By Robert Lucke
When planning those winter recreational activities, do not overlook the Internet Explorer for detailed trip planning and things to do most anywhere you would like to go that has snow in the winter. Just search under "winter activities" and there is a huge range of things to do in North America as well as in northern Europe.
Take Calgary as an example. Just a few hundred miles north of Havre, there are detailed explanations of things to do in Calgary's Olympic Park this winter. Everything from grand ski jumps to bobsled rides are offered. The bobsled track is billed as North America's top track with 14 curves, 1475 meters long, and with a top speed of 130 km per hour. These sites go into great detail about how to get to them, their accommodations, and places to eat. In a word, just about everything you would ever need to know when planning a trip.
Like something a little more daring than Calgary? How about some winter activities in the city of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories? They are there in the Internet Explorer as well and listen to what they say about themselves.
"A Yellowknife winter can seem to last an eternity, but the average winter is a mere five months, lasting from first snowfall (that stays) near the end of October to last snow by the end of April. Although the temperatures and winter can be brutal, hardy Yellowknifers view winter as an opportunity to get out and participate in outdoor activities. Popular pastimes are snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, dogsledding, ice fishing, spending time at cabins, or just hiking and enjoying the crisp, clean northern air - and of course watching the Northern lights."
Closer to home, there are many Montana sites on the Internet Explorer as well. And the language used in describing things to do, why, it makes folks want to move away just so they can come back and see it all once again.
"Some call Montana heaven. Maybe it's because we're covered in white. Or maybe it's because we have short lift lines. Whatever the reason, we invite you to enjoy our winter wonderland - pine trees look as though they've been dusted with powdered sugar. Gorgeous mountain landscapes sparkle in the sunlight. And although there's a nip in the air, you won't find a warmer welcome anywhere, except maybe in heaven."
Montana winter sites report everything from downhill ski hills to cross-country areas, to the best snowboarding sites in the state, or to where you can take an organized winter plunge' into an icy lake.
Internet exploring is an almost up to the minute listing of winter activities that are close by and far away and is very complete.
