The grandkids are coming! What shall we plan for family activities? They always like to come to Phoenix and some of their favorite activities are documented here. But, one of their favorite activities this time of year is to go ice skating, and there just happens to be a great ice skating rink right in the heart of the downtown!
This morning, we took a walk to Chloe’s Corner for a cup of their wonderful coffee. It’s also a great place to sit and watch the activity going on as the many workers are busy putting up the finishing touches for the Opening Day of CitySkate. The huge white snowflakes are being hung on the postcard-perfect Christmas tree, and there are also lots of colorful lights, evergreen garlands, and bright red accents decorating the area. This week-end, it will be fun to watch the ice skaters don colorful scarves and mittens because, with Phoenix’s world-famous climate, that’s the only bundling up they’ll need!
So what is CitySkate, do you ask? CitySkate is the outdoor ice skating rink right in the middle of CityScape. For the last four years, it has been one of the few (if not the only) outdoor ice skating rink in all of Arizona. For the non-skaters among us, the rink is surrounded by lots of places that have specials going on during skating hours. Just to name a few of the retail shops in the area, there’s a RePose Salon and Spa, Lucky Strike Bowling, Chloe’s Corner, Copper Blues Brewery, the Stand-Up Live Comedy Club, Chipotle, Blue Hound, Gold’s Gym, the Palomar Hotel, . . . .well, you get the idea. Don’t forget that there are also plenty of great places to grab a favorite beverage and enjoy the view from one of the nearby cafes, patios, or balconies.
I’d like to hear your comments about what you have planned for holiday activities![printfriendly]
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Hmmm, on my way to work this morning, the windchill was 3 degrees. Yes, that’s right, 3. I just can’t picture the kind of ice skating you are talking about!! At least have some hot chocolate afterwards.
We don’t really get into the commercialality (new word) that has become Christmas for so many. We don’t even put up a Christmas Tree anymore. Maybe I am being a bah humbug, but I cannot find in the Bible where it says to have a celebration for Jesus’ birth. It was however a very wonderful and blessed birth, but I believe Jesus was born during the harvest time around Rosh Hashanah. I think he was conceived around the time of Hanakkah. I know Constantine changed the pagan holidays/celebrations to Christmas and Easter, but I still have a problem with that. We don’t have any family here and will probably go to Dan’s family for Christmas. They are not into Christianity, so it is all about eating, playing cards, and opening gifts. 🙁 We used to enjoy the grandkids at this time and the family get togethers were fun. I hope and wish you and Ron and all the family a blessed Merry Christmas. Send me a message and tell me all about your grandkids and how many.
In so many ways, you sound just like us in that we keep it simple! Christmas is not about the gifts and the baking — but it is another great time for all of us to be together. Our two grandchildren are very active in sports when they are at home, so they like to do different activities when they come here to visit. Since our weather is so much warmer, they like to go outdoor ice skating or hiking. Like you, we have not put up a tree for years, however, we do a simple gift exchange and I fix a nice meal (vegan)! It’s just another great time for all of us to be together.
Hi I was looking for pictures and found yours of the ice rink with the Wells Fargo tower behind it. I am a grad student at ASU and have a final presentation next week. I was wondering if I could use your image and if so, if you could send me it at it’s highest quality. If I can use it, I hope to use it at a 72″x72″ scale. It will be used as the background for my project board. Our project was a remake for the Wells Fargo facade and your image perfectly places the building in context.
Thank you in advance!
Jasmine, I answered your post by email.
Thanks