It's hot, and going to get hotter, my friends. Whether in late August or September, the really high heat is coming. Count on it. With, maybe, your kids back in school, and you wearing your life away at work, air conditioning probably has you covered on weekdays. If not, you are even more in need of our offerings here, and you have our sympathies. Sure you can go to the beach or to the movies or mountains to escape the high temperatures. But there are other possibilities you might have forgotten. Herein, Escape reminds you where you can beat the heat locally. You can probably think of many more, if you put your thinking-cool-cap on.

Indoor Cool

Ice Station Valencia
27745 North Smyth Drive
Valencia, CA 91355
(661) 775-8686
www.icestation.net
Among many other skating-related activities, Ice Station Valencia offers public skating Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays the public skating is from 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., respectively. Evening skates are Wednesdays from 7 p.m. to 8:45 p.m., Fridays from 7:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. and Saturdays from 7:30 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. General admission is $9 and skate rentals at $3.

Mountasia Family Fun Center
21516 Golden Triangle Road
Saugus, CA 91350
(661) 253-4386
www.mountasiafuncenter.com
They say the fun never stops at Mountasia and a lot of it is indoors, where it is cool on a summer afternoon. You could also cool off at Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour.

Public Library
www.santaclaritalibrary.com
A visit to the library can be a cool, quiet and enlightening experience. Check out the website for information.

Freezer section at your grocery store
We've brought you this idea before, but it really works, especially if you are in shorts and sandals. Hanging out in a grocery store, near the freezer bins, can chill you so thoroughly that you actually enjoy going outside to your hot car. But, do your grocer a favor and shop a little, too.

Tour The Signal
It's usually so cold in here my toes get numb. Why not schedule a tour of The Signal offices? Email Tammy Marashlian at tmarashlian@the-signal.com. It's cool and coolly educational.

Outdoor Cool

Santa Clarita Aquatics Center
20850 Centre Pointe Parkway
Saugus, CA 91350
(661) 250-3766 (Aquatics Office) or (661) 250-3700
For information about the Aquatics Center see the online Seasons brochure (pdf format) at www.santa-clarita.com/index.aspx?page=480 and click on "Aquatics."

Castaic Lake State Recreation Area
32132 Castaic Lake Drive
Castaic, CA 91384
(661) 257-4050
www.castaiclake.com
Vehicle entry fees for the summer are $11 per day. R/Vs are $14 and busses $30.
Swim beach hours for the summer are Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
26101 Magic Mountain Parkway
Valencia, CA 91355
(661) 255-4257
www.sixflags.com/hurricaneharborLA
Tickets are $36.99 for adults and $26.99 for children under 48 inches tall. Buy your tickets online and everyone pays the kids price of $26.99.

Bouquet Canyon Creek
Just a few miles up Bouquet Canyon Road, and below the dam of Bouquet Canyon Reservoir, you can find a strip of cool relief beside the road. Tucked back in under the shading trees, little Bouquet Canyon Creek cools things off literally and spiritually. Maybe make it a day of public service and collect trash along the way to help keep things inviting. That's really cool.

Ventura
www.ventura-usa.com
Less than an hour away, and located near the ocean, Ventura usually offers much cooler summer temperatures than those found in the SCV. And while you can certainly visit the beach, there are numerous other cool-temperature activities you can enjoy, especially at Ventura Harbor Village www.venturaharborvillage.com.