If you find you and your family housebound and glued to the big screen this time of year, break free. Breathe some cold, fresh air and get some exercise.
Here are some things to do with visiting family during the holiday season.
DISC GOLF
No kidding. Don’t laugh. Hard-core disc golfers can be seen in Ann Morrison Park in Boise and other parks throughout the Valley all winter long.
It doesn’t take much to head to the park and play a round.
Tab Carman was even out in a T-shirt practicing his putting on a recent sunny December afternoon.
If you and your family don’t have discs, you might buy some used ones to try it out for the first time. They start at about $3, said Travis Lindstrom, who recently opened Boise Disc Golf, 916 S. Vista Ave., the area’s first disc golf pro shop.
You only need two discs to start — a driver and a putter, Lindstrom says.
To find out where to play and learn the rules, go to gemstatediscgolf.org.
NATURE WALKS
The Treasure Valley is blessed with lots of urban wildlife and there are a lot of places to go to see critters.
Kathryn Albertson Park, 1001 Americana Blvd., Boise is a good place for a woodsy walk. The natural areas around its frozen ponds harbor waterfowl and other wildlife. Kids also like to play hide-and-seek around the trees.
A fun thing to do is look for tracks in the snow or on the ice and try to identify them. Don’t walk on the ice unless you want an icy bath.
Note: Why not do your own Christmas Bird Count?
The Audubon Society conducts counts this time of the year throughout Southwest Idaho to take a bird census. Play a game with your family and see who can count the most birds on nature walks.
Also, if your visitors are photographers, tell them to bring along the tripod and telephoto lens.
MK Nature Center, 600 S. Walnut St., Boise is the centerpiece of wildlife education and a great place to learn about local fauna, even in winter.
Wood ducks, herons and mallards frequent the ponds and you can see trout in the underwater stream displays.
The center’s hands-on displays will keep you and the kids busy, and the center’s T-shirts are cool, too.
Find more information at fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/education/mknc.
The Boise Greenbelt and Lake Lowell in Nampa are known for eagle watching in winter.
Of course, there are no guarantees of seeing one. You’ve got to be at the right place at the right time. (I saw one Sunday at Barber Park.) When you do see one, it’s a real treat for visiting relatives.
Walk the Greenbelt on the south side of the river from ParkCenter to Barber Park.
Or, head to the Deer Flat Wildlife Refuge’s visitors center on the banks of Lake Lowell and start looking.
The visitors center also has nature exhibits and an indoor viewing area so you can spot birds.
Find directions and details at fws.gov/deerflat, or call 467-9278.
Good luck and don’t forget the binoculars.
FISHING
The ponds along the Boise Greenbelt and the Wilson Springs Ponds near the Idaho Department of Fish and Game Region 3 Office, 3101 S. Powerline Road, Nampa are your best bets for fishing.
Boise’s ParkCenter Pond can freeze over, so it might not be fishable. It can be a day-by-day thing. Wilson Springs Ponds seldom freeze over. Fish and Game stocked 500 trout at Wilson Springs Ponds this week.
Fish with worms and marshmallows on the bottom.
If your visitors are fly anglers, the Boise River through town is an excellent bet for trout and whitefish.
HOT SPRINGS
A visit to the Gold Fork Hot Springs in Donnelly will be an unforgettable hit with your guests.
In less than two hours on the scenic drive, you’ll be staring at lush forest and snowy mountains while you soak in a toasty warm in a naturally heated pool.
It’s a great all-day trip.
There’s a yurt and six different pools at the hot springs. Admission is $8 for adults and $6 for kids.
For hours, directions and details, go to goldforkhotsprings.com or call (866) 453-3675.
Pete Zimowsky: 377-6445
