10 Really Cold Things to Beat the Summer Heat

Summer is here, which means most of us will want to retreat to the cool confines of our air-conditioned homes. But staying in your basement all summer playing Attack of the Mutant Space Zombies on the gaming system of your choice isn’t really an option, is it?

Patch is here to help, with a list of the coldest things to drink, eat or do in town. So get out of your basement and enjoy a little sun this summer. You’re welcome.

The headquarters for Vivian International might sound like the coldest place in town, but actually, they just make the coldest freezers in town. Ice House staffers said the coldest freezer they make is used for storing ice cream, which needs to be held at -10 degrees. By comparison, ice cubes only need to be kept at 26 degrees. Feel free to stop by for a bag of ice from their demo cooler on the Ice House porch. A 20 pound bag of ice will only cost you $2 and an 8 pound bag is a buck.

Friar Tuck’s. This super store of adult beverages has the coldest room in town. Customers are free to walk into their huge cooler to pick out their beer, which is kept frosty cold.

By July you’ll be able to fry an egg on the concrete around Riverchase’s public pool, but that won’t keep the kids from demanding a little splash time. Riverchase has a huge outdoor “leisure” pool with a water slide, lazy river and fountains, plus an Olympic size pool for lap swimming. The indoor pool has many of the same features, plus built in shade. The pool is free for members. A day pass for Fenton residents is $5 for adults and $4 for kids; non-residents pay $8 for adults and $7 for kids.

The air-conditioning here is no cooler than any other burger joint. But what’s special are the frozen sodas, which are a super cool 26 degrees.

This neighborhood ice cream stand doesn’t even have indoor seating, but that never bothers the patrons who mob the parking lot on a hot summer evening. The Malt Shop naturally sells malts and shakes. But they also have soft serve ice cream with more toppings than you can shake a chocolate dipped cone at, plus the ultimate chiller, Hawaiian Ice.

Cool off with 22 flavors of decadent ice cream, then create endless flavor combinations by mixing in candy, sprinkles, fruit or nuts. They have yogurt too, if you want a more healthy treat. The Fenton location has both indoor and outdoor seating.

One word: Blizzard. Feel cooler now?

Quik Trip. This is the perfect place to cool down while on the run. Local Quik Trips not only have a bank of fountain beverages, but they have six Freezoni machines for slushy goodness, four fruity and frozen smoothie machines, a do-it-yourself milk shake machine, plus two frozen coffee dispensers.

Not just for donuts, Krispy Kreme also serves ice cream--or is that ice kreme? Stop by for a soft serve cone, a milk shake or if you’re really feeling crazy, a doughnut sundae.

Starbucks. Known for providing customers with a hot java jump start, Starbucks can also provide you with cold caffeine. Try an iced coffee, iced latte or a flavored Frappuccino. Just be careful—not all Frappuccinos have caffeine, and even the ones that do only have a third of the punch as a cup of Starbuck’s coffee.