reserve a session at Painting Pottery Café in Englewood, where you can enjoy pottery painting, clay handbuilding, wine glass painting and more.
Do you have any tips to beat the heat? Share them with us on Instagram @bergenmagnj.
