Keep It Local: Canal Park Ice Rink

We woke up to some chilly temps last weekend (then it was mid-60's this week?!) and decided to check out the new Canal Park Ice Rink down in SE. As luck would have it (for us, probably not them), our Uncle Tim and Aunt Erin were visiting us and happily (begrudgingly) agreed to come with us -- mom was sure it would take all four adults to take the two of us ice skating, given that none of the adults had ice skated in about 27 years. It was chilly and there was a lot of slipping, sliding, terror gripping and whining going on (and that was just daddy), but I made it around the rink 3 times and Kane did twice. Mom and dad even got in a little couples skate. For our first ice skating experience, it was pretty good (although neither of us have indicated any desire to return).

Canal Park is small, but it has a nice restaurant/bar and, in the summer, the ice rink area will have fountains for splashing. We're gonna guess this will be just as busy as Yards Park, which is only a few blocks away. After we'd thoroughly exhausted ourselves, we headed over to Georgetown to Serendipity 3 for some of their famous frozen hot chocolate. And after a run through the Georgetown Waterfront, we figured we'd earned ourselves some more sweets and ducked into Baked & Wired for a cupcake. What? Ice skating is a serious workout (especially, as mom rationalized, when you're dragging a grown man, errr .... a toddler, around the rink, too).

The Ice Rink is generally open:
Monday - Friday: 12 pm - 9 pm
Saturday: 10 am - 10 pm
Sunday: 10 am - 7 pm

But check out the extended holiday hours here.  You'll have to pony up a little cash, but it's worth it:
Adult Admission: $8
Children (under 12)/Seniors (55+)/Military Admission: $7
Skate Rental* - $3

*the smallest toddler size skate they have available to rent is an 8, so keep that in mind if your little has really little toes like me. I actually wear a size 6, but the 8 worked out OK for me.

(we know this is a lot of pictures, but there was just so much that HAD to be captured)

i'm ready coach, put me in.

catching a ride with Uncle Tim. i actually did a little "step and skate" myself.

Kane's ice skating experience went mostly like this.

mom is smiling, but innerly flippin' the bird to the show-off skating dog. 'cause just ice skating by itself isn't hard enough.

frozen hot chocolate!

mom eating my head after i refused to share my frozen hot chocolate.

a little game of blind man's bluff/chicken.

me refusing kane's gift of a purple flower after he refused to give it to me for the prior three blocks.

oh yeah, now that's what i'm talking about.

You Have Led Me to the Banks of Quiet Waters: Quiet Waters Park

Back in the day, when Vegas was the only child, mom and dad used to pack the car and head up to Annapolis for the day to let Veg run the dog beach at Quiet Waters Park.  We hadn't ever been with them and since Veg has gotten the short end of the stick lately, we took him up a few weekends ago.  Of course the dog beach had been washed out and was closed (with no currently planned reopening), but we decided that he'd still be pretty psyched about a nice "hike" in the woods.  There are many different trails at Quiet Waters, with sculpture placed throughout the Park, and we decided to take one of the paved paths.  All was good for about 2 minutes.  Then Cami and I decided that we both needed to be carried and I threw a tantrum over my inability to find the exact perfect "walking stick."  (more accurately at mom and dad's refusal to let me carry ridiculously large, pointed tree branches as walking sticks).  Poor Veg ran bigger and bigger loops around us and you could almost hear him muttering, "seriously, kids?  you can't even let me have one GD hike?"  Oh well.  We chilled out a bit at the sweet playground and were in better spirits when we made it over by the skating rink to the Garden Cafe for a little Pit Boys lunch.  There is a really nice room to have lunch, complete with fireplace, overlooking the garden and skating rink.  But we suggest bringing your own lunch -- Pit Boys tasted great, but didn't sit so well with anyone.  After lunch Cam and I insisted that we were ready to behave and hit the trails again, but our attitude adjustments were a bit late.  It was nap time.  If you are in the area and have time, we also suggest checking out Cantler's Riverside Inn for an authentic crab feast.