Polar Blast Snow Tubing

Photos by OHventures

In winter months, the Boston Mills/Brandywine Ski Resort (or BMBW for short) located in the northern Summit County town of Peninsula is a fine getaway for those looking for some snowy adventures. BMBW conjures up great memories for me, as I began coming here every wintry Thursday evening as part of my high school's official Ski Club. We hopped on an old yellow bus and drove an hour and a half to what at the time seemed to be enormous eskers. It was then that I learned everything I really needed to know about skiing - from how to walk (more like waddle) in the skis, how and when to utilize the poles, and of course how to zip down the slopes with the greatest of ease. Even though I have been skiing there for nearly 20 years, this weekend was my first-ever trip to the resort's Polar Blast Snow Tubing attraction - and what a BLAST it was!

Snow tubing is the perfect winter activity, as it requires minimal (nearly zero) skill, and is something in which people of most any age can easily participate! All it requires is an inner tube filled with air and a large snow-covered hill - both of which Polar Blast provides for you at a very reasonable cost ($25 for 3 hours or $59 for an all-day pass). The Polar Blast hills are specifically used for snow tubing, so you won't have to worry about sharing the hillside with skiers and snowboarders!

READ MORE AT OHIO.ORG!

Ohio's Tallest & Fastest Toboggan Chutes

Photo by OHventures

These giant toboggan chutes can be found at Mill Stream Run Reservation, one of the Cleveland Metroparks located in Strongsville. The chutes are 700 feet long, with a 70-foot tall drop at a 33-degree angle. You can travel down the chutes as fast as 50 miles per hour! There are many factors that can contribute to how fast you go, including the number of people on your toboggan (you can have up to four riders per toboggan), the weight of your riders (plus the weight of the toboggan, which is 37 pounds), the current humidity, and the current temperature.

Two 20-inch-wide chutes are side-by-side on tracks that are refrigerated with a cooling unit and a pump. We learned from facts that were posted at the site that the pump carries cooled diethylene glycol through an underground piping system to the chutes. The diethylene glycol chills the concrete and allows the water on the surface to freeze. This is what allows riders to glide safely and quickly down the hill!

READ MORE AT OHIO.ORG!

Sledding In Ohio

Photos by OHventures

Depending on where you are from, you either call it sledding or sledriding. You might even call it toboggoning. Either way, the thought of flying downhill on a sled will most definitely bring back childhood memories. But this activity is not for children only! It's intense, thrilling, and downright adrenaline-pumping. IF you find the right hills, that is! We used to go sledriding (that's what we called it) at my Aunt & Uncle's house in their backyard, where they had a pretty gnarly hill to zoom down. But there are plenty of other hills around the state that are sledriding hotspots, many of which located at state parks.

You can find a list of state parks with great hills thanks to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Of course, OHventures was looking to plan a couple of sledding trips this winter,and we picked the nearby Quail Hollow State Park as our destination of choice. My friend Kyla came along for the ride. Even in the bitter cold of the polar vortex in Ohio, we were bound and determined to conquer some hills! 

While the scenery at Quail Hollow was nothing short of spectacular, we couldn't seem to find the sledding hills. So, we asked one of the many cross country skiers in the vicinity if they knew of any hills. Our efforts were yet again fruitless so we entered the visitor's center at the Manor House to ask the park officials. They pointed to the hills that were right outside the window, which were really not much of a sight to see. Despite the measly looking hill, Kyla and I decided to have at it! The park officials insisted that many people use the hill, even if it didn't look too massive! 

Our sledding experience was nothing short of hilarious! I don't think there was a single moment that I was not  smiling from ear to ear! Even without the highest quality of sleds (do yourself a favor and don't wait until the middle of winter when all the sleds have been bought out - I had to buy cheaply made sleds from Target that were sufficient but not preferred), we managed to get some decent speed on the decent hill at Quail Hollow!

The worst part of sledding is of course the long trek back up the hill you zoomed down. It takes you four or five times longer to get back up the hill you sped down! After racing down the hill and trying different techniques, Kyla and I were ready for a challenge. We had a tip from a friend to try out a different hill in nearby Canton: Tam O’Shanter Golf Course Sledding Hill located at 5055 Hills and Dales Road NW.

This hill was a MONSTER! Unfortunately, photos do not do it justice, as it is hard to photograph a hill when it's covered in snow. But this thing was 10 times steeper than the last and made for some extreme thrills! We had an epic time flying down this mountain - even tumbling and barrel-rolling off of our sleds! It was worth it!

Sledding is definitely be an adult sport again - we will just leave the snowman-building to the kiddos. See below some links so you can find some great hills nearest you!

Best Sled Riding in Stark County

Top Sled Riding Hills near Akron

Best Places to Go Sled Riding in Ohio (USA Today)

Top Places for Sledding in Cincinnati

Best Dayton Sledding Locations

Where to Go Sled Riding in the Toledo Area

Best Sled Riding Hills in Northeast Ohio

Where to Find Sled Riding in Cleveland

Best Sledding Spots in Ohio

5 Winter Adventures in Ohio

OHventures loves lists: we've told you the best ways to cool down during a hot Ohio summer, we've given you fun fall ideas, and tips for how to enjoy spring on a budget. And now we are here to let you know some of the COOLest ways to CHILL in winter in the Buckeye State (we should probbaly stop with the puns, and leave those to Arnold as Mr. Freeze). Yes, there are fewer daylight hours to keep us excited about the great outdoors, and yes our social calendars pile up with Christmas parties, cookie exchanges, Secret Santas, and the like. But we are not bears, so quit hibernating, and keep active!

1. Ice Skating: Ice skating outdoors beats any indoor rink hands down! There's nothing like having the brisk wintry winds blowing on your face as you zip around Akron's Lock 3 ice rink, Toledo's Ottawa Park, or Cincinnati's ice rink in Fountain Square, to name a few! If you are reluctant to go ice skating (either because you never have before, or because it's your first time in a long time), there is typically staff available to assist you. It's definitely something you should try so that you can scratch it off of your bucket list, and feel like a kid again! Admission is typically far cheaper than any skiing or snowboarding excursion. For a list of ice skating rinks in Ohio (both indoor and outdoor), check out Skating Fitness. 

2. Polar Plunge/Polar Bear Jump: A polar plunge (also known as a polar bear jump) are for the bravest of brave and the craziest of crazy! Basically, all that this insane event consists of is jumping into an extremely cold body of water for a short amount of time and then hopping back out! It is a rite of passage for all adventurers, but sounds more like a result of one big game of "truth or dare" or perhaps an episode of Jackass. But, there are many positives to this frigid feat. Many of these events take place to race money for the Special Olympics. There are several polar plunges on the calendar for 2014: January 18 in Cortland, January 25 in Sandusky and Waynesville, February 8 inAthens, February 15 in Columbus, February 22 in Geneva, March 1 in Celina, and March 15 in Lakeview. A Polar Bear Jump takes place in Portage Lakes on February 22 to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Akron.

3. Skiing & Snowboarding: I have been skiing for over 15 years - mostly in Ohio - and I can attest that although our slopes are mere bunny hills compared to the massive mountains in Colorado or Vermont, we have some pretty exciting places to ski! There are five locations you can ski or snowboard in Ohio: Boston Mills and Brandywine in Peninsula (this is where I have skiied most often, as I was a member of Ski Club all throughout high school), Mad River Mountain in Zanesfield (the highest point in all of Ohio, so you know it's fun), Snowtrails in Mansfield, Alpine Valley in Chesterland, and Clear Fork Resort in Butler (the newest ski resort in Ohio, and the only one I have not yet been to). All of these locations also offer tubing, which is a fun alternative if you are not very skilled at skiing or snowboarding!

4. Winter Hiking: Oddly, we have found ourselves hiking in the winter perhaps even more than we find ourselves hiking any other time of the year. This might lend itself to the fact that in the winter, there are no mosquitos, no ticks, no blazing hot temperatures, and no huge crowds to bother us! Some great spots to hike in the winter in Ohio are Alum Creek State Park in Delaware, Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve in Toboso, and Clear Creek Metro Park in Rockbrige, to name a few. Study our post on Winter Hiking 101 to get the basics on how to prepare to frolic in the frigid temperatures!

5. Sledding/Sledriding: Depending on where you are from, you either call it sledding or sledriding. You might even call it toboggoning. Either way, the thought of flying downhill on a sled will most definitely bring back childhood memories. But this activity is not for children only! It's intense, thrilling, and downright adrenaline-pumping. IF you find the right hills, that is! We used to go sledriding (that's what we called it) at my Aunt & Uncle's house in their backyard, where they had a pretty gnarly hill to zoom down. But there are plenty of other hills around the state that are sledriding hotspots, many of which located at state parks. You can find a list of state parks with great hills thanks to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. OHventures is looking to plan a couple of good ones this January. Sledding will definitely be an adult sport again - we will leave the snowman-building to the kiddos. 

Ice Skating in Akron

Photos by OHventures

Just because the mercury has been rapidly dropping in your thermometers doesn't mean you should stay cooped up indoors all winter. Staying active in Ohio during the blistery months of December and January can be possible, thanks to the seasonal ice skating rink located at Lock 3 Park in downtown Akron. The 10,000 square foot rink (which is the largest seasonal rink in all of Ohio) allows every member of your family the opportunity to perfect their triple axles and figure eights in the heart of the Rubber City.

Lock 3 magically transforms itself from a concert venue and park with biking and running events in the summer, into an ice skater's haven in the winter! A massive decorated Christmas tree sits majestically on one end of the rink while holiday music blares from speakers to add some extra holiday flare. Folks of all ages circle around the man made tundra while others watch on nearby benches with their cocoa and coffee. If this doesn't make you like winter in Ohio, I'm not sure what will!

READ MORE AT DISCOVERING OHIO!