Winter Activities-Urban Settings

Wintertime in a bigger city, or urban-type setting can be more restrained than in a rural environment, but nonetheless "fun." I know of several places in South Bend that has ice skating rinks, and woods and hills used exclusively for sledding and tubing. There are fees for such activities, but it is generally not much to enjoy an afternoon of skating or sledding. The environments are controlled and maintained by the specific park department, and add up to an afternoon of family fun. One drawback may be that it very well could be crowded that day, but the overall experiences I have had have been pleasant ones.

Traveling to and from these activities may be difficult at times, as many roads will be congested from the work of snowplows and the traffic of busy shoppers. You need to be aware of your surroundings, and share the roads, rinks, and parks with sometimes many other families out and about. There are many fun activities to do inside as well, such as visiting art museums like the Snite at Notre Dame, which is free admission. There are usually plays at the Morris Civic to enjoy, which many times may be quite costly. The scenery isn't as breathtaking as in the more rural areas, as many roads are slushy and can be hectic to travel at times.

Many people frequent the shopping malls for gifts and restaraunts, and this may very well be an all day activity. Even with the struggling economy, the malls and shops generally do fairly decent in revenue this time of year. No one totally rejects the Christmas season, as the city seems to thrive all night long.