Escape The Heat This Weekend

With temperatures expected to reach 113 degrees inland this weekend, I thought it was a good time for a blog on places to go this weekend to escape the heat. One of the many great things about living in the Bay Area is that if you don't like the weather, just get in your car and drive a little bit and you can change it.

It's looking like it might be difficult to completely beat the heat this weekend but here's a list of places you can go that should be a little bit cooler.

The beach - With great beaches like Santa Cruz, Monterey and Half Moon Bay all within easy driving distance, the beach is a great place to go and get away from the heat. Of course this weekend, escaping the heat is relative as these beaches are still expected to see temperatures around 90 degrees, so bring lots of sunscreen. The beach can be a day trip or spend the whole weekend. If you plan to spend the weekend, then find indoor things to do during the hottest parts of the day and enjoy the beach in the morning and evening. Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Half Moon Bay all have some great shops and restaurants you can spend time in out of the heat.

Tahoe - Head to the mountains. Tahoe is expected to reach a high of 88 which makes it a great choice to escape the 113 degree heat. If you've only been to Tahoe in the winter, I highly recommend checking it out in the spring and summer. Between the lake, golf courses, casinos, spas and great restaurants, there is plenty to do. Check out this list of 50 Things to Do In Tahoe This Summer.

Mendocino Coast - The coolest spot on my list goes to the Mendocino Coast with temps expected to be no higher than 81 degrees on Saturday. It's also a great place to go to escape all the tourists. Fort Bragg is probably the best known town in this area and features great shops and boutiques, an indoor water park and water view restaurants. Don't forget to hop aboard the Skunk Train and enjoy a beautiful journey through the Redwoods without the hike! For more information on what the Mendocino Coast has to offer click here

The City AKA San Francisco - Most likely if you are like me you can start to feel like you've done and seen it all in San Francisco. You've done Pier 39, Golden Gate Park, Lombard Street, etc so what else is there? Well, there's a lot actually. Have you ever checked out the Wave Organ or the tiled staircase or the Seward Street Slides? What about the Cable Car Museum?

Here's is a list of 155 obscure things to do in San Francisco. It's still expected to reach 90 degrees tomorrow so make sure to find a few things that are indoors.

The Wave - You won't be escaping the heat with this option, but if you just want to cool off without going far from home you may want to check out Dublin's new waterpark The Wave. With an indoor pool, waterslides, a splash zone and more it would make a great place to spend the day, but don't be surprised if it is crowded. Here's a link for more information.

What about you? Do you already have plans to escape the heat? Where would you go and what would you do? Please share your heat beating escapes in the comments below.