TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) – As the biggest heat wave to hit the area in 16 years bears down, people are scrambling to find ways to keep cool.
In Monroe, MI, Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church has a message on its sign that reads: "Feeling the heat? Come inside. We're Prayer Conditioned."
A more traditional way of cooling off in Monroe is a trip to Sterling State Park. It felt at least ten degrees cooler from the parking lot to the Lake Erie shoreline.
Two young sisters, Emily and Cindy Linville, were having a great time keeping cool with a swim.
"The farther you go the cooler it gets when it's farther down by the sand," Emily said. When asked what she thought about the temperatures reaching 100 this week, Cindy added, "It's usually not even that hot. It's usually cold!"
In Toledo, Ottawa Park was the place to be. Shaun Potter waited until the evening on Tuesday to get in a round of Frisbee golf.
He says this is the hottest summer he's ever felt and the next few days won't be easy.
"I'm just dreading going to work right now. I work in a garage so it's just hot," Potter said. When asked what he'll do to get through the hot days, he said, "Lots of cold water, definitely."
On the tennis court at Ottawa Park, Brenda Hodges waited until 7 p.m. to meet friends for a match. The conditions were better, compared to the previous day.
"Yesterday was crazy! Yesterday, we kept putting water on our necks you know to cool ourselves down and sweat was running down our legs and our clothes were just drenched!" Hodges said.
Dana Hueston said she won't even think about playing tennis in the afternoon this week. She said, "I would tell them no. I do care too much about myself. I don't want to have heat stroke!"
Other local residents said they'll be staying in their homes with the air conditioning on, during the daytime.
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