, 70 is as hot as I want to go
Then there was the year we were headed to Colorado on I 70. As we blew through KC there was a bank sign that flashed the time and temp. It was just after midnight, maybe 12:05 and the temp was 102. Worse, that jeep didn't have AC. But I kept driving west. The only thing that kept me going was the thought that the next day would be worse with the sun.
So we made it to Junction City and got a Motel right behind the McDonalds at exit 296. I'd already decided to not travel the next day, but instead remain in the motel and AC. We had our dog along (dogs need vacations, too.) So about 6:30 AM he need to go outside. I leashed him up for a walk down by the interstate. I got outside and it was raining! The nicest rain I'd ever felt. And it had cooled all the way down into the 70s! Walked back and told the wife to get up and take her shower, we were driving after all. Old Spot did his business and we were hustling to get going. I had no idea if it was just a shower or an all day rain, but I wanted out of Kansas. I have no idea how anyone can live with temps that high.
Another year we rolled in to Moab, UT and the temp was 114. Too hot for life to survive. We holed up in the motel room. The next day it cooled way down to 112, so we went up into the LaSals. Found the worldly remains of a snow slide (up above Miners Basion). It looked like pine needles but right under the surface was snow and ice crystals. When the dog discovered it, he spent the next 10 minutes running in circles (doing donuts.) The next day it was still hot. I stopped in a convenience store about bought a block of ice. Hit it once with an axe and then lodged it behind the console and the back seat. Put a towel over it and the dog found it. He wouldn't leave the jeep, he just laid on the big ice cube for hours.
We're mid latitude folks. 100 degrees is ok once or twice a summer as the daytime highs. I expect it to drop down to maybe 70 by sunrise.
One of the last years we had our pool we were having friends over. It was too hot and the pool water was above 90. I drove down to the ice house and bought more of the blocks. They went in the pool with me. It actually dropped the water temp a few degrees. They melted fast because people were sitting on them. Used them as floats.
