Winter Activities

Winter is a great time to explore different types of activities that you might not ordinarily think of. Consider these activities this winter

CURLING: Despite being an Olympic sport, curling is a lesser-known winter activity. Curling utilizes two four-person teams where the object is to glide large stones down a sheet of ice and get them as close to the center of a circle as possible. There are several curling rinks within a two-to-three-hour drive of Toledo which offer classes for beginners to the sport. One of those clubs, the Bowling Green Curling Club, is located within the diocese's 19-county boundary. For more information: www.bgcurlingclub.com.

TOBOGGAN CHUTES: If racing down steep, ice-covered chutes on sleds which can reach extreme speeds sounds like fun, then this activity might be the ticket. The Cleveland Metroparks manages the Chalet in Millstream Run Reservation in Strongsville. The twin, 700-foot chutes are open from late November through mid-February. If you plan to go, you will want to check out their site for reservation information: Clevelandmetroparks. com. Gloves are required of all toboggan participants and can be purchased at the ticket booth when checking in.

INDOOR WATERPARK: If you enjoy swimming during the warm weather months then there is nothing quite like spending the day at an indoor water park. Several indoor water parks within an hour or two drive are attached to hotels and feature heated amentitites. Kalahari, Great Wolf Lodge and Comfort Inn Splash Harbor indoor water parks offer great ways to bring fond memories of warm-weather activities into your winter mindset. Before making your plans to visit an indoor water park, be sure to call ahead and verify operating hours.

HORSEBACK RIDING: Some farms within the diocese's boundaries offer winter horse riding lessons and guided trail tours. A winter horseback trail-riding trip through farmland and meadows can be a great opportunity to take in the stillness of nature's impact on the outdoors.