Summer is quickly approaching, but that doesn’t mean that outdoor adventures have to stop! We’re sharing our top three favorite ways to stay cool this summer, while still enjoying the Southwest outdoors!
Cool Off With A Nature Swim
The Sonoran Desert is the wettest desert in the world, and there are lots of rivers, lakes, and even naturally occurring swimming pools in the Southwest that are fun to explore and a great way to stay cool in the summer heat. Here at Southwest Discoveries, we love to frequent local swimming holes that are fed by snowmelt from the Santa Catalina Mountains and summer monsoon rains. The locations of these swimming holes are some of the desert’s best kept secrets! Book a tour with us, and we’ll guide you to some of the greatest swimming locations in the Southwest!
Tips for enjoying the waters of the Southwest: Use posted access points when available for entering and exiting the water. Always enter water slowly, with your feet first. Swim with a buddy and use safe swimming practices. Keep a respectful distance from any animals that you encounter. Avoid using chemical sunscreens that can be harmful to marine flora and fauna when dissolved in water. Look for natural and environmentally friendly options instead. Also avoid using any unnecessary topical products such as lotions, oils, creams, perfumes, and makeup, which can dissolve and pollute the water. Whenever you’re in nature, leave no trace. Don’t leave anything behind, and take nothing away from the natural environment.
Hike Mount Lemmon
Due to the amazing 9,100 ft elevation of nearby Mt Lemmon, the temperature can be 20-30 degrees cooler than Tucson. It’s no wonder they call the top of Mt Lemmon Summerhaven! Join us on Mt Lemmon as we explore the 6 different biomes of this 30 million year old Sky Island, from hillsides of columnar cacti to forests of oak and pine. Stroll under a shaded canopy of Douglas Firs, Aspens, Ponderosa Pines, Alligator Juniper, and Rocky Mountain Maples, and enjoy the panoramic views. Mt Lemmon is a quick drive from downtown Tucson, but we really enjoy turning our trips into multi-day adventures. If you’re planning on staying overnight, there’s no better place to stay than with our friends at Mt. Lemmon Lodge! While you’re there, be sure to request a guided hiking tour with Southwest Discoveries!
Star Parties With Jana
We don’t let the sun setting spoil our outdoor summer fun! Once the sun sets, the desert temperature cools, and an awe inspiring array of celestial bodies emerge in the night sky. Tucson is a certified Dark Sky city, and one of the best locations on the globe for stargazing! This summer, we’d like to invite you to a Southwest Discoveries Star Party!
Join Jana, professional astronomer and our personal guide to the cosmos for a captivating evening under the stars. Star parties with Jana are a 2-hour stargazing event that include an informative presentation of the night sky, where stars are just the beginning! You’ll learn how to identify the visible constellations as well as their stories and significance. With the use of an 8-inch Celestron telescope with high definition optics, you’ll view celestial treasures like star clusters, binary stars, carbon stars, and deep sky wonders such as nebulae and galaxies that are millions of light years away. If planets and/or the moon are visible, they will also be a part of your cosmic tour. There are also opportunities for hands-on experiences like exploring the sky with provided binoculars, an astrophotography workshop made especially for capturing memories on your smartphone, and a meteorite collection where you can hold a piece of space in your hands! If you’re lucky, you may even be able to make a wish on a shooting star!
No matter how you decide to enjoy the great outdoors this summer, be sure to stay safe! Here’s our checklist of outdoor summer safety essentials that we like to bring with us on every outing:
- ecofriendly sunscreen
- lots of water
- electrolytes
- lightweight, light colored, and breathable clothing to protect your skin from the sun
- sunhat
- sunglasses
- and a love of the great outdoors!
We hope you join us on the trails this summer!