Cool spots to beat the heat
Moaning Cavern, Vallecito, Calif.
In the hot summer months, everyone goes to the beach or the mountains. Few people think to go underground. Far, far underground. This is one of California’s largest caves and drops visitors 272 feet below the earth’s surface. (Stephen Osman / Los Angeles Times)
Gelateria del Teatro, Rome
Rome is hotter than Hades in the summer and there’s no relief, except for top-quality gelato. (Susan Spano / Los Angeles Times)
Sturtevant Falls, Angeles National Forest, Calif.
What better way to cool down than take a brisk hike through the forest during the dead of the summer? No, really. You’ll find Sturtevant Falls, a 50-or-so-foot cascading waterfall at the end of a trek into Big Santa Anita Canyon. (Jason La / Los Angeles Times)
The upper Kern River, Kernville, Calif.
This relentlessly chilly ribbon of water in California’s parched center is as refreshing as a float trip can be. This time of year, the river slows, making it an ideal inner-tube run. Bring your own tube, and for $5, raft companies such as Sierra South will shuttle you to a drop-in point. Take an hour -- or several. The trips run at your own pace; (800) 457-2082. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
