The heat this summer has been virtually unbearable in many parts of New England,  so what to do beside the two obvious choices of going to the beach or spending time in an air-conditioned mall?

Well, an underrated local activity is skating!  Think of it: indoor skating rinks are  naturally air-conditioned, you get some good exercise in, and the price is usually quite low. We skate at the Norfolk Arena in Norfolk, Mass., where “free skate” time (1 p.m.-2:50 p.m., at this writing) is only $5.00 per person.

We’ll be covering other great choices like visiting museums and public libraries in upcoming posts, but for now we felt compelled to relay this “cool” summertime idea to you, in the name of escaping the heat.  So, go ahead, check out your local skating rink for times and prices!