Lake, ocean or river, no matter, with the heat and humidity of July beating down in oppressive waves, water is the only salvation! My best childhood memories involve family and sand and food and water while the fiery orb finally settles down into the east coast horizon. My mother planned our late-day excursions around a dinner picnic, mostly to include my father, who worked through July at the hospital, but also because we are a fair-skinned bunch and crisp-up pretty easily.
State parks with public beaches basically empty out by 5:00, yet remain open to dusk, which in July means until almost 9:00. But by late afternoon most beach-goes pack up their picnic baskets and portable radios, their water toys and sandy tots, and head back into the still heat of summer evenings. But not us. With 80% of the other folks gone we had miles of beach to ourselves and we splashed and surfed about in the waves like we owned the place before wrapping up in towels and opening the basket of sandwiches. While eating we watched the last golden rays shoot across the blue horizon. Even today I am surprised over how few people do this.