Anyone sick of winter yet? We are going on our fifth straight day of nonstop snow over here. Not to mention those subzero temps everyone’s talking about. Now don’t get me wrong, I put in my fair share of complaints regarding the ice and snow and long months of cold temperatures, but snowy scenes are so beautiful and there’s something fresh about venturing out in the winter. Its my firm belief that since you really can’t beat Mother Nature, then you might as well make the most of it and get out there and make some fun. At the very least, it makes coming indoors that much more cozy.
Last February, we packed up and went north to Ottawa, Ontario for an overnight to ice skate on the Rideau Canal. I’d spent the prior winter tracking ice conditions, in hopes the weekends and the skateability of the canal would align. Alas, an entire year passed until the conditions were right and our weekend was free. After so much time, I was very, very excited to get up there and see what this was all about.
I brought my own skates, and my hubby rented there. We put the kiddo in the jogger stroller and off we went! Thankfully, I had the benefit of growing up in a northerly state, with a hockey-playing father who taught his three daughters how to ice skate pretty much as soon as we were able to stand on our feet. If you aren’t too sure about your skating skills, people were walking on the ice…although that in itself seems just as risky. Maybe you could use a small chair for balance, as we did in our early days. Or hiking poles? Or your stroller! I don’t know, just trying to help you get out there. Anyway, this was one of the absolute most unique experiences and I highly recommend a trip to Ottawa to ice skate on the worlds largest skating “rink”.
Read up on the Rideau Canal Skateway here.
