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Five ways to beat the heat in the 'Burg

Five ways to beat the heat in the 'Burg

By LISA CHINN

Date published: 8/26/2004

THE FREE LANCE-STAR

iT'S LATE AUGUST and the humidity is high.

You make a mad dash for your car, but your hair flops before you can climb inside. You've nixed plans to install a hot tub on your deck because your back yard already feels like a sauna. And you just can't seem to slather on enough deodorant.

Well, don't just stand there sweating. Weekender gives you five ways to chill out in Fredericksburg.

Soon, pools will close for the summer. Lucky for us, the Fredericksburg area is home to a bounty of beaches.

Of course, you'll have to settle for splashing into a lake or river. And jumping in when you can't see what's lurking below requires a leap of faith.

Already hearing that creepy music from "Jaws"? Relax, silly, sharks don't live in freshwater seas. And those freakish snakehead fish? Don't even let yourself go there.

If you still won't take the plunge, there are plenty of other cool things to do at the beach.

Making snow angels in the sand will give you goose bumps.

You can build a castle or bury your little brother, read a book or tend to your tan.

Or just sit back, soak up the soothing sounds of the surf and let your summer worries float away.

You probably won't need to pull on a parka to go indoor ice skating, but those rinks do stay pretty chilly, even when the mercury outside is soaring.

Lace up your skates and have your own Olympic moment. Pretend you're Michelle Kwan or Brian Boitano. Just do us a favor--don't go for the double axel your first time out.

Or grab a stick, a puck and 11 of your best buds, and battle it out in a game of ice hockey.

It's worth the price of admission just to see the Zamboni in action. The massive machines spray rinks with water that freezes into a fresh layer of glistening ice.

The best thing about ice skating on a man-made rink in the heat of summer? You won't have to worry about falling through.

If you're counting carbs, stop.

So what if chocolate ice cream packs 19 of the forbidden food fragments in just half a cup?

Summer won't last forever. Indulge!

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Date published: 8/26/2004