Our favorite place to cool down this summer is Delaware, Ohio’s best-kept secret.
I’m talking about the Jack Florance pool at Mingo park, better known by locals and those in the know as just “Mingo pool.” It is our favorite place to swim during the summertime!
During a summer this hot – central Ohio is breaking heat records left and right – you’ve got to find a nice, cool place to spend time. For us, that place is Mingo pool near downtown Delaware.
Don’t get me wrong, we like North Orange pool too, right here in Lewis Center. It’s close and convenient – but, alas, it’s also very crowded.
That’s why we’re such big fans of Mingo pool. Even on a recent hot, sunny Saturday, it was relatively uncrowded! I don’t know where the folks in Delaware are staying cool, but apparently it’s not at this pool.
The other benefit of Mingo pool is that it’s only $7 to get in, vs. $10 at North Orange pool. Yes, you have to drive a bit further because Mingo is located up near downtown Delaware. Still, it’s worth the drive for so many reasons. Here are the top five things we LOVE about Mingo pool:
- Fond memories from Z’s time on the DARTS swim and dive teams. We first learned about Mingo pool during Z’s swim and dive team days with the DARTS program. Delaware’s Mingo pool is their home base, and how we got so familiar with this wonderful place. Don’t worry though – they host swim meets early in the mornings, so the pool is open for all to enjoy starting at noon every day.
- The highest diving board around! Mingo has a three-meter diving board, which is SUPER high and scary for someone like me but super fun and exhilarating for someone like our Zoebelle! She’s been going off that giant diving board since she was about eight years old and she still loves it.
- The deepest swimming pool around. Most pools barely get deep enough to tread water in, but Mingo has several deep swimming areas. Their diving well (where the super tall diving board is) is about 12 feet deep and there is also a 7-foot section of the swimming pool. I love to swim and tread water in very deep water, so this is where I hang out!
- Never over-crowded the way other pools can be. As I’ve already mentioned, Mingo pool never seems too crowded. It has a big water slide, the aforementioned diving boards and a shallow area for little kids to play. The main part of the pool – with my beloved deep water area – stays fairly empty. And you can always find a seat or a grassy spot to put your towel down!
- Delaware has so many fun restaurants and ice cream joints we can visit after our pool day! After our most recent pool day, we visited Smash Shack for gourmet burgers and fries. There’s also the Food Truck Depot right nearby, where various food trucks whip up delicious entrees and snacks. Don’t forget Delaware’s iconic Dairy Depot and Dari Point, two old-school ice cream shacks offering delicious soft serve and related treats.
What’s keeping your family cool during this extra-hot summer? As always, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below or over on Facebook or Instagram.
