Indiana Offers Cures for the Winter
Blues
You don't have to put away fun when you pack up the holiday
decorations. Even in the dead of winter, Indiana offers a
wealth of ways to combat cabin fever, make good on your New
Year's resolutions, and preserve the sense of excitement
that comes from having lots to do.
Winter Sports Get the Heart Pumping
To release the pent-up energy that comes with being cooped
up indoors, bundle up and head outside for some winter
sports. Whether it's skiing, snowmobiling, tobogganing or
ice skating, Indiana offers activities that everyone in the
family will enjoy.
The Miami Snowmobile Trails in northeastern Elkhart County
feature 64 miles of trails that meander through rolling
woodlands set against the backdrop of tidy Amish farmsteads.
Developed by the Elkhart County Snowmobile Club, the trails
were named after the Miami Indians who lived in the area for
nearly two centuries.
The snowmobile trails are posted as "open" when
snow conditions are adequate throughout the months of
December, January, February and March. Only registered
snowmobiles may use the trails. Maps of the Miami Snowmobile
Trails also are available at the Elkhart County Visitors
Center.
Another way to enjoy the wildlife and scenic beauty of
Indiana's winter landscape is to grab a pair of skis and
glide along Elkhart County's cross-country ski trails.
Bonneyville Mill County Park near Bristol is one ideal spot
where skiers find peaceful but somewhat challenging terrain.
The park's seven miles of trails wind gently through rolling
hills, woodlands, and marshes. The trails also cut across
the open meadows that surround Bonneyville Mill, the oldest
operating gristmill in Indiana.
Midway between Elkhart and Goshen, Ox Bow County Park also
offers miles of groomed cross-country ski trails. In
addition to skiing, the park features two sledding hills and
a warming house.
If the thrill of speed is your goal, Pokagon State Park near
Angola offers the state's only refrigerated toboggan slide.
Toboggans on the quarter-mile track can reach speeds of 35
to 40 miles per hour. It operates weekends through February.
Pokagon State Park also offers a nature center and the
picture-perfect Potawatomi Inn. The Inn features 142 guest
rooms, a library, a new café and exercise and activity
rooms, making it an ideal overnight getaway for families and
couples alike.
For beginners who want to learn the basics of skiing, Paoli
Peaks Ski and Snowboard Resort in southern Indiana is just
the place. Chosen by USA Today as one of the nation's top 10
resorts for learning to ski, Paoli Peaks takes advantage of
its short winter season by offering ski lessons 19 hours a
day on weekends from mid-December through mid-March. The
resort also offers a Kid's Snow Camp, which includes four
hours of instruction plus lunch, for children ages three to
12.
More than 1,000 rooms are available within a half-hour drive
of the resort for overnight visitors, including condominiums
next to the slopes, bed and breakfast inns, cabins and
resort hotels.
Perfect North Slopes in Lawrenceburg also offers its guests
a variety of lodging options, which are listed on the skiing
facility's Web site at www.perfectnorth.com. Skiers can
choose from 18 trails ranging in difficulty from
"easy" to "most difficult." Perfect
North Slopes will offer a holiday rate for skiers on Martin
Luther King's birthday and Presidents' day.
Tucked away in picturesque Brown County, Ski World in
Nashville offers 10 slopes and 17 trails that range in
difficulty to suit both beginners and experts. And for those
who don't like to ski, Ski World also features eight tubing
runs and "The Boarder," a trail built and groomed
especially for snowboarders. Instructors also provide ski
and snowboarding lessons.
While in Brown County, don't miss the unique specialty shops
in downtown Nashville. More than 350 arts, crafts and
antique shops offer one-of-a-kind treasures in a quaint,
hometown setting. A variety of intimate inns, cabins and
hotels offer nearby accommodations for overnight visitors.
Another winter activity that gets the heart pumping is ice
skating. One of the finest facilities in the world for
training in ice sports, the Indiana World Ice Skating
Academy in downtown Indianapolis offers public skating at
its twin ice rinks at Pan American Plaza. The facility,
which is open year-round, has the standard NHL-size rink as
well as a larger Olympic-size rink.
The Academy recommends skaters dress in layered clothing,
long pants, socks, and gloves. Coin-operated lockers and
concessions also are available.
Events Planned Just for the Season
Outdoor sports aren't the only way to enjoy this time of
year; celebrate winter by attending an event designed just
for the season.
The Winter Magic Festival in Munster, for example, features
a weekend of activities that showcase the wonder of a
Midwest winter. Horse-drawn carriage rides, snow wall
painting for children and miniature ice golf are just a few
of the activities planned for the festival, which runs Feb.
10-11 at Community Park. The Winter Magic Festival is free
and open to the public.
In addition, the National Ice Carving Association holds its
national championship competition from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.,
Feb. 10-11. Forty to 50 of the nation's top professional ice
carvers use chain saws, chisels, blow torches and other
special tools of the trade as they compete for the title of
National Ice Carving Champion. The winner heads to Salt Lake
City for the Winter Olympic Games cultural events in 2002.
Another outdoor event that celebrates winter is Maple
Sugarin' Days in Terre Haute. Held Feb. 1-28 at Prairie
Creek Park, the event shows how sap tapped from the park's
maple trees is boiled in an old-fashioned wood-burning
evaporator and turned into maple syrup. The syrup is bottled
and sold for $4 to $30.
The highlight of this month-long event is a pancake
breakfast, which is 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Feb. 17-18 at nearby
Fowler Park. Cost is $4 for adults and $2 for children.
Indianapolis hosts special wintertime events as well.
From Jan. 5 through March 25, Conner Prairie interpreters
welcome guests at the 1823 William Conner Estate for
Hearthside Suppers nightly from 6-9 p.m.
Guests snack on popcorn, sliced cheese, dried fruit and hot
spiced cider while they help prepare a 19th-century meal by
grinding coffee, churning butter or cleaning vegetables.
After eating the elegant meal, guests tour the home and end
the evening with 19th-century parlor games. Cost is $45 per
person (Conner Prairie members receive a $5 discount) and
reservations are required.
The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art,
which is located in downtown Indianapolis' White River State
Park, showcases the life's work of photographer Ansel Adams
Jan. 27-March 25. The exhibit features 75 back-and-white
images - personally selected by Adams as the best
representations of his work - of Yosemite National Park, the
Grand Tetons, Monument Valley and other spectacular Western
landscapes. The Eiteljorg Museum is open Tuesday through
Saturday, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., and Sunday noon - 5 p.m.
Also located in downtown Indianapolis, the Indiana
Historical Society welcomes visitors to January Family Day
on Jan. 27. Winter storytelling at 10:30 a.m. is followed by
a variety of winter-fun activities from noon to 3 p.m.
Family Day is a free once-a-month event that features themed
interactive activities, such as crafts, music, storytelling
and games.
Where Football Season Never Ends
Craving football as the season winds down? Wallow in the
history of this sport at the College Football Hall of Fame
in South Bend and the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in
Richmond.
Noted as the home of Notre Dame's Fighting Irish football
team, South Bend keeps the football season alive year-round
at its 58,000-square-foot College Football Hall of Fame.
Designed to preserve the history of amateur football and
promote the sport's positive values, the facility honors
more than 800 players and coaches. Interactive exhibits lets
visitors march with bands, cheer with cheerleaders,
high-five the mascots and enjoy tailgating, homecoming and
other football thrills. A 360-degree theater, complete with
surround sound, gives visitors a great seat for an exciting
Saturday afternoon football game.
The College Football Hall of Fame is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Sunday through Saturday. Admission is $9 for adults, $6 for
seniors and $4 for kids ages 6-14. Travelers to South Bend
can count on a variety of restaurants and overnight
accommodations. Call the Convention and Visitors Bureau of
South Bend/Mishawaka at (888) 242-9906 for more information.
Football fans also won't want to miss the Indiana Football
Hall of Fame, located on the state's eastern border in
Richmond.
The Hall of Fame offers visitors a look at nearly 300
"Hoosier Football Greats" who have been honored by
the Indiana High School Football Coaches Association from
the early 1920s through today. The museum also recounts
Indiana's prestigious football history as it's been played
in high schools, colleges and universities, professional and
semi-professional, and independent football organizations.
Lucky fans might even have the opportunity to receive a
personal tour from Richmond's own Lamar Lundy, who gained
fame as a player for Purdue and the L.A. Rams.
The Hall of Fame is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday-Friday,
and weekends by appointment.
The holidays may be over, but winter fun in Indiana is just
beginning. Take advantage of the wide variety of activities
and attractions in Indiana before the season changes again.
For Indiana travel information, or to order your free Travel
Guide, Travel Map, Play Money Coupon Book or Festival Guide,
call 877-ENJOY IN
For Hotel and Resort Listings go to Indiana Hotels and
Resorts
For Family Attractions go to Indiana Family
Attractions
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