Skating through the California cold

You probably won’t ever feel more like a Californian until you ice skate in a man-made winter wonderland surrounded by lit palm trees trying to do your best Kristi Yamaguchi impression.

San Jose’s beloved winter tradition since the ‘90s, Downtown Ice, is an annual family-friendly skating rink where you can rent skates for $17 ($15 for children 10 and younger) and skate your holiday troubles away. Granted, the holidays are over, but the event doesn’t end until Feb. 7.

The circular ice rink is a bit small but it does have a divider between the outer rink for wall grabbers and inner rink for more experienced skaters. Be prepared to dodge falling children and adults with the occasional dreaded shoulder latch, because there will be many of them. Weekday nights are highly recommended to avoid the over-zealous holiday lovers who surely still have yet to take down their christmas lights.

There is also a gourmet hot chocolate stand next to the ice rink if you have a sweet tooth or crave something rich to warm yourself up with. Friendly people who work there decorate each drink with whipped cream, sprinkles, chocolate syrup and a small snowman head. Downtown Ice is a San Jose tradition sponsored by Hawaiian Airlines and local olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi.

For more information visit the event website