by Sarah Davis

As a bead of sweat streams slowly down the center of your back in that spot that’s ever so hard to reach, plan a visit to some places ideal for cooling off on a hot Carolina day.

Cool spot: Blowing Rock, NC
Average Summer High: 76
What’s cool about it: Constant breezes
High in the Blue Ridge Mountains and sitting atop the Eastern Continental Divide at an elevation of 4,000 feet rests a 100-year-old village that was once a destination for the affluent and the artistic who sought relief from the summer heat.

The town is named for the Blowing Rock formation that is part of a phenomenon in which the rocky walls of the Johns River Gorge form a flume.

Northwest winds sweep through the flume with such force that it returns light objects cast over the void.

With such a cool breeze blowing, visitors love to be outside, whether during summertime Art in the Park events or hiking some of the trails.

Art in the Park, a juried arts and crafts show, is scheduled for July 15, Aug. 12, Sept. 9 and Oct. 7. And Sunday concerts in the park are Aug. 20 and Oct. 1 at Blowing Rock Memorial Park.

Of the many hiking choices, the Glen Burney Trail is a favorite. This ancient Indian footpath meanders to plunging waterfalls. Additionally, the Moses Cone Estate and Parkway Craft Center offer 3,600 acres of walking trails, bridle paths, lakes and great scenery.

Arctic cool: Just 45 minutes south on the Blue Ridge Parkway is Linville Caverns. The caverns, hidden beneath Humpback Mountain, remain a constant 52 degrees and display mineral formations only time could create.

Cool spot: Charleston, SC
Average Summer High: 89
What’s cool about it: The city’s water parks
OK, so you’re probably thinking there is nothing remotely chilly about an 89 degree average summer high. But Charleston’s Parks and Recreation division has discovered staying wet will keep you cool.  Whirlin’ Waters Adventure Waterpark includes the Tubular Twister, a Big Splash Tree House and the Big Kahuna, a 27,000-square-foot wave pool.

Cool spot: Charlotte, NC
Average Summer High: 88
What’s cool about it: Man-made adrenaline excitement
The U.S. National Whitewater Center opening in late August and features four different channels of class III-IV whitewater, equaling about one mile of thrills. The whitewater park boasts a river that is entirely man-made and consists of a three-acre lower pond that pumps water to the upper pond.

Taking ideas from some of his favorite rapids in the world, former Olympic paddler Scott Shipley designed the park. Operators can adjust specific features of each rapid to change the characteristics of the water, which will keep things fresh for repeat boaters.

The best thing? In addition to the whitewater, thrill-seekers can climb a 50-foot high climbing wall (the highest man-made wall in America) or mountain bike 11 miles of trail.

Cool spot: Waynesville, NC (Haywood County)
Average Summer High: 82
What’s cool about it: Whitewater thrills in chilly mountain rivers
Considered the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains, Haywood County is in the center of great whitewater rafting country. Bordering Tennessee, Pigeon River is nearby, and some rafting companies, such as Nantahala Outdoor Center, will allow children as young as 4 to  tackle the lower Pigeon River. The upper Pigeon River includes Class III-IV rapids, slightly tougher than the Class I-II fun on the lower. 

Guide company Whitewater of Waynesville offers "soft adventure" for families. Funyaks (inflatable kayaks) and tubes are great modes of transportation down Richland Creek..

Cool spot: Georgetown, SC
Average Summer High: 90
What’s cool about it: Barrier island with a haunted lighthouse
Even though summer days can be downright blistering here, easy access to the Atlantic Ocean make Georgetown a good pick for cooling off. Captain Rod Singleton with Lowcountry Plantation Tours offers an historic shelling tour. No, the shells aren’t historic, but his tour includes a cruise by the historic waterfront area and an hour’s stop for shelling. Traveling by five marsh islands, the boat makes its way to North Island where guests can randomly pick up seashells, dig up sand between your toes and anything else you’d like to do.

After that, Capt. Rod tells a few ghost stories to finish up the approximately 3 1/2-hour tour. Two of his favorite stories are that of Annie, a little girl whose parents operated the Georgetown Lighthouse, and of a sailor said to be in the lighthouse.
Arctic cool: Just 18 miles north of Georgetown is Brookgreen Gardens. The 9,200-acre property hosts Cool Summer Evenings each Wednesday-Friday in July and August. During these events, the gardens stay open until 9 p.m. and include nightly programs.

Cool spot: Lake Lure, NC
Average Summer High: 88
What’s cool about it: A man-made lake below a 1,100-acre, privately owned park
There’s no doubt about it. Working up a sweat hiking makes a cooling swim in a lake that's much more rewarding. Let the sweating begin in a beautiful treasure known as Chimney Rock Park. Tackling the 400 steps to the top of the park’s namesake, Chimney Rock, will offer a rewarding view of trees, valleys and Lake Lure. (For those who have no desire to break a sweat, there’s an elevator built inside the rock that goes straight to the top, 26 stories up.)

Another trek on the property will offer a rewarding cooling mist. Just a half-hour’s hike down the Forest Stroll Trail leads guests to Hickory Nut Falls and its light sprays. The 404-foot fall is one of the highest in eastern America.
Once the scenery has been absorbed, it’s time for a dip in Lake Lure. Additionally, catching a peaceful sunset on a dinner boat tour shouldn’t be missed to cap off the day.