History Lessons for Staying Cool this Summer

Tom Fudge: This week has presented some of the most oppressive heat we've had all year. And many San Diegans have tried to avoid it by staying inside in air conditioned spaces. But what did people do before air conditioning was invented?

The answer, in large part, is that people sought out that big blue air conditioner to our west. I'm referring, of course, to the Pacific Ocean. Finding ways to entertain oneself at the seacoast was a very common answer to the question of how you cooled down in the summer.

Guest

• Joel Levanetz, assistant curator at the San Diego Historical Society.