Fun beat-the-heat dates for summer

Want to heat things up with your sweetie without working up such a sweat? Read on for six cool ways to make each other melt without actually making each othermelt.

Beat-the-heat date #1: Enjoy chilled wine and brie indoors
Everyone loves a romantic picnic in the park — except when it’s so hot the cheese turns to fondue. No worries! Have an indoor picnic instead. Spread a blanket on your living room floor, crank up the music and put the wine on ice (try Beringer Vineyards White Zinfandel; the hints of honeysuckle, citrus and strawberry are perfect for summer, www.grandvinonline.com). Since it’s too hot to turn on the stove, order in finger-licking favorites like fried chicken and ribs. No room for frisbee? Half the fun of this plan is getting inventive, so break out the board games, play cards or grab the nearest scrap of paper and face off in Hangman. The only rule: no turning on the TV.

Beat-the-heat date #2: Chill out as you splash around at a water park
Get your new date to let down his or her guard with an all-access pass to childhood. Just slip into your swimsuits and hit the road to the water park (a day pass usually costs about $20). Race each other down the slide, float in the lazy river and tackle the wave pool together. All that fun should work up your appetites, so enjoy classic park cuisine — corn dogs and funnel cake, anyone? Check out a list of water parks in your area. Just don’t forget to pack a towel big enough for two.

Beat-the-heat date #3: Start your outdoor adventure at dawn
Don’t let that heatwave prevent you two from getting active together. Instead, plan a hike or bike ride for early morning (7 a.m., 8, even 9 if neither of you is a morning person). Feel like the only souls on earth while you bike or hike through a gorgeous park, then chow down at a fun breakfast spot. If you can’t tear yourselves apart, keep the date going by chilling out in a freezing cold multiplex.

Beat-the-heat date #4: Have a complimentary cold one while touring a nearby brewery
Cancel the coffee rendezvous and invite your date to a brewery for a beer tasting instead. After you tour the factory, grab a couple stools and sample the frothy specialties. Throw back shots of beer one at a time and try to really taste the flavors. Is that apple cider? No, it’s butter; no, maybe it’s… who knows! But it’s extra yummy when you taste it off a certain someone’s lips. Find a list of breweries at www.beerexpedition.com/northamerica.shtml.

Beat-the-heat date #5: Recreate the arcade days of your youth at Dave and Buster’s
Pac-Man and frozen margaritas? You’d better believe it! Adult arcades offer full service bars, yummy eats like hot wings and mozzarella sticks — and most importantly, air conditioning! Whether you prefer Skee-Ball and Corona with lime or an enclosed ride for two (perfect for a private smooch) and an extra-dirty martini, you’ll find it here. Visit www.daveandbusters.com for locations near you.

Beat-the-heat date #6: Hop in a romantic tub for two
So it’s too darn hot to even run out to the ice cream parlor with your sweetie? Plan an ice cream bath date at your place. (Haven’t been dating that long… or that intimately just yet? There’s nothing wrong with wearing bathing suits.) First, light a fresh peppermint candle (www.shortiescandles.com) and toss a few sprigs of mint leaf into the tub. Next, squirt in a heaping burst of Soulmates Shower Gelee to create a light-scented bubble bath (www.philosophy.com). Then grab a pint of whatever you have in the freezer, two spoons and hop in together. Ahh!

Courtesy of MSN By Christine M. Coppa