8 Actives That Will Leave You On Ice
Now that things are starting to freeze, what’s a person to do? How about trying one of these ice related activities.
1) Curling – Every Olympics’ we sit there glued to the screen watching this sport and wonder where on earth did these people learn to do this? It looks so easy. I could do that! We are now seeing these clubs popping up all over the Twin Cities. Stop in and check one out at the Dakota Curling Club or the new Chaska Curling Center.
2) Fly a Kite – When the lake freezes on Lake Harriet, the kites come out. January 19th is the 12th annual kite festival. Bring your kite, or purchase one there. Either way, it will be tons of fun for the whole family.
3) Ice Castle – If you haven’t been, it’s kind of a cool experience. To make things a little easier on yourself, I recommend going on a weeknight or make sure the temperatures are still above freezing.
Otherwise, you will wait in line for hours and be slipping all over the place.
4) Ice Carving – Check out these cool ice sculptures from Metro Ice Sculptures. Each year they usually take some top prizes at the St. Paul Winter Carnival.
5) Ice Climbing – They offer clinics at the festivals demonstrating how to get started. Otherwise, Vertical Endeavors also offer trips and classes.
Sandstone Ice Festival is one of the biggest in the state. Unfortunately, due to the warm start to the 2015-2016 winter, it has been canceled this year.
6) Ice Fishing – It’s has become a Minnesota Classic. You don’t have to have an ice house and a bunch of crazy equipment to get started. Just borrow an auger and rod from a friend and get a chair.
Or better yet, go with them! While the competitions go on all over the state, Brainerd probably has the biggest: http://icefishing.org/. For more information on getting into the sport, check out this how-to article. http://cottagelife.com/entertaining/a-beginners-guide-to-ice-fishing
7) Ice Skating – Centennial Lakes in Edina is a great location for outdoor skating. It’s free to skate. If you don’t have skates, you can rent them $6. If you are looking for a little less authentic Minnesota Cold experience but still magical time, check out the Depot in Minneapolis.
8) Polar Plunge – Take the plunge and jump into some freezing cold water for The Special Olympics. Everyone I have ever talked to that participated always said how much fun it is. It definitely should make everyone’s bucket list. http://www.plungemn.org/
Do you have any other ice-related favorites? Considering most of these items are Minnesota classics, I am a little ashamed to admit that I personally have only done two.
My goal this year, to go out of my comfort level a bit and make sure to try a few more on this list. How about you? Are you up for the challenge?
