Wander Woman
EXPLORING HIDDEN GEMS oF SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON By Afton Nelson
For the quintessential winter experience, you can’t beat ice-skating. Here in Clark County we don’t have to wait for a pond to freeze over. Just head to Mountain View Ice Arena, strap on some skates, and get ready to channel your inner Michelle Kwan or Wayne Gretzky. Located on Mill Plain Boulevard, the little blue awning that designates the entrance to Mountain View Ice Arena might be easy to miss. The kids I brought with me for this adventure were quick to point out, however, that all you have to do is look for Sheridan’s Frozen Custard, and you’ll find it. Open skate, public sessions are offered daily, but it’s best to check Mountain View’s online calendar first to make sure they don’t have a schedule change. (I learned this the hard way.) Other lessons we learned during our outing related to clothing. “Make sure you wear long, thick socks,” Isaac, age 12 suggested. He wore ankle socks and soon found out that the boot of the skate rubbed uncomfortably on his leg. Long pants are also a must, because if you’re new to skating, you should plan to fall at least once. “Maybe if you have some of those waterresistant pants, you can wear those,” Eddy, age 13 added. “If you fall, sometimes your
pants get a little wet. But it’s not that bad.” “Don’t be scared of falling,” Isaac chimed in. “It doesn’t hurt that bad. And if you have gloves, then your hands don’t get cold either.” At the very least you’ll want a warm jacket and some gloves. However, all my skaters found that as you get going, you warm up and might feel like shedding some of those layers. Laura, age 14, had her own words of encouragement. “It only took me about two times around the rink to get used to my skates, then I felt comfortable,” she shared. “You’ll get the hang of it.” Laura’s favorite part was going fast and gliding on the skates. She gave it a nine out of ten on the fun scale and said it was the perfect activity for a day off of school. “I think it would be fun to have a birthday party here,” she added.
Birthday party packages at Mountain View Ice Arena all include admission and skate rental, a private party room, a 15-minute group lesson, birthday cake or cupcakes, soft drinks, party favors and balloons. Two packages also include pizza and a gift for the guest of honor. continued on page 12
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Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • February 2017