A Cure for Those Winter Blues

You don’t have to put away fun when you pack up the holiday decorations. Even in the dead of winter, Indiana offers a wealth of ways to combat cabin fever, make good on your New Year’s resolutions, and preserve the sense of excitement that comes from having lots to do.

Winter Sports Get the Heart Pumping

To release the pent-up energy that comes with being cooped up indoors, bundle up and head outside for some winter sports. Whether it’s skiing, snowmobiling, tobogganing or ice skating, Indiana offers activities that everyone in the family will enjoy.

The Miami Snowmobile Trails in northeastern Elkhart County feature 64 miles of trails that meander through rolling woodlands set against the backdrop of tidy Amish farmsteads. Developed by the Elkhart County Snowmobile Club, the trails were named after the Miami Indians who lived in the area for nearly two centuries.

The snowmobile trails are posted as "open" when snow conditions are adequate throughout the months of December, January, February and March. Only registered snowmobiles may use the trails. Maps of the Miami Snowmobile Trails also are available at the Elkhart County Visitors Center.

Another way to enjoy the wildlife and scenic beauty of Indiana’s winter landscape is to grab a pair of skis and glide along Elkhart County’s cross-country ski trails.

Bonneyville Mill County Park near Bristol is one ideal spot where skiers find peaceful but somewhat challenging terrain. The park’s seven miles of trails wind gently through rolling hills, woodlands, and marshes. The trails also cut across the open meadows that surround Bonneyville Mill, the oldest operating gristmill in Indiana.

Midway between Elkhart and Goshen, Ox Bow County Park also offers miles of groomed cross-country ski trails. In addition to skiing, the park features two sledding hills and a warming house.

If the thrill of speed is your goal, Pokagon State Park near Angola offers the state’s only refrigerated toboggan slide. Toboggans on the quarter-mile track can reach speeds of 35 to 40 miles per hour. It operates weekends through February.

Pokagon State Park also offers a nature center and the picture-perfect Potawatomi Inn. The inn features 142 guest rooms, a library, a new café and exercise and activity rooms, making it an ideal overnight getaway for families and couples alike.

For beginners who want to learn the basics of skiing, Paoli Peaks Ski and Snowboard Resort in southern Indiana is just the place. Chosen by USA Today as one of the nation’s top 10 resorts for learning to ski, Paoli Peaks takes advantage of its short winter season by offering ski lessons 19 hours a day on weekends from mid-December through mid-March. The resort also offers a Kid’s Snow Camp, which includes four hours of instruction plus lunch for children ages three to 12.

More than 1,000 rooms are available within a half-hour drive of the resort for overnight visitors, including condominiums next to the slopes, bed and breakfast inns, cabins and resort hotels.

Perfect North Slopes in Lawrenceburg also offers its guests a variety of lodging options, which are listed on the skiing facility’s Web site at www.perfectnorth.com. Skiers can choose from 18 trails ranging in difficulty from "easy" to "most difficult." Perfect North Slopes will offer a holiday rate for skiers on Martin Luther King’s birthday and Presidents’ Day.

Tucked away in picturesque Brown County, Ski World in Nashville offers 10 slopes and 17 trails that range in difficulty to suit both beginners and experts. And for those who don’t like to ski, Ski World also features eight tubing runs and "The Boarder," a trail built and groomed especially for snowboarders. Instructors also provide ski and snowboarding lessons.

While in Brown County, don’t miss the unique specialty shops in downtown Nashville. More than 350 arts, crafts and antique shops offer one-of-a-kind treasures in a quaint, hometown setting. A variety of intimate inns, cabins and hotels offer nearby accommodations for overnight visitors.

Another winter activity that gets the heart pumping is ice skating. One of the finest facilities in the world for training in ice sports, the Indiana World Ice Skating Academy in downtown Indianapolis offers public skating at its twin ice rinks at Pan American Plaza. The facility, which is open year ‘round, has the standard NHL-size rink as well as a larger Olympic-size rink.

The academy recommends skaters dress in layered clothing, long pants, socks, and gloves. Coin-operated lockers and concessions also are available.

Where Football Season

Never Ends

Craving football as the season winds down? Wallow in the history of this sport at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend and the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in Richmond.

Noted as the home of Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish football team, South Bend keeps the football season alive year ‘round at its 58,000-square-foot College Football Hall of Fame.

Designed to preserve the history of amateur football and promote the sport’s positive values, the facility honors more than 800 players and coaches. Interactive exhibits let visitors march with bands, cheer with cheerleaders, high-five the mascots and enjoy tailgating, homecoming and other football thrills. A 360-degree theater, complete with surround sound, gives visitors a great seat for an exciting Saturday afternoon football game.

The College Football Hall of Fame is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday through Saturday. Travelers to South Bend can count on a variety of restaurants and overnight accommodations.

Football fans also won’t want to miss the Indiana Football Hall of Fame, located on the state’s eastern border in Richmond.

The hall of fame offers visitors a look at nearly 300 "Hoosier Football Greats" who have been honored by the Indiana High School Football Coaches Association from the early 1920s through today. The museum also recounts Indiana’s prestigious football history as it’s been played in high schools, colleges and universities, professional and semi-professional, and independent football organizations. Lucky fans might even have the opportunity to receive a personal tour from Richmond’s own Lamar Lundy, who gained fame as a player for Purdue and the Los Angeles Rams.

The hall of fame is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and weekends by appointment.

For Indiana travel information, or to order your free Travel Guide, Travel Map, Play Money Coupon Book or Festival Guide, call 877-ENJOY IN or log on to www.EnjoyIndiana.com.