Banishing the Dog Days: Cool Swaps for Hot Days

Board and Brew on Chestnut Street.

Though we hope the horrendous heat wave has broken for good this summer, we’ve still been soured on spending too much time outdoors.

In case you’ve been feeling like the summer has been passing you by in a heated haze, here are a few activities to help you stay cool and make the most of the rest of the dog days. You don’t have to walk too far (thankfully), but in some cases, you can take Drexel University or SEPTA transportation.

If you need further resources for beating the heat, the City of Philadelphia has some to get you started, including a list of public pools and spraygrounds for staying cool, resources for utilities and the locations of cooling centers, which are open during heat emergencies.

Stay cool, Dragons.

Play board games at Board and Brew

Grab something cold or even frozen from Board and Brew’s menu of coffees, teas and cocktails, then head upstairs to browse their extensive game library. If you sit upstairs and pay a fee, you can have your pick of hundreds of card games and board games to play. If your brain is feeling too scrambled from the heat to take in the rules of a new game, you can always reach for a familiar favorite.

Workout classes indoors instead of outdoors

Exercising outdoors in the summer feels about as soggy as a swim in the pool, but without the refreshing temperature. If you still want to get your heart rate up without feeling like you’re slogging through a swamp, you can always opt to move your run or walk to the Rec Center’s indoor track.

If cardio isn’t your thing, the Rec Center also has group fitness classes, including at least one vinyasa or Slow Flow yoga class every day except for Sundays. There are also spin classes, Zumba, Pilates and other strength and high intensity workouts to try throughout the week. You can register online or on the Rec Center’s app, and don’t forget to hydrate — even if you’re inside, you’ll still work up a sweat.

Visit a museum or two

Step into the air conditioning and learn something new — without sweating. There are several museums that Drexel students can get into with a discount by using a DragonCard, but two places are free — and have Drexel roots.

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (ANS) is always free with a DragonCard, and there is a rotating cast of exhibits. Right now, you can learn about denizens of the rainforest, or the Devonian period, or (as always) dinosaurs.

There’s also the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA), which is just a few minutes away from ANS in Center City. Currently, you can browse more than 600 objects spanning 350 years of Philadelphia history in Philadelphia Revealed: Unpacking the Attic, an exhibition from the Atwater Kent Collection at Drexel University. It runs until Dec. 1 and showcases stories from the city spanning centuries. Because of its Drexel connections, you can visit this show for free with your DragonCard.

Bonus: You can take a free Drexel shuttle to and from both ANS and PAFA!

The Penn Ice Rink on Walnut Street. 

Go ice skating

If you want to feel like you’re in a winter wonderland in the middle of August, Drexel students can also use the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Ice Rink facility, with a student discount of $9 for entry and $4 for skates. Just think — if you put in the work now, you can be twirling circles around everyone when the outdoor rink at Dilworth Park opens for the holiday season.

Just make sure to check the calendar to see when public skating hours are available.