Dallas Aquatic Center

It's hot out there, the Kroc Center doesn't open until Sept. 26th and the inflatable pool makes you feel like a big fish in a small pond. Salem has lots of options for cooling off the kids but only a short drive away the Dallas Aquatic Center is worth checking out. We took the kids there on Sunday and had a great time. It was $15 for the four of us and we swam for about 2 and a half hours. Here's a link for recreational swim times. They have five different pools for swimmers of all ages. The most popular is the pool with the lazy river and water fountain. Before entering we were warned that this pool may have to be closed if the water became cloudier and the lifeguard could not see the bottom. I think this was a polite reminder to swimmers to shower off before jumping in. The water was very murky almost to the point where I felt a bit uncomfortable taking a dip in there. We made sure to tell our kids not to open their mouths in that pool. It was fun though, even for my wife and I . The Lazy river pushes you along the back side of the pool about 200 feet. The other half of this pool is a large fountain where the spray can be turned on and off by steering wheel like valves which the kids control. Another pool has a diving board, rope swing and waterslide. This pool is a lot deeper and cleaner and has an area for lap swim. Children have to be at least 48 inches to go down the slide unless they pass a simple swim test. The test consists of jumping off the diving board and swimming the full length of the big pool. I'm happy to say my daughter passed this test easily. For adults, sixteen and over, there is a spa which overlooks the fountain pool. For the youngest, there is a baby pool about a foot deep with places to sit and splash and be photographed. The place was crowded and there is a large staff of lifeguards keeping a watchful eye on everyone. We saw a young boy get rescued at the end of the waterslide by a quick acting lifeguard on the spot. She jumped in quickly at the first sign of struggle and pulled the boy to safety. As temperatures soar into the high nineties, and if it's not a problem to make a short trip out of town, the Dallas Aquatic Center is a fun option for families.