BEAT THE HEAT

BY SKYE SHERMAN

Summer may be Palm Beach’s off season, but there’s still plenty going on in this palm-studded paradise to keep your calendar as packed as you please. Beat the summer heat of the Sunshine State with these fun air-conditioned (or naturally cooled) activities.

Peruse The Norton Museum Of Art

The extensive programming at the Norton Museum of Art doesn’t take a summer break. What’s more, through September, Palm Beach County residents can visit for free during Summer at the Norton. Check the museum calendar for special events like Art After Dark and various art lectures, classes, and workshops, from drum circles to tai chi. Note that the museum is closed on Wednesdays in the summer.

Catch A Performance At The Kravis Center

While the Broadway season doesn’t start back up until November, special summer performances tend to pop up even in the offseason. If you’re in need of a little Motown and R&B Funk to chill out as season looms large on the horizon, The Commodores will take the stage in September.

Paddle Around Peanut Island

Embrace the rays with a day spent on and paddling around Peanut Island, one of the area’s best snorkeling and boating spots. While a sandbar flotilla is the Saturday agenda item of choice for local boat owners, those with no floating vessel of their own can take the Peanut

Island Shuttle Boat, which departs every 25 minutes from just north of the Port of Palm Beach. The 10-minute ride will get you to Peanut Island in a jiffy, and the company even has snorkeling equipment for rent.

Tour The Flagler Museum

Whether you go for the Independence Day Celebration or simply a tour of this 75-room Gilded-Age wonder, a visit to the Flagler Museum is the ideal summertime activity. The best way to appreciate the significance and history of this former mansion — which Palm Beach founding father Henry Flagler built for his third wife — is with a docent-led tour, which is offered several times per day on weekdays. Self-guided tour brochures and narrated audio tour wands are also available. Note that the museum is closed on Mondays.