A Weekend of Winter Fun!

As January comes to an end, many of us are starting to see the signs of “cabin fever” settling in. Shorter days don’t necessarily mean days without plenty to do! February kicks off with a wide variety of activities for everyone to enjoy. There is so much to see and do throughout North Central Ohio, you’ll wish that winter will never end! Well…at least see the bright side of winter!

News of snowstorms and winter weather wreaking havoc are all around! Take a moment to enjoy winter at any of the Lorain Metro Parks, check out their list of events at www.metroparks.cc. Explore the stunning beauty of the larger than life, natural frozen sculptures at Mill Hollow, Vermilion River Reservations’ Big Icicle Hike, February 3rd from 3-4pm.

Winter Hiking at Mill Hollow

No need to travel to another country to enjoy witnessing the spectacular ice creations often designed for the Winter Olympics! Just take a short trip to downtown Vermilion to enjoy their annual Ice-A-Fair to Remember, Saturday, February 5 from 10:30am-4:00pm. Vermilion's historic downtown Harbour Town will be transformed into an enchanted gallery of illuminated ice art. Dozens of elegant ice creations will sparkle at Victory Park and line Liberty and Main Streets in Vermilion. This wonderful event, sponsored by Main Street Vermilion, is free and open to the public.



Ice Carving Demonstration



Hoping to enjoy browsing through a quaint town and satisfy your sweet tooth? Then plan to attend Wellington’s Chocolate Walk and Wine Tasting, Saturday February 5th. Only 150 tickets will be sold for the Downtown Chocolate Walk, sponsored by Bread and Brew. Participants will have the opportunity to explore the unique stores and restaurants in the Wellington community, while sampling a delicious chocolate treat at each. The Winter Wine Tasting, hosted at Fort’s Old Town Tavern will coincide with the chocolate walk, offering the chance to sample a dozen wines from around the world. Tickets for each event are $10 and can be purchased at Main Street Wellington’s office at 118 Herrick Avenue West, Wellington’s Village Market at 816 North Main Street, and Wellington Implement at 625 South Main Street.

For those of you looking for a chance to get some exercise and embrace the outdoors, check out the 31st Annual Buckeye Trail Winter Hike at Findley State Park. The events start at 10:00am Saturday, February 5th. Enjoy the best hiking day and the best bean soup, with the hardiest hikers in Ohio. Hikes include a 10k, 5k and interpretive lead hikes. Meet at the nature center in the campground. Bean soup is provided by the non-profit Friends of Findley State Park and donations are appreciated. Go to www.findleystatepark.org for additional details.



Buckeye Trail Hike



Interested in an evening of murder, mayhem, and dinner? Make your reservations for the Dinner Murder Mystery at the Rose Café in Lakeview Park, Lorain. This lively and entertaining event will be hosted on Friday and Saturday, February 4-5th at 6pm. Buffet dinner included for only $35! Call 440.233.7272 for reservations.

As you can see, there is no shortage of fun and interesting ways to spend your winter days! If you’re looking to make this a full weekend visit, there are many local hotels and bed & breakfasts that offer special packages! Check out Oberlin Inn; 5 Corners Bed and Breakfast; Hallauer House; or Arbor Lights for lodging and package information. This is just a sampling of the many places to go and amazing events offered throughout Lorain County. For a complete list of daily activities and additional information, check out Visit Lorain County’s event calendar at www.visitloraincounty.com or give us a call at 1.800.334.1673.

As always, send us your photos from any events or spectacular landscapes in Lorain County. Forward them, along with a description, location and the name of the photographer to visitors@visitloraincounty.com. We look forward to seeing you out & about in North Central Ohio!

Don’t Let The Winter Weather Keep You From Breaking A Sweat

While hibernating by a cozy fire is seemingly always tempting, for those of us who can’t stand being indoors for an extended period of time, we are lucky to live in a county full of glorious winter sports activities. Make sure to dress for the elements and bring plenty of water if you’re looking to get a workout from any of these. No worries about nominal snow—most of these activities will take place no matter what!

Yes, it’s true—snowshoeing is quickly becoming one of the most popular winter sports activities in the world! Lorain County Metro Parks (LCMP) generously offers guided snowshoe hikes and free snowshoe rental days at various locations. Snowshoeing has been around for thousands of years and is now considered a winter sport—you can burn hundreds of calories in an hour and improve your cardio fitness level! For you first-timers, check out Snowshoe Magazine’s First-Timer’s Guide. Check the LCMP website for dates and times or go out on your own! Also, don’t miss the family-oriented Snowshoeing Games at Lakeview Park on January 22. 

Icicles at Vermilion River Reservation

LCMP also offers guided hikes throughout the season. Learn about the habits of winter animals in the area or gaze at Mill Hollow’s larger than life icicles while you exercise. For a chance of scenery, hike at Common Ground – The Cindy Nord Center for Renewal. This gorgeous retreat is the ideal place to refresh your muscles surrounded by calming, beautiful forestry.

No need to travel to Colorado to ski, get your cross-country skiing fix right here in Lorain County! North Coast Inland Trail, known as the skinniest park of the LCMP, is perfect for cross-country skiers with its long straight-aways from Elyria to Kipton. The Bridgeway Trail, another LCMP site starts at Day's Dam in Lorain and ends at the High Meadows picnic area in Elyria. The expansive 4-1/2 mile trail passes through meadows and forest groves, under bridges and over the treetops on a 1000-foot bridge that crosses the river in two places.

Findley State Park offers snowshoeing and skiing, as well, but adds ice skating, ice fishing and sledding hills to their repertoire. Findley’s Annual Winter Hike (February 5) is a favorite among locals.

Buckeye Trail at Findley State Park, Wellington

Speaking of sledding…rumor has it, Lorain County is home to some of the best hills around! Sledding is a great adrenaline rush for kids and adults. Famous sledding hills in the area include Vermilion River Reservation, Carlisle Reservation, Cascade Park in Elyria, behind Philips Gym in Oberlin, South Central Park in North Ridgeville or behind Golden Acres Nursing Home in Amherst. Do you have the perfect hill you visit each year? Comment below and let us know!

Want the winter recreation without the frozen toes and long-underwear layers? Indoor ice skating at North Park Complex Ice Arena may be your best bet. Don’t hesitate if you’re a new ice skater—there are plenty of instructional classes offered and Open Skate opportunities to practice. If summer can’t come soon enough, indoor kayak lessons at Splash Zone in Oberlin are sure to get your fix. 
We can’t get enough photos of you getting active in Lorain County! Send photos with description, location and name of photographer to visitors@visitloraincounty.com.

Discover a new wintertime adventure just for you—view Visit Lorain County’s Event Calendar!
Thanks for reading, and we hope to see you out enjoying the brisk winter weather!