Winter Fun, I.

I've been impressed lately in regards to how Minnesotans choose to spend their long winters. They could just curl up on the couch and gain weight all winter, but no. They find many many things to do in the great outdoors, just with snow on top. I know of two ski-jumping hills in the area... every local park seems to have an ice/hockey rink (more on that later)... I heard kids snowmobile to school... and they really take their snow-tubing seriously. I know b/c I had the chance to go this past weekend.

Load up the friend's car and it's only about 30 minutes away. Not bad at all. Dominicks isn't even less than 30 minutes away in Chicago.


The place is called "GreenAcres" and pictured above is my first-ever-in-my-life "liftpass". It was really for the tow-rope, but still. And you may not know that the little wire piece for your zipper is called a "wicket". I believe that comes directly from the term used in croquet.


Tube - check. And don't take this choice lightly, something too small and yer heinie will be falling right through... too big and you'll be "riding the bull" all the way down. Glove choice can be critcal as well, the tow-rope yanked off one of those little grey thingies as it pulled off my glove more than once.




Jump out of the way at the top of the tow-rope (don't forget your tube) and look for the best spot to launch yourself over the edge.




Scoot your butt over the edge, take the running start, or have someone that doesn't like you shove you hard off the lip. Scream on the way down and get up and repeat. You get 2 hours of mayhem between you and tons of teenagers and kids celebrating God knows what, so make the most of it.