3 ideas for winter fun in Columbia
It’s hard to think much about winter with temperatures in the 70s.
But in fact, winter arrives Monday, Dec. 21, marking the shortest day of the year and the longest night of the year.
And while winter tends to be a fairly quiet season in the Midlands, except for the rare snowfall, there are still some fun ways to enjoy it.
We’ve put together three ideas here.
Take a hike. Winter offers a different kind of experience in state parks, as well as in Congaree, South Carolina’s only national park. There are fewer crowds, for one, and there are still a lot of great programs to enjoy, many free. Among state parks in the Midlands, Sesquicentennial is offering a First Day Hike on New Year’s Day. There’s a 2-mile, ranger-guided hike along the Sandhills trail at 1 and 3 p.m., along with a less strenuous half-mile nature walk at 3:30 p.m. (register at 803-788-2706 or email sesqui@scprt.com). At Congaree, too, guided walks are offered in the winter – or, consider hiking the historic Bates Ferry Trail, which opened this fall as the park’s first new trail in 25 years.
Sesquicentennial State Park, 9564 Two Notch Road; www.stateparks.com/sesquicentennial.html.
Congaree National Park, 100 National Park Road, Hopkins; www.nps.gov/cong.
Learn something new. Looking for something fun indoors? Try something artistic. At the Studio Cellar in the Vista, for example, you can brush up on your painting skills while sipping wine and snacking. Some upcoming classes include Martini Mingle (7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 2; $36) and Let’s Go to Paris, Love (7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 8; $36). Or, take one of the popular Chef du Jour cooking classes through USC’s McCutcheon House. Some upcoming sessions include Laminated Doughs (Saturday, Jan. 30; $85) and Bread 101 (Saturday, March 5; $85). Be sure to reserve early.
McCutcheon House at the University of South Carolina. Find out more about classes and reservations by contacting Becky Moran, (803) 777-8225, email moranrs@mailbox.sc.edu or log on at http://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/hrsm/for_the_community/mccutchen_house_dining/index.php.
Studio Cellar, 912 Lady St.; www.studio-cellar.com
Ice, ice baby. So what if it’s in the 70s? You can still enjoy a quintessential winter activity: ice skating. Main Street Ice is open seven days a week at Boyd Plaza in front of the Columbia Museum of Art. Have dinner along Main Street, then head to the rink to skate under the stars (adult rates, $8-$10, depending on day of week). Or break out the gloves and scarves and head to the indoor rink at Plex Ice in Irmo, where it is, indeed, plenty cold. There is public skating (adults, $7-$9 admission, depending on day of week, plus $3 skate rental), and lessons also are offered.
Main Street Ice, 1515 Main St.; http://columbiaparksandrecreationfoundation.org/mainstreetice.
Plex Ice in Irmo, 1019 Broad Stone Road; www.plexindoorsports.com.
This story was originally published December 16, 2015 at 10:39 AM.