Jaunted

This way to Atlanta's rink...

· Atlanta – Centennial Olympic Park:
Even Hotlanta is cool enough to make some ice, as an annual holiday tradition returns to the city’s Centennial Olympic Park for a winter run. Atlanta’s only outdoor rink is even being sponsored in part by Southwest Airlines—watch out Delta—so that’s fun. Practice your Triple Lutz—or your balance—for $7 plus $2 for skate rental. That’ll get you about 90 minutes of ice time, and you’ll even be serenaded by holiday music and seasonal lighting displays. The fun runs through the end of January and the rink is open until like 10pm each night and 11pm on Saturdays.

· Raleigh – Winterfest:
Hold off on planning your trip to downtown Raleigh this week, as their skating rink isn’t ready to go just yet. They’ll freeze the ice for the first time beginning on December 3, and with a little assistance from Mother Nature the rink should stick around through the end of January. Hours vary depending on which day you decide to visit, but there are some evening hours between now and Santa’s arrival. Skate rental is included in your $8 admission charge, so there’s no need to locate a pair of ice skates before heading off to the rink. For a true winter experience be sure to visit on December 18, January 8, or January 15, as they’ll be blowing some real snow onto the ground for a little southern sledding.

There's even lights in Dallas-Ft. Worth...

· Memphis – Memphis Zoo:
There hasn’t been an outdoor skating rink in The River City since like the 1970s, so the arrival of one at the zoo is kind of a big deal. The seasonal skating rink is located between the Northwest Passage and Teton Trek areas of the zoo. It’ll cost you around $6 to go for a spin on the ice, but that’s in addition to admission into the zoo—that starts at like $10 for the kiddos and $15 for the adults. Skating runs through the end of January, and maybe if you’re lucky they’ll even bring a few penguins onto the ice too!

[Photos: mlanza, TriangleExplorer, and Frisco Square]