With triple digit temperatures temporarily curtailing valley hikes, ten toasty Trailblazers decided to cool off in the Arizona Science Center’s air-conditioned Imax theater. The giant screen brought two thrilling adventures into our laps.

The visually stimulating first feature, “The Ultimate Wave Tahiti,” is a 3D movie filmed in Tahiti, the “wave capital” of the world. Donning oversize 3D glasses, we caught glimpses of stunning scenery coupled with views of the underwater world. We accompanied expert surfers riding monster waves, paddling the pristine waters of the Pacific Ocean, and just plain having fun. What a nice way to cool off! And amazingly, we didn’t get wet.

The second film was the ultimate in cave exploration. We followed scientist cavers exploring underwater caves in Mexico as they looked for microorganisms with possible cures for disease. Temperatures dropped even more as we watched the cavers descend into a deep, frigid ice cave in Greenland—I had goose bumps just watching!

What a testimony of human courage and passion for adventure in these two films!

After the show, the group split up to accommodate several different dinner arrangements. Some of us took the light rail to Macayo’s Depot Cantina for delicious Mexican food, then boarded the light rail again to the end of the line.