Winter is a unique season loved by many. With snow, the air starting to chill, and all of the holidays that are celebrated, it’s not hard to see why; but during these unprecedented times, it is hard to find activities that are fun and memorable. 

While not many people think of walks in nature when they think of winter, they are a great way to spend an hour or two with family and friends or by yourself. We have many trails in the upstate New York area that are open in the winter. Some examples of these trails are the Tivoli Lake Preserve and the Vischer Ferry Nature & Historic Preserve. A few beautiful parks that are a little further away but definitely worth the drive are Cherry Plain and Thatcher Park. Because of the cold and possible snow and mud, you should bring warm coats, boots, and anything else you would normally wear to keep warm.

Here are links to the websites of the places mentioned above:

(No website available for Tivoli Lake Preserve)

https://www.cliftonpark.org/index.php/departments/parks-recreation-community-affairs/preserves-trails

https://www.albany.com/parks/cherry-plain/

https://www.albany.com/parks/thacher-park/

Some other activities that can be done safely later in the year are skiing, snowboarding, and tubing. Many mountains that have been are still open this year, as long as you wear a face covering and adequately distance. Some of these mountains include Gore and Willard Mountain. Gore offers cross country and downhill skiing and snowboarding. Willard has many trails and has a mountain dedicated to tubing. When choosing a resort to travel to, make sure it is in New York or that there are no restrictions on traveling to whatever state you are going to visit. 

Links to the websites mentioned above:

http://www.willardmountain.com/ 

https://goremountain.com/

An option for people who don’t like to be outside is to have a movie night. Many people used to buy popcorn and candy to enjoy in a theatre with friends and family, but because of the coronavirus that isn’t something we can do. However, we can sit still down on our couches, make our own snacks, and watch a movie at home. According to Empire, the best teen movie is Clueless, followed by The Breakfast Club, Back To The Future, Ten Things I Hate About You, and Mean Girls.

Links to the synopsis of the movies above:

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/clueless

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/breakfast_club

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/back_to_the_future#on-tv

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10_things_i_hate_about_you

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mean_girls