Want to Cool Off? How Old Are You?

As Appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section July 17, 2010

Dog days of summer? You say that like it's a bad thing. We may be smack dab in the middle of July, 90-plus degrees on the thermometer and barely a breeze at times, but heck, you waited all winter for this; now you finally got your wish.

It's a good thing we are living in the Southwest at this altitude, because I know many of you out there are transplants from the East Coast, Midwest and the South and are well aware of what 90 degrees Fahrenheit with 90 percent humidity feels like. Can you say pea soup?

Here in the Southwest and at an elevation of 5,469 feet, Rio Rancho sits high enough to stay dry, and cool enough to make Money magazine's list of the "100 Best Places to Live."

In 2005, we ranked 83rd on this list. In 2006, we moved up to 56th place. This year we bettered our score, ranking in at 51. While one might surmise it might be due to the new roundabouts the city is installing around town that earned us our best score yet, when actually, according to the survey it was criteria such as jobs, schools, public safety and features that make a place great for raising a family that got us our high marks.

So how do the citizens of the 51st-ranked Best Places to Live City cool off during a scorching summer? That depends on whom you ask.

If you ask the tween set, that would be kids between the ages of 9 and 13, what they do to cool off, their answer would be The Big Flush Water Coaster at Cliff's Amusement Park. And not just once, but as many times as their parents will allow them to go.

Ask a teenager what they do to cool off and you will get a variety of answers. The mall is always top of the mind for this age group. But a favorite and probably the coolest place to be is at Blades ice skating rink on Loma Colorado for brushing up on triple toe loops and flying sit spins. After, there is nothing better than hitting Sonic Drive-In and not ordering anything, but just hanging out and hoping some interesting boys pull up in the space next to yours.

Moving on to the age group that is most likely reading this column in the newspaper today, I offer up some options for you. For the homebodies, how about a delicious new recipe for gazpacho, that chilled summer soup that tastes best right about this time of year with a cold glass of mango iced tea.

For the wanderlust souls in the crowd, we are lucky Rio Rancho is so centrally located; the choices are many. Remember the temperature drops 5.4 degrees for every 1,000 feet you climb, so I say head for the hills. Possible day trips to cooler locales include Madrid (elev. 5,997) or Santa Fe (elev. 7,000). But for those really looking to cool off head on up to Taos (elev. 7,249) or even Angel Fire (elev. 8,379) to really get away from it all. Remember to take your sweater.

Stay cool, my friends. Before you know it we will be switching the furnaces on, putting the big comforters back on the beds and wishing it was summer.

Quote of the Week: "Hot town, summer in the city. Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty. Been down, isn't it a pity, doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city." — Lovin' Spoonful's "Summer in the City."