Winter may mean early sunsets and colder mornings, but for LHS students, it also brings some of the best activities Oregon has to offer. Whether it’s snowboarding or skiing down Mount Hood’s Meadows Ski Resort, exploring holiday lights with friends, or going ice skating, winter fun is everywhere—you have to know where to look.
With Mount Hood being one of Oregon’s most famed landmarks, it isn’t surprising that it’s the place of many students’ favorite winter pastimes. Skiing or snowboarding on the mountain is a classic way to spend the weekends with friends or family in the winter, and afterwards you can also have a meal or stay overnight at the Timberline Lodge. Many LHS students, such as senior Gabriella Stone, go to Meadows as soon as it opens.
“I like to snowboard at Mount Hood because it’s fun and a good winter activity,” Stone said.
Besides snowboarding and skiing, Mt. Hood’s Skibowl is also known for its snow tubing, where you can sled down the slopes in an inflated tube.
“I like going sledding with my friends, because I enjoy being outside in the snow,” said junior Cash Sattelberger.
While enjoying Mount Hood’s slopes is a fun option, it also takes a lot of work and requires a longer drive. A more relaxing and closeby winter activity can be going to the Oregon Zoo’s ZooLights or the Portland Winter Wonderland. Both of these family favorites offer magnificent displays of lights, with the ZooLights being a walkthrough experience, and the Portland Winter Wonderland being one you can experience from the warm confines of your car.
“I love seeing the Christmas lights at the zoo, or going to Peacock Lane with my friends!” said Stone.
Aside from these nearby lit-up holiday experiences, there are also more venues located a little farther away, in places such as Silverton. There, they host the Silverton Christmas Market, where you can walk around and look at the Christmas lights, get something to eat, meet Santa, and spend time with loved ones. For senior Abby Urbanski, Silverton is one of her favorite places to visit in the winter.
“I love going to Silverton for the interactive Christmas lights walk-through,” Urbanski said.
Other popular wintertime activities in Oregon include taking the Polar Express train ride in Hood River, seeing the Nature’s Coastal Holiday Festival of Lights at the beach, and ice skating at Lloyd Center or the Portland Winter Ice Rink.
However, for some, such as junior Layla Riquelme-Cheung, staying cozy at home can be just as enjoyable and memorable.
“I like to cozy up in bed with blankets, watch a movie, and drink some hot tea,” said Riquelme-Cheung.
Winter can be a great time to relax and decompress after working hard at school. At-home activities such as decorating the Christmas tree or baking winter recipes can be just as rewarding. But for Riquelme-Cheung, that’s not the extent of her winter traditions.
“When it’s snowing on Christmas Eve at night, my family likes to go look at the lights in our neighborhood,” Riquelme-Cheung said. “It’s become a good tradition!”
Whether you’re more of an outdoors or indoors person, there are plenty of affordable and fun ways to create lasting wintertime memories in Oregon. Winter magic is all around you, and hopefully you now know where to look!
