Things to do in winter - by Moshen Jafari

Things To Do In Winter

by Moshen Jafari

If you arrive in Ann Arbor in the wintertime, you might find that it is too cold to even open the trunk of your car to put in your suitcase! However, there are many fun things to do in Ann Arbor during the winter to beat the cold and keep those winter blues at bay. Let’s start with Ice-skating which is even being offered for free in some parks like: Burns, Allmendinger and Northside. Many people also enjoy sledding and cross country skiing around campus and in various Ann Arbor parks. If you are willing to venture outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan has many places to learn and practice alpine or “down hill” skiing. Luckily, the local ski areas offer equipment rental and lessons for a small fee. Even though, there are not many mountains here, you can ski resorts such as Alpine Valley Ski Area, Mt. Brighton and Mt. Holly.

Another, less expensive, winter activity that can be done in the Ann Arbor area is fishing. You only need a Michigan season pass license and a pole and you are all ready to go catch some if you are lucky. It might be a little tricky at first but, the odds are high that you will finally catch some Bass or Catfish.

If you are more inclined to spend the winter months indoors to escape the cold, many students spend their time browsing the University of Michigan’s many museums including the Museum of Natural History, the Planetarium, and the Museum of Art.  The UM museums contain exemplary collections and offer public programs, tours, workshops and other regular events.  Time flies by while taking a dinosaur tour at the Museum of Natural History or learning all about the different inhabitants of the ancient world at the Museum of Anthropology or the Museum of Archeology.  It is easy to get lost in the stars during the Planetarium’s frequent presentations. The Museum of Art is home to one of the largest university art museums in the United States with nearly 19,000 works of art collected over the last 150 years.

Of course Ann Arbor also offers all of the amenities of a regular city such as a shopping mall at Briarwood, movie theaters including the Michigan Theater located on E. Liberty, the State Theater located on State Street, and Goodrich Theater located on Jackson Avenue. There are also several bowling alleys where you can perfect your game, as well as a wide variety of restaurants and cafes in which to spend the winter months safely indoors reading a good book or catching up with friends.

There are plenty of great activities offered in and around Ann Arbor for both the outdoorsperson and the person who wants to stay in the warm indoors, but no matter what you choose to do, the most fun will be had sharing these experiences with friends.