by Tyra LaRocca

Created on: June 23, 2009   Last Updated: August 13, 2009

Summer is here. Kids are out of school, roads are less congested, and the long hot days that lay ahead hold the promise of adventures to regale to friends when school resumes- or to coworkers around the water cooler.

What to do in Austin to have the type of adventures worthy of the Texas sun and heat? Ask any kid between the ages of 3 and 93 and the first response is to find a fun place to cool off. In spite of triple digit temperatures, Austin is home to some great spring-fed swimming pools where the water temperature stays steady at 68 degrees year round.

Barton Springs Pool, located in Barton Creek as it runs through the beautiful setting of Zilker Park has a daily admission fee.

Deep Eddy Pool is the oldest man made swimming pool in Texas, constructed during the Depression and started as a swimming hole in the Colorado River. The pool has a cool spring-fed section of pool and a more moderate temperature section to please young and old alike. A bonus during the summer are the night time movies projected on a large screen which you can watch from the pool or on a blanket on the lawn and are included in the nominal price of admission to the pool.

Austin has an abundance of lake activities to enjoy- from canoing on Town Lake to water skiing on Lake Travis. You can launch or rent a boat or jet-ski and dock for lunch or dinner at several great restaurants on the lake like Carlos 'n Charlie's or the Oasis- where they claim to be the sunset capitol of Texas.

If you would rather beat the heat indoors, the Paramount Theatre on Congress Avenue is an historic venue nearing its century anniversary. Classic Films are screened all summer long in the beautiful decorative auditorium while munching on fresh popcorn and refreshments. You can enjoy a piece of Americana where Houdini once performed and left a hole in the ceiling and view some old fashioned classic movies. Bring the family.

Really shake off the heat by dropping the temperature to freezing on the rink at Chaparral Ice. Two locations offer open skating and lessons in figure skating and hockey as well. Rent your skates; just make sure you bring your mittens in case you fall.

Austin has great museums. Make a weekly date to visit one: For fine art, visit the Blanton Art Museum on the University of Texas campus. For historical adventure go to the Memorial Museum of Science and History, of try the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library. For the younger kids the Austin Children's Museum has loads of hands on activities sure to keep them engaged and happy for hours.

During the summer, Zilker Park has evening movie and theatre showings- all for free! Generally there is a Shakespeare production and a Musical performed at the Sheffield hillside stage. Most performances begin at dark-thirty, and all you need to bring is a blanket, cooler with snacks and friends to enjoy the show under the stars.

Of course, there are activities for every budget and taste. Standbys like picnics, biking on the Veloway , bowling, attending the many festivals throughout the season (like the Hot Sauce Festival, the Old Pecan Street Festival, and Eeyore's Birthday Party), can fill your calendar from Memorial Day to Labor Day- and beyond. Whatever you choose, have fun, and bring a friend along!

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