I stopped in the house for a quick lunch. As I walked upstairs to the kitchen, I ran into my two youngest daughters, swimsuits on, sunscreen on, holding the dog’s leash.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“We’re going to the beach. Want to come?”
I paused a moment and decided I could skip lunch. Besides, it was 95 degrees outside—a heatwave for our tiny mountain town tucked more than a mile high in central Idaho.
I did a quick change and followed them down the stairs and down the road to the beach a short block and a half away.
With a rush, we ran into the waves kicked up by boaters and giggled as our momentum carried us forward and under water. I came up for air and observed my surroundings. Everywhere I looked, I saw people of all ages enjoying water. Some were swimming. Some were floating. Some were paddle-boarding. And, of course, a lot were running through the splash pad installed at the head of the beach.
I always marvel at the contributions splash pads and waterparks make to any community. Even here, with access to more swimmable water than anywhere I’ve lived, there is a splash pad installed at the beach—and it is arguably the busiest attraction.
This issue is dedicated to beating the heat in the coming dog days of summer. And, of course, the best way to beat the heat—wherever you are—is to get in the water.
There are tons of ideas inside on how to up your community’s aquatics game—and lots of feel-good stories about how agencies across the country turned under-utilized resources into fun water attractions. One agency even converted their long-standing golf course to a brand-new aquatics facility aimed at satisfying the increasing thirst its town had for water fun. Pretty cool.
As usual, I hope you enjoy this month’s effort as much as we enjoyed creating it.
If you do, or if you don’t, let us know. We love mail
Till next month…
