This summer, there are plenty of places where you can dip into the water without dipping into the deep end of your wallet. Whether it's a state park brushing up against the Finger Lakes and Lake Ontario, public pools or recreation centers, cool escapes from the bothersome heat are everywhere.
Chet Susslin / The CitizenOn a hot and humid July day, Cody Stanton, 16, jumps off the high diving board at the Jordan Veterans Memorial Pool.
Auburn YMCA
The Auburn YMCA offers members and non-members a chance to beat the heat in its 25-yard-long Riford Allyn Pool during lap and family swim sessions every day. The Emerson Pool holds sparser open slots, but between the two, Auburn residents should have no trouble finding a time to cool off with family and friends or to practice their strokes.
When: Allyn Riford Pool open 5:30 to 8:30 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. weekly; 8 to 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays; closed Sundays
Where: 27 William St., Auburn
Cost: Free for members, $10 for non-member day passes (includes use of all other YMCA facilities)
Info: Call 253-5304 or visit www.auburnymca.org to view a full schedule of both pools
Casey Park
Casey Park's summers are rarely silent with an Olympic-size swimming pool beckoning sweltering Auburn residents. Though the bulk of swimmers are children whose parents sit and watch from poolside, adults looking to get their evening laps in will find the time to do so, said Superintendent of Public Works Jerry DelFavero.
“We try to accommodate everyone,” he said.
The pool's diving boards were removed this year due to liability concerns, but after a few 90-degree weekends DelFavero believes demand for the pool is as high as ever.
When: Open noon to 7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, 1 to 6 p.m. weekdays
Where: Casey Park, 150 N. Division St., Auburn
Cost: $2.75 adult community members, $1.75 children community members, $4.75 adult non-members, $2.75 children non-members
Info: Call 253-4247
Cato-Meridian Recreation Center
In the six-lane, 25-yard pool at the Cato-Meridian Recreation Center, lap swimmers will always find at least a sixth of the pool saved for them while families cool off.
“It's a really relaxed vibe,” said Jennifer Dalziel, director of the center.
When: 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; 9 to 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 11:15 a.m. to noon Saturdays
Where: 2851 Route 370
Cost: $2 adults, $1 children
Info: Call 626-6735
Emerson Park
Emerson Park's beach measures about the width of a football field and welcomes families with a shallow area that favors fun play for smaller swimmers.
“All the way down to the end probably isn't more than 4 feet,” said Cayuga County Director of Parks and Trails Gary Duckett.
Duckett advises anyone who steps in the Owasco Lake swim area to wear shoes to prevent the small cuts that crop up from time to time due to the rocky floor.
When: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day
Where: Emerson Park, Route 38A, Owasco
Cost: $2 parking fee
Info: Call 253-5611
Fair Haven Beach State Park
Fair Haven Beach State Park offers a sand beach alongside its roped-off swim area in Lake Ontario. Should the heat shuffle an abundance of swimmers onto the shore, park official Lisa Hendrick said the park has a second beach area to open up.
Along the scenic edge of the great lake, swimmers can also enjoy the perks of a pool, such as a concession stand and diving boards. But the latter feature can only be used when lifeguards are on duty.
When: Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day; hours change to 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 11
Where: 14985 State Park Road, Fair Haven
Cost: $7 park entry fee per vehicle
Info: Call 947-5205
Fillmore State Park
A dammed up stream-fed pool offers a calm and natural swim spot at Fillmore State Park in Moravia. The pool, which is surrounded by a beach of grass and stone, consists of deep and shallow ends for swimmers young and old.
When: Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day
Where: 1686 Route 38, Moravia
Cost: $7 park entry fee per vehicle
Info: Call 497-0130
Long Point State Park
Long Point State Park in Aurora squares off a 200-by-150-foot area of Cayuga Lake for public swim. Like the lakes of all area state parks, Cayuga's water quality is checked every week at Cornell University to ensure a pleasant swim. From the park's rocky shore, three stationed lifeguards monitor the safety of swimmers.
When: Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day
Where: 2063 Lake Road, Aurora
Cost: $7
Info: Call 497-0130
Skaneateles Community Center
The Skaneateles center offers five specialized pools for swimmers seeking every aquatic activity from laps to a two-story waterslide.
Those exercise and plunge pools are joined by a 3-foot-pool with a waterworks structure for small children, a leisure pool for exercise and a spa for relaxation. Children can also buy a ticket to board bumper boats for a fun - but turbulent - time on the water.
When: Hours vary; check www.skaneatelescommunitycenter.com for a full schedule
Where: 97 State St., Skaneateles
Cost: $6.50 adults, $4.50 children
Info: Call 685-2266
Skaneateles Lake
The Skaneateles Community Center also oversees a swim area along Skaneateles Lake that features a raft as big as a king-size mattress from which swimmers can jump into the water.
“The kids really like that,” said Josh Peckham, director of aquatics with the center.
The 85-by-60-foot area is halved into shallow and deep ends and steepens from 1- to 8-feet in depth. Three lifeguards are posted, and very few waves approach due to buoys keeping boats far at bay.
“It's a pretty calm and enjoyable place to go,” Peckham added.
When: Open 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. every day
Where: Across from the Sherwood Inn, Route 20, Skaneateles
Cost: $2 for community members, $3 for non-members
Info: Call 685-2266
Veteran's Memorial Pool in Jordan
The Veteran's Memorial Pool in Jordan gives children the chance to douse away the summer days at its spray park. Buckets, stationary flower sprays and a water cannon are available for anyone looking to make a splash.
“It's very hands-on, and age appropriate,” said pool employee Gayle Daniels. “We're a happy place.”
After a thorough soaking, children can enter the pool on its waterslide. There the pool's college-age lifeguards have been known to join their young swimmers at play. Visitors looking for lap-swimming will find their own corner of the pool to exercise in peace.
When: Open noon to 8 p.m. daily
Where: 51 Brutus Road, Jordan
Cost: $4 adults, $3 children
Info: Call 689-9551
The Auburn YMCA offers members and non-members a chance to beat the heat in its 25-yard-long Riford Allyn Pool during lap and family swim sessions every day. The Emerson Pool holds sparser open slots, but between the two, Auburn residents should have no trouble finding a time to cool off with family and friends or to practice their strokes.
When: Allyn Riford Pool open 5:30 to 8:30 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. weekly; 8 to 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays; closed Sundays
Where: 27 William St., Auburn
Cost: Free for members, $10 for non-member day passes (includes use of all other YMCA facilities)
Info: Call 253-5304 or visit www.auburnymca.org to view a full schedule of both pools
Casey Park
Casey Park's summers are rarely silent with an Olympic-size swimming pool beckoning sweltering Auburn residents. Though the bulk of swimmers are children whose parents sit and watch from poolside, adults looking to get their evening laps in will find the time to do so, said Superintendent of Public Works Jerry DelFavero.
“We try to accommodate everyone,” he said.
The pool's diving boards were removed this year due to liability concerns, but after a few 90-degree weekends DelFavero believes demand for the pool is as high as ever.
When: Open noon to 7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, 1 to 6 p.m. weekdays
Where: Casey Park, 150 N. Division St., Auburn
Cost: $2.75 adult community members, $1.75 children community members, $4.75 adult non-members, $2.75 children non-members
Info: Call 253-4247
Cato-Meridian Recreation Center
In the six-lane, 25-yard pool at the Cato-Meridian Recreation Center, lap swimmers will always find at least a sixth of the pool saved for them while families cool off.
“It's a really relaxed vibe,” said Jennifer Dalziel, director of the center.
When: 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; 9 to 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 11:15 a.m. to noon Saturdays
Where: 2851 Route 370
Cost: $2 adults, $1 children
Info: Call 626-6735
Emerson Park
Emerson Park's beach measures about the width of a football field and welcomes families with a shallow area that favors fun play for smaller swimmers.
“All the way down to the end probably isn't more than 4 feet,” said Cayuga County Director of Parks and Trails Gary Duckett.
Duckett advises anyone who steps in the Owasco Lake swim area to wear shoes to prevent the small cuts that crop up from time to time due to the rocky floor.
When: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day
Where: Emerson Park, Route 38A, Owasco
Cost: $2 parking fee
Info: Call 253-5611
Fair Haven Beach State Park
Fair Haven Beach State Park offers a sand beach alongside its roped-off swim area in Lake Ontario. Should the heat shuffle an abundance of swimmers onto the shore, park official Lisa Hendrick said the park has a second beach area to open up.
Along the scenic edge of the great lake, swimmers can also enjoy the perks of a pool, such as a concession stand and diving boards. But the latter feature can only be used when lifeguards are on duty.
When: Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day; hours change to 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 11
Where: 14985 State Park Road, Fair Haven
Cost: $7 park entry fee per vehicle
Info: Call 947-5205
Fillmore State Park
A dammed up stream-fed pool offers a calm and natural swim spot at Fillmore State Park in Moravia. The pool, which is surrounded by a beach of grass and stone, consists of deep and shallow ends for swimmers young and old.
When: Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day
Where: 1686 Route 38, Moravia
Cost: $7 park entry fee per vehicle
Info: Call 497-0130
Long Point State Park
Long Point State Park in Aurora squares off a 200-by-150-foot area of Cayuga Lake for public swim. Like the lakes of all area state parks, Cayuga's water quality is checked every week at Cornell University to ensure a pleasant swim. From the park's rocky shore, three stationed lifeguards monitor the safety of swimmers.
When: Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day
Where: 2063 Lake Road, Aurora
Cost: $7
Info: Call 497-0130
Skaneateles Community Center
The Skaneateles center offers five specialized pools for swimmers seeking every aquatic activity from laps to a two-story waterslide.
Those exercise and plunge pools are joined by a 3-foot-pool with a waterworks structure for small children, a leisure pool for exercise and a spa for relaxation. Children can also buy a ticket to board bumper boats for a fun - but turbulent - time on the water.
When: Hours vary; check www.skaneatelescommunitycenter.com for a full schedule
Where: 97 State St., Skaneateles
Cost: $6.50 adults, $4.50 children
Info: Call 685-2266
Skaneateles Lake
The Skaneateles Community Center also oversees a swim area along Skaneateles Lake that features a raft as big as a king-size mattress from which swimmers can jump into the water.
“The kids really like that,” said Josh Peckham, director of aquatics with the center.
The 85-by-60-foot area is halved into shallow and deep ends and steepens from 1- to 8-feet in depth. Three lifeguards are posted, and very few waves approach due to buoys keeping boats far at bay.
“It's a pretty calm and enjoyable place to go,” Peckham added.
When: Open 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. every day
Where: Across from the Sherwood Inn, Route 20, Skaneateles
Cost: $2 for community members, $3 for non-members
Info: Call 685-2266
Veteran's Memorial Pool in Jordan
The Veteran's Memorial Pool in Jordan gives children the chance to douse away the summer days at its spray park. Buckets, stationary flower sprays and a water cannon are available for anyone looking to make a splash.
“It's very hands-on, and age appropriate,” said pool employee Gayle Daniels. “We're a happy place.”
After a thorough soaking, children can enter the pool on its waterslide. There the pool's college-age lifeguards have been known to join their young swimmers at play. Visitors looking for lap-swimming will find their own corner of the pool to exercise in peace.
When: Open noon to 8 p.m. daily
Where: 51 Brutus Road, Jordan
Cost: $4 adults, $3 children
Info: Call 689-9551
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marsha wrote on Jul 13, 2008 11:53 AM: