Michigan In Winter

Well, it does take a hearty soul to last through Michigan winters. It really, really helps if you force yourself to do more than run from the house to the car to the office to the car, to the . . . You get the idea.

'Up North' (around Gaylord - or the 45th parallel) is snowmobile heaven. Plenty of public trails, towns that cater to the winter recreation, and of course skiing of both alpine and nordic types.

Let's not forget the northern climate pasttime of ice (or 'hard water') fishing. Drive or drag your equipment out into the lake, cut holes in the ice, and catch some fish. Shanties, as they're called, can be simple home made shacks, the new collapsable types, or even very deluxe units with every convenience short of cable TV (satellite TV in some wouldn't surprise me!).

Here in southern Michigan we can still do a lot of these activities, but you need a good base of snow to effectively snowmobile. Here in Livingston County you can downhill ski at Mt. Brighton, or make a short trip to Alpine Valley or Pine Knob. Huron Clinton Metroparks have a lot of cross country skiing options open, and there are plentiful lakes from which you can fish.

If nothing else, you can make a snowman, have a snowball fight, or visit on of the many 'ice festivals' that are around. It's all winter fun, as my friend Linda says, "It's all good".

And here's something you can only do in a cold location - The Ice House Detroit Project. Labeled as, "Ice House Detroit is an architectural installation and social change project currently taking place in Detroit" is an unusual and eye-catching project. The exact east side Detroit location will be made public on February 7th, but it has garnered national attention already.

And speaking of Detroit, don't forget the 'Motown Winter Blast' that will be centered around Campus Martius Park (Woodward and Michigan Aves) in downtown on February 12-14th. Plenty of fun from bands, food, drinks, winter activities, ice sculptures - all within walking distance of some great hotels and Greektown. I understand the sled dogs and huge snowboard hill won't be there this year due to budget reasons, but it still sounds like a lot of fun. I've been to a couple of them, and it's a great way to spend a day.