Dive In: Swimming Holes Offer Respite From Heat [With Video]

There's nothing I enjoy more than swimming in the ocean.

As a teen, I was apprehensive of the surging and crashing waves at Misquamicut Beach in Rhode Island, where our family often spent the weekend.

Like many of us born in the late 1960s, I spent the summer of 1975 nervously scanning the saltwater for a telltale fin after a drive-in, car-top screening of "Jaws." My pillow served as a muffler against the most frightful scenes.

Years later, when the Connecticut shoreline was nary a 35-minute drive from my home in Middletown, I purchased season passes and frequently enjoyed Meigs Point at Hammonassett and occasionally Rocky Neck state parks.

And although I never really learned to swim and dislike going underwater, (much to the dismay of my 8-year-old, who  can do a crawl like nobody's business) a couple of years ago I devised a breastroke/backstroke combination that affords me a 30-minute workout at the YMCA or any of the various swimming holes I've found around Middletown.

Here are some of the best places I've found to cool off on hot summer days.

• Wadsworth Falls State Park — A great place to go during the week as there is no parking charge. It's more of a place for families with little kids, who will love digging in the sand and swimming in the shallow water. Early to mid-summer features hundreds of tadpoles the children will love trying to catch and eventually teeny tiny frogs the size of sunflower seeds hopping along the shore. One drawback is it's often on the list of swimming areas that is periodically closed by the DEEP for bacteria in the water so be sure to check before going. There are lifeguards during the daytime.
• — Perfect for those who prefer the refreshment of cool, fast-rushing water to stand beneath or dip the toes into. It's more for older children and adults as there are many boulders to navigate to get to a spot to relax. There are many picnic tables and grills for those who wish to spend the day. There are walking trails in the woods as well.
• Higganum Reservoir — A large, lovely out-of-the-way place at the edge of the woods that allows fishing for sunfish and a huge swimming area. The sounds, scents and sights of nature abound. You man be lucky enough to spy a Great Blue Heron in flight as one frequents the area. Especially terrific for families who can bring their noodles, rafts, canoes, kayaks and any other water toys. The water isn't clear, but it's certainly not dirty, and you will be splashing among the fish who take an occasional nip at the toes.
• Crystal Lake — A great place to take the little ones if they don't mind algae, water with sediment or the occasional turtle popping it head to the surface. The roped-off swimming area is modes and do watch out of the bird waste, although Parks and Recreation staff are good about combing the sand every morning for the summer campers that use the water daily. Show your license at the gate: no fee.
• Veterans Memorial Pool — Now closed for the season, season passes run $15 to $50, depending on individual or family and there are frequent lessons available.
• Northern Middlesex YMCA — A membership is required to use the large, six-lane pool and smaller, warmer pool — both open daily — and lessons are offered for children and adults.

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