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Staying cool while staying here

Dominique Cota, 10, is ready to enjoy a sweet cup of cherry Italian Ices from Ed Myles in Green Valley Village. Photo by Ellen Sussman | Green Valley News & Sun

By Ellen Sussman

Published: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 7:52 PM MST

Special to the Green Valley News

The Good Humor man may not drive down the streets of Green Valley or Sahuarita, but there are some delightful ways to stay cool while staying right here — from ice cream shops to movie theaters. Here are a few cool thoughts for summer.

Scoop shops

A menu of tantalizing flavors is available locally as ice cream, ices, sorbet and frozen yogurt in cups, cones, floats, smoothies, shakes and sundaes.

Posada Java at Continental Road and Park Centre Avenue has a cool selection of six flavors of smoothies plus milk shakes, ice cream, and pie and brownies available a la mode. Open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday.

Kokopelli’s Gelato Factory on Whitehouse Canyon Road has 16 flavors including caf/ latte, cinnamon, lemon, pear and spicy chocolate mol/. Open 9 to 5 Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.Saturday and Sunday.

Sertino’s at Rancho Sahuarita Marketplace features 24 flavors of ice cream, sorbet and frozen yogurt in a dish, cone or sundae. Tempting flavors include Rocky Road, mint chip, coffee, peaches and vanilla, cotton candy and the kids’ favorite, Krazy Kolors. Open seven days including evenings. Hours are 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Ed Myles Italian ices are available from his Divine Donuts food wagon at Green Valley Village next to Ace Hardware. Choose from chocolate, cherry, lemon, blue raspberry, mango or watermelon. Hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.Monday through Friday.

Fast food iced drinks

McDonald’s on Sahuarita Road offers a selection of flavored iced lattes including caramel, mocha, hazelnut, vanilla and sugar-free vanilla. They also serve hot fudge and strawberry sundaes, three flavors of shakes and McFlurrys with M&Ms and Oreo bits.

Burger King south of Duval Mine Road on Frontage Road offers a blended coffee-chocolatey Mocha Joe and Oreo sundae shakes.

Dairy Queen, also on Frontage Road, has a full ice cream menu including Blizzard Treats and Peanut Butter Parfaits, banana splits, Oreo Brownie Earthquakes, shakes, sundaes, waffle bowls, waffle cones and dipped cones.

Arby’s close by has three flavors of Swirl Shakes.

Taco Bell on Duval Mine Road has refreshing new Fruitista Freeze drinks in pina colada, strawberry colada, mango strawberry and plain strawberry. It’s next to the Desert Sky Cinema, where you can catch a matinee for cool indoor entertainment.

Carl’s Jr. on Nogales Highway features sundaes, floats and milkshakes with hand-scooped ice cream in orange cream, chocolate, strawberry and vanilla.

Catch a breeze

Madera Canyon is just a short ride away and offers significantly lower temperatures. Pack a picnic lunch to enjoy under the trees and play tourist in this nearby cool canyon. Admission charged.

Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory, at an altitude of 8,500 feet, is educational and offers cooler temperatures. Skilled tour drivers know how to negotiate the hairpin turns to the top where it’s easy to spend an afternoon touring and picking out local landmarks in the valley below. There is a base camp with a museum. Open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission charged. Information: 670-5707.

Titan Missile Museum on Duval Mine Road offers one-hour guided tours. Visitors will view the underground portion of the site and the silo and also witness a simulated launch. Open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the last tour begins at 4 p.m. Admission charged. Information: 625-7736.

Sahuarita Lake Park in Rancho Sahuarita is a public park with an artistically shaped lake and walking path. Though not available for swimming, bring a blanket or lawn chair and cool off under the trees while enjoying the lake’s beauty and catching the breeze. It’s delightful — and it’s free.

“Movies Under the Stars” are free Saturday nights at Rancho Sahuarita and open to the public. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair and enjoy free films and free popcorn; food vendors. Here’s what’s coming up:

Showtime: 8 p.m.

July 3: Iron Man, PG-13

July 18: Hotel for Dogs, PG

Aug. 1: Madagascar Escape to Africa, PG

Aug. 15: High School Musical 3: Senior Year, G

Aug. 29: Horton Hears a Who, G

Sept. 12: Confessions of a Shopaholic, PG

Sept. 26: Classic Movie Night: Breakfast at Tiffany’s, G

Oct. 3: Igor, G

Things to do on

monsoon afternoons

Much more than a place to borrow books, the Joyner-Green Valley Library and the Sahuarita Library have arranged a program of interactive and creative programs for kids.

Check out the following free activities:

Joyner Library

July 8 from 2-4 p.m. Drop in and make a bouquet of flowers from recycled materials.

July 9 at 2 p.m. A planetarium show will send kids to the stars. Limit 40. Pick up tickets one-half hour before program starts.

July 17 at 2 p.m. Juggler Extraordinaire James Reid will perform juggling tricks.

July 24 at 10 a.m. Have fun making things from recycled bicycle parts.

Information: 594-5295.

Sahuarita Library

July 10 at 11 a.m. Zoo to You. Meet ambassadors from Reid Park & Zoo and learn about animals. Limit 25. Pick up tickets one-half hour before program starts.

July 15 at 11 a.m. Tie-Dye Day. The library will provide all materials to make a cool tie-dye shirt. Ages 8 and up. Limit 15. Pick up tickets one-half hour before program starts.

July 16 from 2 to 4 p.m. Drop in and make a bouquet of flowers from recycled materials.

Information: 594-5490.

For adults at the Joyner Library

Get fit sessions from 10 to 11 a.m.

July 10 and Aug. 15: Yoga classes.

July 14 and Aug. 11. Ginga Fit, a movement program based on a Brazilian dance/martial art form.

World Travel Lectures at 2 p.m.

July 23: Travel in Namibia and South Africa by Charles O’Brien

Aug. 13: Dubai and Beyond: The Arabian Persian Gulf by Marge Hanley.

Summer reading isn’t just for kids.

Grown-ups can read and earn prizes, too. Join online at www.library.pima.gov.

Computer classes

July 9 from 3 to 4 p.m. Trap the Mouse. Take the first step toward computer literacy.

July 17 from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Learn how to create a Word Document, change formatting and save work.

July 31 from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Basic Internet class.

July 23 from 3 to 4 p.m. Introduction to e-mail. Send, receive and read e-mails.

Register at information desk or call 594-5295.

Ellen Sussman is a freelance writer in Green Valley. Contact her at ellen2414@cox.net.


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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of gvnews.com.

Sahuarita Resident wrote on Jun 24, 2009 1:59 PM:

" Very nice!! Everything in one list. Keep it up! "

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