Creating a Winter to Remember

Winter is one of the longest breaks that Alsion students have. Whether you prefer colder activities or warmer ones, there are many things that students can do during this break.

By: Constance Chen

Skiing:

Skiing is one of the most popular winter activities today with many people traveling to the snowy Tahoe mountains to enjoy it. To ski, you need a helmet, skis, ski pants, a ski jacket, snow gloves, and snow boots. If you’re a beginner, don’t worry! Many places offer first-time lessons with professional ski instructors including Palisades, formerly known as Squaw Valley, and Northstar Resort. Skiing is also considered to be easier to learn but harder to master.

Snowboarding:

Another popular winter activity is snowboarding. Palisades and Northstar Resort offers snowboarding lessons along with rental equipment. Snowboarding requires a snowboard, snowboard bindings, snowboard goggles, snow gloves, snow boots, snow pants, a snow jacket, and a helmet. Unlike skiing, snowboarding is considered harder to learn for beginners but easier to master overall.

Ice Skating:

If you’re looking for an activity that fits the winter theme but isn’t too cold like skiing, ice skating is the way to go! Ice skating is perfect for enjoying some quality time with your friends or family. You can go alone, but I find that it’s more fun with others. Ice skating requires you to wear a pair of ice skates and some warm clothes. Ice skating rinks are a lot closer than ski slopes, with rinks like Shark’s Ice having two locations: Fremont and San Jose. Beginner ice skaters can either learn in private lessons, group lessons, or during a public skating session.

Christmas in the Park:

If you want to get into the festive mood, Christmas in the Park is the place to go! Only opening after Thanksgiving and closing on January 1st, Christmas in the Park is a festively decorated park in downtown San Jose. The decorations are donated by local organizations and schools in San Jose. They have some carnival rides and an ice rink across the street. Carnival rides cost about $5 each while ice skating costs $21 with ice skate rentals. In the past, food trucks have sold warm churros and hot cocoa.

Archery:

A great indoor activity to escape the cold is archery! Archery is fun regardless if you’re doing it alone or with a group. A beginner in archery needs only a few things: an arm guard, a bow, and some arrows. A well-liked archery range is Archery Only in Newark. They offer archery lessons to beginners which include the rentals of all equipment as well as range time. Classes are up to 55 minutes long for $40.

Bowling:

Bowling is another great choice for indoor winter activities. Perfect for groups, some bowling alleys can have up to 6 players per lane. Most bowling alleys will also allow you to purchase food and drinks while you play. Bowling alleys like Round One or Bowlero also have arcade games separate from their bowling lanes.

Baking:

Baking is another indoor activity that will cater to people who love sweets. Taking place in your own home, you can bake and decorate many things including cookies, cakes, and cupcakes!

I hope this helped you to plan your winter break!