The Monday Parks PlayBook: Skating, sledding, snowboarding, and skiing fun!

If you and your family have spent much of the past few weeks on the couch because of the frigid weather, it’s time to go out and get moving. There are many excellent winter sports to participate in, right here in your own back yard, that are great for your overall health and well being. Let’s start with ice skating. Whether you are the next Meryl Davis or just learning to glide, ice skating is a one of the best aerobic activities today, without the pounding that other cardio exercises like running take. Plus, it is so much fun you won’t even notice how hard your body is working. Here, at the Des Plaines Park District we have four beautiful rinks to choose from: Bluette Park, 1408 E. Thayer Street, Cornell Park, 130 Stratford Road, Lake Park, in front of the clubhouse at 1015 Howard Street, and West Park, 651 S. Wolf Road.

And, for the future Patrick Sharps out there, hockey nets are available for use at Bluette, Cornell, and Lake Park.

With all this snow, sledding and snowboarding are great choices for fun after school and on the weekend. The Arndt Park Sled hill, located at the end of Illinois Street in Arndt Park is just the place to try out your tube’s speed as you defy gravity. Snow pants and extra socks are a must!

If you have always wanted to learn to ski or snowboard, join us on Monday, February 17 for a day at Alpine Valley Resort in Easy Troy, Wisconsin. Fix your eyes on that sea of powder, and kiss the clouds goodbye, because at Alpine Valley the conditions are always perfect. Of the 21 slopes at Alpine Valley, 11 are beginner runs. There are also six intermediate and eight expert mogul runs including a 3000-foot run with a vertical drop of 388 feet. Snowboarders will have a ball in the Terrain Parks that features handrails, battleship boxes, flat rails, and jumps. The high-speed chair lifts mean less time in line and more time on the snow. What are you waiting for?

Free beginner lessons are included with the trip fee and rental equipment is available on-site. Certified professional instructors will help you learn a new sport or improve your skills.

We leave the Leisure Center, 2222 Birch Street at 8:00am and return at 6:00pm. Registration closes 48 hours before the trip.

Want more information? It’s all here: www.DPParks.org or call 847-391-5700.

See you around the parks!