More Ice Skating

I recently took my son ice skating near Sacramento.  We visited both the new ice arena in Rancho Cordova, which was fascinating for my son.  It includes a large ferris wheel and little train for children to ride.  We also visited the Westfield downtown plaza ice arena.  

Both arenas were great places for beginner ice skating.  The Rancho Cordova location even had plastic buckets that students could hang onto while they skate.

Here are details:

WESTFIELD GALLERIA IN ROSEVILLE

Ice skating at the Wesfield Galleria in  Roseville.  (1151 Galleria Blvd.  Roseville, CA)  www.twimmp.com.  They are open through Jan. 16th!

ICE SKATING IN RANCHO CORDOVA

For the first time, Rancho Cordova hosted a holiday ice rink this season.  The ice rink is open Nov. 11th through January 16th, 7 days a week from 10AM to 10PM.    The rink is 60 foot by 80 foot rink.  It is located in the capital village area off Hwy. 50 on Zinfandel Drive.

They also have buckets for new young skaters to hang on to when they are first learning!

WESTFIELD DOWTOWN PLAZA I|CE RINK

Open Nov. 14th through Jan. 16th.

On Jan. 16th there will be extended hours from 10AM to 10PM.

The ice arena is in downtown Sacramento at St. Rose of Lima Park at 7th and K Streets.

Last Weekend -- Ice Skating & Reindeer!

The holidays are receding into the past.  Folks may have already put away the ornaments.  Taken down the X-Mas trees.  Taken down the lights (though ours are still up for another day or two).

But although the hype of a frantic holiday season may be behind us, there are still a few festive things that you can do for one more weekend.

See the Reindeer at the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco!  The Academy of Sciences is an amazing place to begin with.  But all season they have been advertising "Reindeer on the Roof."  It turns out the Reindeer aren't actually on the roof.  They are on the left side of the museum.  The Academy is also making snow (bubble-like snow).  Exhibits also feature an igloo.  And trees with different scents.  All of this ends ON MONDAY (Jan. 16th).  They are also offering a one-day pass that you can upgrade to a membership and get a free video.  Our son loved the winter exhibits; the antlers on the reindeer made a big impression.  If you're wondering what to do today, go out and see this before it is gone.

Go ice skating at Union Square.  Union Square is the center of holiday insanity in San Francisco.  Between Black Friday and Christmas the stores are packed.  As are the restaurants (including pretty good but very over priced "Burger Bar" in Macy's).  Events like the Tree Lighting (which we attended on Black Friday) are packed with humanity.

Now, things are calming down.  They're getting ready to take down the decorations.  Sanity has been restored to most of the stores, which aren't clogged with people.

And, until Monday Jan. 16th, the temporary ice skating rink at Union Square is still in operation.  This seems like a good time to go out and enjoy it -- without the hassle of massive holiday crowds.

More Ice Skating in the San Francisco Bay Area

Oakland also has a great ice skating facility.  Oakland Ice is run by "Sharks Ice," as in the San Jose Sharks.  They offer open skating three times a day, and also offer lessons.  It is worth a visit.

Ice Skating in the San Francisco Bay Area

During the holidays and into January, there are a number of outdoor venues for ice skating in the Bay Area.  These rinks tend to be small.  Depending on the weather, the ice conditions are typically not as good as at indoor rinks.

But, these places are festive.  They are out of the ordinary. And they can be a lot of fun.

One example is in Alameda.  For the first time, in 2011-12 (though January 29), "The Little Ice Rink" is set up outdoors on Park Street (which is the main drag through Alameda).  Hours in January are Monday-Thursday 3-10pm and Friday-Sunday noon-10pm.

A few tips:

Sessions last 1 1/2 hours.  You want to arrive at the start of a session to get the most out of your $15 (or $10 for kids).  When the session ends to clean the ice, you have to return your skates and then pay again if you want to continue.  Consult the schedule here.

The rink isn't too big.  It can get crowded.  Lots of kids.  And a small number of adults who don't have much experience on skates (I was one of them).

You get a small discount if you bring your own skates.  The skates at the Little Ice Rink are the kind with plastic bindings.  I like them, but then again I never could seem to lace my skates up right.

Kids love the little sleds shaped like a seal, which they can either push or sit on.  These things go really quickly, and they only have about 10 of them.  If you arrive at the start of a session, it shouldn't be too tough to secure one.  But if you arrive in the middle of a session, be prepared to wait for one on a waiting list for a fairly long time.

Here are a few pictures from our recent visit.

A blurry view of the rink:

 Lots of skaters:

A break between sessions to clean up the ice (keep in mind that temperatures have been in the high 50s/low 60s during the day):

 The very popular "seals," which toddlers and kids can either hold onto or ride on:

 A small movie screen just off of the rink shows old movies during sessions:

Hot chocolate available:

 This is self-explanatory (one of the downsides of a non-permanent facility):

The snack bar, where you can get hot chocolate and crepes:

Rink rules, rates, etc:

The rink will make you sign a waiver before you skate.

Ice Skating in the San Francisco Bay Area

The holidays are over.  2012 has begun.  Tis the season for winter sports.  But, there is no real snow up in the mountains, in stark contrast to the weekly blizzards of 2011.  What to do?

Try ice skating in the Bay Area.

San Francisco's Yerba Buena Garden has a great indoor rink.  It is large.  And they offer lessons for beginners and for kids (and adults) who want to do a bit more than skate around in a circle.  The rink is open every day, all year long.

Some pictures from mid-afternoon: