As the summer heats up, cool down with wet and wild events everyone can enjoy.

Crowd Sourcing

Where: Millennium Park

When: Through mid-autumn

Artist and sculptor Jaume Plensa’s Crowd Fountain offers a unique way to cool down in the middle of the city.

Two 50-foot-high glass blocks stand 50 feet apart, on which are projected the faces of different Chicago residents. Every 12 minutes, the images purse their lips and send a stream of water onto the squealing children gathered below. When the faces disappear, they are replaced by a waterfall, which tumbles onto the crowd from the top of the towers.

 

Inland Ocean

Where: Oceans of Fun

When: Through the end of August

A half hour northeast of Kansas City sits Oceans of Fun, a 60-acre water park that boasts 18 different aquatic slides and rides. Whether it’s careening down a high-speed waterslide or kicking back in the wave pool, the park provides plenty of ways to beat the heat.

And since 2008 marks the park’s 35th anniversary, a slew of special events will keep the celebration in full swing all summer long.

 

Rapid Escape

Where: Sequoia National Forest

When: Daily through September

Leave L.A.’s packed beaches behind and opt instead for your own wilderness adventure. Only two hours away from L.A.’s infamous urban sprawl, the Lower Kern River offers an aquatic escape that’ll help you forget the smoldering city.

Spend two days rafting through 20 miles of beautiful white granite canyons shaded by maple and sycamore trees. After a slow start, the route builds to a series of class III and IV rapids, which will add a little thrill to the trip’s chill.

 

Join the Jet Set

Where: Miami Beach

When: Seven days a week

Hop on a Yamaha WaveRunner and explore the beautiful waters around Miami in a whole new way.

Jet ski tours take you around six of the city’s outlying islands, where manatees and dolphins make regular appearances. Along the way, you can bid “bon voyage” to departing cruise ships at the Port of Miami and try to spot A-listers on Star Island, which is only accessible by water. And since the tours include speed-limit-free zones, a little open-throttle wave jumping isn’t totally out of the question.

 

Two If By Sea

Where: Revere Beach

When: Year round, from dawn to dusk

Only five miles north of Boston, American history hits the sand at Massachusetts Bay, which 1896 established Revere Beach as America’s first public seashore.

Visitors enjoy miles of beautiful shoreline all year long, but summer is when things really heat up. On your way to the water, stop by and see who’s playing at the bandstand, or fuel up at Kelley’s Roast Beef, a popular spot for people watching.

The beach itself is a great place to relax and work on your summer tan while the kids enjoy the surf and sand.

 

The Ol’ Swimming Hole

Where: Little Pautuxent River

When: All year

Free your inner child with a trip to wilds of Savage Park, located just north of our nation’s capital.

Once you arrive, make your way along the banks of the Little Pautuxent River, where small waterfalls spill into freshwater pools, creating a series of perfect, secluded swimming holes.

Pack a picnic and some summer reading, and spend the day getting back to nature. But if things start getting too relaxed, head for the pools, some of which have natural waterslides, small cliff jumps and even a couple of rope swings.