Sick of the Heat? Try One of These Cool Vacations

When the mercury soars, the last thing you want to do is sweat out your vacation in an equally sweltering destination. Instead, head for the places on the planet where it's delightfully cool -- and even downright chilly -- and get away from the heat as well as the every day.

Sailing in San Francisco
San Francisco is one of the few cities in the United States where you really need a warm sweater in the middle of August, which makes this the perfect time of year for heat-phobes to visit the City by the Bay.

Take a nighttime tour of Alcatraz for chills of the spooky variety, hike among the redwoods in the Muir Woods or really chill out by getting right onto the water: The OSCC Sailing school in Berkeley, which has a fleet of 50 boats, offers classes for beginners to near pros.

Stay at the new Cavallo Point Lodge, on the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge, with a view of the bridge, city skyline and the bay. ...