Despite the fact that I’ve spent the majority of my 28 years in Lehigh Valley, it was only last summer that I discovered Dutch Springs. So in an effort to save you from missing out on this hidden gem of Bethlehem (like I did for so many years), allow me to formally introduce you …

Dutch Springs is what I’d consider to be an amusement park for nature-lovers. There’s scuba diving, a high ropes course/climbing wall, camping and an Aqua Park, which will be my focus for this post.

The Aqua Park area is filled with all sorts of inflatable … things, designed especially for climbing on and bouncing off of.

I tried climbing one of the icebergs, which can be accomplished by pulling yourself up via plastic handles. All around me, kids were clamoring up the ‘burg like little spiders, while I hung there like a dysfunctional monkey, my weak arms shaking. Eventually, I made it to the top and for a few seconds felt like queen of the ‘burg before half sliding/half bouncing back into the water.

The other inflatable … thing I tried out was the Aqua Tower. Once you climb to the top of the tower, again using plastic handles, you jump onto a huge airbag called The Blob. Ideally, you want to stay on The Blob (not as easy as it sounds), so when the next person jumps onto it from the tower, some force of physics will send you flying through the air. Unfortunately, I fell off The Blob before the kid behind me could jump.

By now, I was exhausted so I bobbed around in the Aqua Park, watching everyone else on the … things. Thanks to my life vest, which everyone must wear, bobbing around took no effort on my part, making it the most relaxing part of my day.

What’s your favorite way to stay cool during these hot summer days?