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One of the joys of living in Minnesota is outdoor ice skating. As kids, we grew up spending our winters skating on outdoor rinks in our neighborhood parks. Besides the outdoor ponds and lakes that are available for ice skating, every city has outdoor rinks that are maintained by the city. For example, the city of Eden Prairie has seven different outdoor ice rinks and Minnetonka has eight outdoor rinks. We recently went skating at Centennial Lakes Park in Edina. This was our first time skating there as a family in the evening and it was so much fun!
There was a light snow falling which made the setting even more beautiful! Vanessa took this picture of me and Brian.
The streaks in the pictures are the snowflakes falling down. The weather was perfect for ice skating. It was cold enough for the ice to stay frozen but warm enough to be comfortable in winter wear.
This is one side of the warming house at the Centennial Lakes Park. Our neighborhood ice rinks have warming houses but they are tiny little wooden shacks with wooden benches along the sides. Nothing fancy but there are heated and they provide a place to sit.
The inside of the Centennial Lakes Park warming house has two fireplaces, places to sit, lockers, restrooms, concessions and skate rentals.
There are three frozen ponds that are connected by canals so you can skate from pond to pond. Bridges with lights go over the canals and lighted trees edge the sides.
The skating area is groomed daily to make the ice skate-able. Want to learn more about how they do it? Check out Is It Ice Yet?
Interestingly enough, I am just learning that ice skating isn’t the norm for people in many states including states that border Minnesota. We have friends in South Dakota who have never ice skated even though they have a climate similar to ours. While we were at Centennial Lakes Park, we visited with a woman from Wisconsin who was going skating for the first time. She said they didn’t do a lot of ice skating in Wisconsin. So, if you ever visit Minnesota in the winter be sure to give outdoor ice skating a try!
Can you see why this place would be the perfect choice for the Ice Skating {Date} In A Jar?
Hello, I'm Tonia. Welcome to The Gunny Sack, my online place to inspire others through recipes, crafts and tutorials.
Looks like such a fun time.
Megan
I love skating there, it is a great place to bring your family.
I hope we can go again but I know a couple adults who have broken bones there so I am nervous!
Oook, lady! Now you are torturing me on purpose
Looks like you guys had a great time!
I love ice skating but it’s just not the same in a closed in building that has AC blasting
Ha!
Come on up to Minnesota some time! I know what you mean though, it is different ice skating outside.
How fun!! Love your pictures and it looks like you guys had a great time. I wish we had an ice skating rink like that out here. So awesome!
Thanks Lindsay! Have your boys ever seen snow?
That looks awesome! The Rideau Canal just opened today so I’ll be having small one out there next weekend. -31 is too cold for even this diehard Canadian.
What? That is crazy cold! It looks like your Rideau Canal skating is like my Centennial Lakes Park skating on steroids! I found some pictures online and it looks like so much fun! http://www.flickr.com/photos/ncc-ccn/4349171444/in/set-72157623409153846/
I grew up ice skating on a frozen lagoon, surrounded by trees, with a big bonfire in the middle of the lagoon. I miss it so much!
Ohhhh…that sounds awesome, Randi! I’ll bet your kids would LOVE to be able to do that!