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Planet offers eclectic merchandise to 'U'
Michigan winters: a flurry of fun
By Megan Jacobs
Daily Arts Writer
Slippery conditions and a spiked
heating bill are enough to give
Michigan students Florida
dreams, but there is light at the
end of these short, dark days.
With the
aspiration
of being an
Olympic
bobsled-
der and
disdain
for trudging
through snow
just to reach
the peak of
a sledding
hill, win-
ter revel-
ers should
head to
Waterford
Oaks, which delivers with
its unique icy toboggan run,
The Fridge. Up to four riders
zoom down a 55-foot drop and
zip along 1,000 feet, all at speeds
of over 30 miles per hour. The
toboggans are transported and pro-
vided by The Fridge, so don't worry
about bringing your own. The park
is open Wednesday through Friday
from 4 to 9:30 p.m., Saturday from
10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from
noon to 6 p.m. Though The Fridge
operates through mid-March, it is
best to call ahead when tempera-
tures fluctuate.
If Picabo Street is more up your
alley than Cool Runnings and if
that's the case, you need look no fur-
ther than Mount Brighton. With 26
trails, one of them 1350 feet long,
and a 300 foot vertical drop, Brigh-
ton is sure to please the downhill
crowd. If snowboarding is the sport
of choice, Brighton also offers a half-
pipe and a terrain park. Day passes
vary between $17 to $27, depending
on the time of day and day of the
week; Night skiing is also available.
Mount Holly is also nearby, offering
similar facilities as Brighton, though
their longest run is 1750 feet. Ski and
snowboard rentals and lessons are
featured at both. Check out www.
goskimichigan.com for a complete
list of slopes, lodges and pass infor-
mation.
Winter fun is also right around the
corner at Yost Ice Arena. For just $3
(with an MCard), Yost offers public
ice skating Thursday from 8 p.m. to
9:50 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday
from 2 to 3:50 p.m. Are your axels
and triple lutzes not quite up to par?
Yost also hosts skating lessons on
Sundays from 1to 1:50 p.m., open to
all ages for $60. Yost is a great place
to learn to skate, go on a more cre-
ative date than dinner and a movie or
be mistaken for a pro. Similarly, the
Ann Arbor Ice Cube offers a wide
range of skating, fitness and dining
facilities.
Don't let the dropping tempera-
tures and heaps of snow get you
down. Bundle up, and remember that
spring is only a snowball toss away.
www.michigan
daily.com/aabest
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Look for the results in your Special
"Best of Ann Arbor" Weekend
Edition out April 15th, 2005.
ALEXANDER DZIADOSZ/Daily
ALEXANDER DZIAD5SZ/Daily
A mannequin shows off merchandise.
A display of bumper stickers at The Planet, the newly-opened store on South University Avenue.
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Ice skates gleam inside Yost Ice Arena.