Romance in Fort Collins: Ice Skating

Okay, so we aren’t in Canada, but with the cold nights, inevitable snow and impressive Colorado Avalanche hockey team, why not give ice skating a try? Grab a date, lace up those old hockey/figure skates and head over to Old Town Square for a night of romantic wonder.

That’s right—Old Town Square is set to open the annual outdoor ice skating rink Saturday, November 17. A perfect addition to a romantic evening out on the town, the ice skating rink offers couples and families yet another fun and romantic activity to enjoy in Old Town.

Whether it is Phil Connors and Rita from Groundhog Day, or Coach Bombay and Charlie Conway’s mom, Casey from The Mighty Ducks, a romantic outdoor ice-skating sessions has served the meaningful purpose of igniting a passion between two unlikely individuals.

In light of this, I encourage you to grab your loved one, bundle up and head over to Old Town Square for some good-old fashion romance.

Hours of Operation:

OLD TOWN ICE RINK 2007 - 2008

November 17 – December 20
Monday – Thursday: 4:00 PM – 8: 00 PM
Friday: 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Saturday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Sunday: Noon – 6:00 PM

Special Hours:
Wednesday November 21: Noon – 8:00 PM;
Closed on November 22 for Thanksgiving
Friday November 23: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Monday November 26: Noon – 8:00 PM

December 21 – January 6
Monday – Saturday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Sunday: Noon – 6:00 PM

Special Hours:
December 24: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Closed on December 25
December 31: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Closed on January 1

January 7 – January 31
Friday: 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Saturday: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Sunday: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Special Hours:
January 21: Noon - 6:00 PM

Skating Rink is located on the north end of Old Town Square.

Cost: Skating $2 / skate rental $1

Old Town dresses up in Christmas cheer, romance

The Christmas season is the perfect time to give a gift, sing a cheerful carol and enjoy an odd yet surprisingly delicious Nogasake—a Christmas concoction composed of three parts sake and one-part eggnog.

But beyond gifts, seasonal songs and crazy Christmas cocktails, this rapidly approaching holiday season—perhaps excessively fast thanks to corporate America—provides the right mix of cheer and tradition for love to flourish. In fact, Christmas is the perfect time for spouses and partners to retrieve that little box labeled “romantic tricks,” wipe off the dust that has accumulated over the year(s), and stir up something special for that special someone.

If you’re scratching your head wondering where exactly that specific box hides, worry no longer! I have compiled a perfect package of fun and romance in Fort Collins for you and your spouse to
enjoy. Stay tuned as I reveal ten romantic Christmas time activities in Fort Collins!

Let's go tubing!

When the days begin to shorten and the weather begins to plummet beneath room temperature, I like to close my eyes and think of the glory days of summer. I reminisce of t-shirts, sandals and music that makes you happy to be young. I picture road trips, fireworks and everything else that makes summer far better than this cold, pathetic time of the year.

As I daydream of summer time, I am captivated by memories of my favorite warm weather activity in Fort Collins: going tubing down the Cache la Poudre river. The Poudre, as it’s called for short, is a tranquil place with bits of excitement intertwined between sequences of thrilling rapids.

For fun-craving tubers, the best time of year to take advantage of the Poudre’s natural environment is early summer when the temperature is warm enough to ward away the shivers and the water level is still high.

The drive itself makes up half the thrill of going tubing. The Poudre begins high in the peaks of Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park along the Continental Divide. Flowing north and east through Roosevelt National Forest, it tumbles down the slopes of the Front Range and meanders through the city of Fort Collins. Highway 14, which follows much of the river, reveals the rich scenery, history, archeology, flora and fauna of the Poudre River.

So as you shiver through the winter, feel free to share in my warming daydreams of tubing down the Poudre.