For us, there is only one sure way to beat the Texas heat: leave for a cooler climate.
Nothing fills that bill better than Sebastopol, CA, where we recently enjoyed highs of 78 and lows in the upper 50s while visiting good friends at their oh so comfy country house. (We had an initial cool down at their city place in San Francisco. Dreamy.) Shown: A farmers’ market breakfast on the deck, 65°F.