5 Ways to Stay Cool This Summer

Splash around at Minnesota’s largest outdoor water park, Bunker Beach! This expansive oasis of summer fun now features six towering waterslides, a 900′ lazy river tubing experience, leisure pool with climbing wall, a zero-entry pool with a water play structure, a creative sand play area, and as always, Minnesota’s largest outdoor wave pool! Large open areas for sunning and relaxing are scattered throughout the water park. Concession options, changing rooms, and a metro-area location, make Bunker Beach a perfect family destination.

Expand your outdoor water park adventure, with another splash at the Anoka Aquatic Center! This park offers summer fun for the whole family, featuring a 200-foot wide slide, shallow play area, large concession stand, a sand volleyball court and large shaded areas to cool down on a hot summer day.  For the thrill-seeker, a 12-foot climbing wall offers a little more adventure and if you fall off the wall, you fall into the pool. A picnic area and playground can be found at the adjacent George Green Park.

You don’t have to go far to experience a tropical vacation! Come experience this tropical-themed waterpark with activities designed for all ages at Tropics Indoor Water Park at the Shoreview Community Center. Enjoy Shipwreck Beach, it’s zero-depth play area that features a shipwreck boat slide, interactive splashing palm tree, and challenging and fun water walk. In the main pool, play water volleyball, slam-dunk a basketball or climb aboard one of the giant floating sea creatures that provide hours of family fun. Riders of it’s three-story “Shark Attack” water slide will be able to experience our one-of-a-kind jukebox system. Riders will be able to choose from over 100 songs and enjoy a custom light and music show while they twist and turn down our thrilling slide. Adults can escape from the bustle of the waterpark and relax in the adult-only whirlpool and on the patio area.

For a quick cool-down, head to one of the many free community splash pads in Twin Cities Gateway!

Head to the Splashdown Splash Pad at City Hall Park in Mounds View for a fun and refreshing time for the whole family!

Or come out and enjoy Blaine’s newest Park! Lakeside Commons Park has something for everyone to enjoy! Park Amenities feature public beach, splash pad, beach house, boathouse with concessions and canoe & kayak rental, playground, volleyball court, and a rentable picnic pavilion! Lakeside Commons Park is open from June 5 thru September 6.

Come enjoy water fun for all ages at Boulevard Plaza in Coon Rapids, plus park playground equipment! The park is open daily, Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Like we said, Minnesota is the Land of 10,000 Lakes, so we’ve got plenty of great beaches to enjoy and lakes to cool off in.

Long Lake Regional Park offers endless miles of biking and hiking trails, two playgrounds, sand volleyball courts, a fishing pier, and picnic areas, leading up to one of the largest beaches in the Twin Cities area.

For a nature getaway, just minutes away, head to Rice Creek Park Reserve. This 5,500-acre park is one of the largest in the seven-county metropolitan area and contains some of the most significant native wildlife habitat and water resources in the regional area. The park offers a wide variety of amenities, including the Wargo Nature Center, Chomonix Golf Course, Rice Creek Campground, and Centerville Lake Beach. Other amenities include picnic areas, boat launch facilities, biking and hiking trails, playgrounds, and a fishing pier.

Nothing says summer more deliciously than ice cream. You might consider it the cherry on top of a perfect summer day. You’ll find several premium ice cream parlors in the Twin Cities Gateway – each with its unique spin on a classic summer treat. To sweeten the deal, several of the Gateway ice cream parlors are participants Explore Minnesota’s Minnesota Scoop promotion and sweepstakes.

You can start your ice cream tour de yum in Coon Rapids at Cullens Ice Cream, where every day is sweet. You’ll find 32 flavors of hand-scooped ice cream, old-fashioned glass bottle soda, vintage, and specialty candy, and homemade vegan/dairy-free desserts.

Your next stop is Two Scoops Ice Cream Shoppe in Anoka. They serve up the finest super premium hard ice cream made with the freshest and highest quality ingredients

The next time you’re in Blaine, be sure to visit Treats Cereal Bar and Boba. A cereal-centric dessert shop, where every day is sweet. Treats provides you with a nostalgic experience! Because you deserve it! Just imagine delicious soft serve ice creams mixed and sprinkled with your favorite sugary cereals like Fruit Loops, Cocoa Puffs, Trix and Honey Bunches of Oats.

Grandpa’s Homemade Ice Cream produces artisan homemade premium ice cream in small batches on site in Fridley. Grandpa’s strives to have unique flavors that you won’t find in other ice cream shops such as lime basil sorbet, blue moon, maple nut, maple bacon, black licorice, lavender, rosemary and horchata.

Last, but certainly not least, you can dip your taste buds into the dreamy, creamy treats at Big Dipper Creamery in Blaine. Big Dipper is a family–owned business with a passion for ice cream that runs three generations strong. Variety is the spice of life, or, as they like to say: the sweetness of life, and they offer 52 flavors of ice cream available every day.