Written By Mary Spiro
We spend all winter longing for the warmth of summer. Now that the temperature has gone up, we are trying to find ways to cool off. You could crank up the AC, but that’s not fun for your family or your wallet. Head out to the beach? Sure, but this time you’re looking for something different, particularly in view of the gasoline prices. So go in another direction altogether to find that perfect place, anywhere within easy reach, and just cool it.
Here are just a few choice places to chill out that will afford a cool day or weekend escape from the heat of summer. Along the way, we were sure you would want to sample some cool treats. So we have included a list of very “hot” places for doing just that.
Distances are measured from lovely downtown Westminster. And just for fun, we’ve included the average daily high and low temperatures in Fahrenheit for July. As a baseline, Westminster’s average daily high temperature in July is 87, the low is 64. In Baltimore City, the average daily high temperature in July is 91, the low is 73.
Berkeley Springs, West Virginia
Town of spas, spas and did we mention spas?
87 miles: 1 hr 40 minutes
Average daily July high, 86F; Average low, 62F
Hundreds of years ago, Native Americans were traveling to what we now call Berkeley Springs, W.Va., to experience the relaxing warm mineral springs. Today, this unpretentious nook of the Eastern Panhandle of Maryland’s western neighbor draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to find out what the Indians knew for centuries.
The spring itself is located in the shady, grassy midtown oasis of Berkeley Springs State Park, also one of the town’s five spas. Others, such as the Coolfont Resort and Conference Center, Atasia Spa, and The Bath House Massage and Health Center offer an array of personal therapies and treatments-from facials to mud baths and more. Prices for services vary widely based on your needs. For example at Berkeley Springs State Park, a Roman Bath in a 750-gallon walk-in tub of 102-degree mineral water and 30-minute massage will cost an adult $45 on the weekend.
Of course, there’s plenty to do in Berkeley Springs that doesn’t involve the springs. The whole family can enjoy hiking, horseback riding and camping in West Virginia’s Cacapon Resort State Park, also close to Berkeley Springs. There’s the championship Robert Trent Jones Golf Course and downtown Berkeley Springs features art galleries, fine dining and museums. But go for the water.
Cascade Lake
3000 Snydersburg Road
Hampstead, MD 21074
(410) 374-9111 ¥ (410) 239-4708
Distance: 7 miles, 13 minutes
Average daily July high, 84F; Average low, 64F
Carroll County’s only waterpark was once a pasture. But owners Patrick and Susanne Flynn have created a lakeside fantasyland of slides, bubblers, squirters and other splashy features where kids and adults can cool off in style. The park balances the beauty of the lake with creative manmade fun. An enormous 150-foot water slide provides excitement for older kids and adults, while 12- and 16-foot water slides offer fun for the more restrained. Little ones will get a kick out of the park’s friendly frog slide and newly opened Splash Pad sprayground.
Family reunions, company picnics and water-theme weddings up to 100 people will find the perfect setting in one of Cascade Lake’s pavilions, all of which connect to the beach and slides at the lake. For very large private functions involving at least 300 people, Cascade Lake also has a separate swimming pool with its own water slide and pavilion. There are sports courts and paddleboats. No license is required for catch and release fishing of bass, bluegill or catfish in the well-stocked six-acre lake. For eats, Cascade Caf serves pizza, salads, fries, hot dogs and of course “sno” cones, a staple of every American’s summer diet.
Adults and kids over 5 are $11 on weekends, $7 on weekdays before 2 p.m., and $5 after 2 p.m. weekdays. Children ages 2 to 5 are $5 every day and there are special rates for seniors and groups. Admission includes swimming, waterslides (48” minimum height for the 150’ slide), splash playground, fishing, picnicking and the use of the grounds. Seasonal memberships are also available.
Camelbeach Waterpark
Tannersville, PA 18372 (Exit 299, PA I-80)
(570) 629-1661
Distance: 187 miles, 3 hrs 30 minutes
Average daily July high, 84F; Average low 59F
Graduates of Cascade Lake will find that the trek up through the scenic Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania was worth the wait when they catch a glimpse of what Camelbeach Waterpark has to offer. A companion to the Camelback Ski Resort, Camelbeach features a stunning array of 22 twisting-turning waterslides, with fear factors rivaling the biggest, baddest theme-park roller coasters.
Top slide attractions include the Checkered Flag Challenge, where eight sliders compete and rankings are displayed to the crowd, and the six-story Triple Venom, with three unique waterslides offering its own thrill. If those slides are not big enough for you, test The Titan, the world’s largest slide of its kind. At eight stories tall and nearly three football fields long, The Titan allows up to five in each tube, so bring the family.
Feeling “flushed?” You will after you swirl through the Vortex or Spin Cycle: the only pair of bowl slides in the Northeastern United States. How many revolutions will you make around the bowl? The Kahuna Lagoon wave pool will generate enough surf to keep you from missing the real ocean too much. And there are lots of small “kids-only” slides for the wee ones and more leisurely rides for adults who prefer to float. And new this summer is FlowRider, which allows two boogie boarders to surf a continuous wave simultaneously. Boogie board sessions are included in the admission price. With FlowBoarding sessions (Stand-up), a single rider can master the art of surfing for an additional fee.
Daily admission to Camelbeach Waterpark is $29.95 for adults and kids over 11; $24.95 for seniors and children ages 3 to 11. Season passes also
are available.
Deep Creek Lake Area
Deep Creek Lake State Park
898 State Park Road
Swanton, MD 21561
(301) 387-5563 ¥ (301) 387-4462 fax
Call 1-888-432-CAMP (2267) for reservations
Distance: 158 miles, 3 hours
Average daily July high: 79F, Average low 57F
In the winter, you may have enjoyed Maryland’s only alpine ski resort, Wisp. But in summertime the Deep Creek Lake area is just as nice, and still pretty cool. The elevation, on the other hand, couldn’t be higher, at least in Maryland. The 3,900-acre Deep Creek Lake is a half-mile high at 2,462 feet. (Nearby is Backbone Mountain, Maryland’s highest point at 3,360 feet.)
You may be in the mountains, but you will want to spend your time at the lake. Visitors to Deep Creek Lake may fish for up to 26 different species of fish. The more adventurous will find places for swimming, kayaking and even white-water rafting. And you can do just about everything by boat at Deep Creek Lake, including attend church.
Dog lovers will be happy to discover that many Deep Creek Lake area businesses, restaurants included, are pet-friendly. You also will find a variety of lodging, such as lakeside cottages, chalets, RV parks, bed and breakfasts, motels and inns, all of which will let you bring Rex or Fluffy. The cool shade of a mountain will lure you to trails for hiking, horseback riding, birding and even biking – yes, honest-to-goodness mountain biking.
Bushkill Falls
Rt. 209 Bushkill Falls Rd
Bushkill, PA 18324
(570) 588-6682
Distance: 198 miles, 4 hours
Average daily July high, 84F; average low, 59F
If you like seeing water falling in its natural state, don’t miss Bushkill Falls while visiting the Pocono Mountains. Touted at the “Niagara Falls of Pennsylvania,” Bushkill Falls’ eight natural waterfalls, connected by man-made trails of varying difficulty, will not disappoint. The falls have been an attraction for more than a century, after a young man named Charles E. Peters realized that people would travel great distances and pay 10 cents to spend the day alongside these glorious and awe-inspiring gifts from Mother Nature.
Along with the falls, folks can also play a round of mini golf, ride paddleboats, attend a naturalist talk or visit a Native American exhibit, including a Leni Lanape long house. Very little of the “outside” world invades this region of the Poconos Uplands, making Bushkill Falls an ideal place to really get away from it all. Turn off the cell phone and the leave the pager at home, then say thank you Charles Peters for having the foresight more than 100 years ago to make Bushkill Falls the place to put the hustle and bustle on hold for at least one day.
Admission to Bushkill Falls is $9 a day for adults, $8 for seniors, $4 for children ages 4 to 10 and free for those 3 and younger. Group rates are available.
Hot Spots to Cool It
HOFFMAN’S ICE CREAM,
WESTMINSTER, MD
To enjoy a cool treat in Westminster, THE only name you need to remember is Hoffman’s Ice Cream. Repeatedly chosen as “Carroll County’s Best,” Hoffman’s has been making the most delicious ice cream in up to 50 different varieties since 1947. Enough said.
Hoffman’s Ice Cream
934 Washington Road, Westminster, MD 21157
(410) 857-0824
SIMMONS’ STORE, HAMPSTEAD, MD
Down the road from Hampstead’s Cascade Lake, Simmons’ Store serves homemade chocolate, vanilla and a fresh fruit flavors based on whatever is in season that month. Sit on the front porch taste a hand-dipped summertime memory.
Simmons’ Store
2811 Snydersburg Road,
Hampstead, MD 21074
(410) 374-2310
CREEKSIDE CREAMERY MARKET & CAFE
BERKELEY SPRINGS, WV
When the springs of Berkeley are finished treating your body and soul, make tracks to the light blue house on Congress Street to get a treat for your tummy. At Creekside Creamery Market & Caf, you can enjoy your cool creamery snack on the shop’s deck overlooking Warm Springs Run.
Creekside Creamery Market & Cafe
123 Congress Street,
Berkeley Springs, W.Va. 25411
(304) 258-4271
LAKESIDE CREAMERY, OAKLAND, MD
Biking, hiking and fishing at Deep Creek Lake will take a toll. So, hop in your boat (or car) and dock it in a slip at Lakeside Creamery. Dock slips are available for ice cream-eating boaters. They offer over 90 flavors of premium ice cream and sherbets made right on the premises. Fruit flavors are featured as different, local fruits come into season.
Lakeside Creamery
20282 Garrett Highway, Oakland, MD 21550
(301) 387-2580 ¥ (301) 387-5982
SWEET CREAM CAFE, STROUDSBURG, PA
Eclectic, cozy and fun for a family or a date, try the Sweet Creams Caf in Stroudsburg, PA, while visiting the Poconos. End your day at Bushkill Falls with homemade ice cream and other fine food as you head back home. It’s a little out of the way from Camelbeach Waterpark, but may be worth doubling back, if you are staying in the area overnight.
Sweet Cream Cafe
429 Main Street,
Stroudsburg, PA 18360
(570) 421-7929
