If you read my recent post about staying cool in this red-hot summer travel season, you saw my suggestions about heading to waterparks and jungles, planetariums and evening fireworks displays.  But where are the best places to stay cool this summer?  This traveling mom offers some of her favorites.

First, consider your hotel carefully.  You’re looking for one with a pool, for starters, and preferably a waterslide?  A good bet?  Homewood Suites all across the country have recreation options and most boast modern, clean, and cool pools.  Add that to the fact that you get a free full breakfast, free dinner on weeknights, and free internet; you’ll want to get away even just for a cool night in clean sheets with central A/C.  It might be cheaper than renting a movie and staying home!

Hersheypark at Night. Photo by Gary Burke/Flickr

Love waterparks?  Head to Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and check into the nearby Homewood.  The Boardwalk at Hersheypark’s designed to look like an old-fashioned – you guessed it – boardwalk, complete with ice cream vendors, games, and temporary tattoos.  Best of all, the water rides can’t be beat – my kids refuse to leave the lazy river until I tempt them out with some good old Hershey’s chocolate.

If it’s a jungle you’re after, you might have a tough time finding one in the continental U.S. – but you can hike through beautiful woods and see tons of forest life near Boulder, Colorado, one of the country’s most charming but most undiscovered towns.  After a day in the woods, head to Pearl Street for a gourmet, homemade ice cream, and take in the street performers and a great independent book store.

For planetariums, you can’t do better than the Hayden Planetarium at Boston’s Museum of Science.  It’s cool, it’s quiet, and it’s dark.  Bliss.  After the kids learn about the stars, take them down to the Public Gardens for an evening ride on a swan boat – they’ll remember it forever, and you’ll keep them out of the hot sun.

Fireworks at Disney. Photo by Ricardo Carreon/Flickr

You might think that fireworks are over in July, but think again.  Disney World sets off an incredible display over Cinderella’s castle every single night after dark; if you want to be truly cool (get the double meaning?), have a special dinner at Disney’s fine dining restaurant, the California Grill, and get a front row seat through the floor-to-ceiling windows.