Love the Outdoors

Just because it's the coldest time of the year doesn't mean you have to go into hibernation mode. There are lots of fun outdoor activities available for you and your sweetheart to enjoy, even if it means battling the snow and ice. With a little ingenuity — and a lot of warm, layered clothing — winter doesn't have to mean the end of outdoor, romantic excursions.

SKIING and TUBING

The slopes are open at Milton's own Glen Eden with skiing, boarding and tubing hills available, for every level of ability. If you're feeling a little insecure, lessons are a great way to gain confidence and spend quality time learning a new skill with a loved one. The Discover Skiing and Snowboarding packages are the perfect way to get started, and they are geared specifically toward creating a memorable first experience while preparing you for a lifetime of enjoyment on the slopes.

If whooshing down the slopes isn't your thing, recapture happy childhood memories with a day of Snow Tubing, the easiest way to experience the speed and exhilaration of winter sports. Slide down one of the four chutes on a cushion of air, and then relax by the fire. Glen Eden's Snow Tube Park is a great adventure on a brisk, snowy day.

Season Passes are also available and can be purchased online, or at the park. Visit www.gleneden.on.ca for more information.

SKATING

Spencer Smith Park in Burlington offers the Rotary Centennial Pond/Skating Rink, with a free outdoor ice-skating for all ages on an artificial ice surface. The skating surface is lit in the evening, and there are even wind screens set up. Bronte Creek Provincial Park also provides a large outdoor rink.

For a variety of different outdoor rinks in the area, check the following website:

http://www.toronto.ca/parks/skating/outdoor-rinks.htm

SNOWMOBILING

Enjoy spectacular scenery, open trails, welcoming accommodations and countless tour loops. Once you experience snowmobiling in Ontario, you'll want to come back every snowmobile season.

For more information visit gorideontario.ca

And, if none of these activities appeals to you, try heading out for a good old-fashioned…walk. Hand in hand with your loved one, taking a leisurely stroll or a brisk walk under a starry winter night sky — what could be more romantic?