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Have the Glide of Your Life at 9 Outdoor Skate Rinks

Nothing says romance in winter like taking your favorite someone on a glide across the ice. For a skating adventure with city views, try one of these urban ice skating hot spots for a chance to breathe in the big city atmosphere.

Nothing says romance in winter like taking your favorite someone on a glide across the ice. Being able to actually skate helps, but even if you can't and you end up flat on your backside, he or she will thank you for the memorable experience. Of course depending where you are, you can choose to skate on a lake, river or pond. But for a skating adventure with city views, try one of these U.S. city ice skating hot spots for a chance to breathe in the big city atmosphere.

It's hard for New York City not to dominate the ice skating category, with four scenic spots located in Manhattan alone. Images of skating in New York's Central Park and Rockefeller Center are synonymous with a Big Apple winter and having skated at both these venues, I can attest to the fact that no matter how badly you skate, you will have fun. Few people know that there are actually two rinks in Central Park -- Wollman (tel. 212/439-6900; www.wollmanskatingrink.com) and Lasker (917/492-3856: www.laskerskatingrink.com). Donald Trump has put his moniker (and his dollars) on both rinks and the Wollman rink recently underwent a total refurbishment. The rink is open daily from now until April 10, 2007 from 10am with evening skating is available Wednesdays and Thursday (until 10pm), Fridays and Saturdays (until 11pm) and Sundays (until 9pm). By New York standards, a skate here is pretty affordable. Adults are $9.50 on weekdays and $12 on weekends. Children 12 and under are $4.75 and $5 respectively and skate rental is an additional $5 (including tax). The Lasker rink is also open daily for more restrictive hours (10am to 3:35pm Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 10am to 3:45pm and 8pm to 10pm on Tuesdays, 10am to 10pm on Fridays and 12.30pm to 4.30pm on Sundays). The cost is a paltry $4.50 for adults, $2.25 for kids and $4.75 skate rental.

The rink at Bryant Park (tel. 212/768-4242; www.bryantpark.org) is a recent addition to the ice skating game, having started operations last season. Skating here is free if you bring your own skates (rental is a hefty $8.75). The rink opens daily at 8am and stays open until 10pm on weekdays and midnight on weekends. And last but not least, the Rockefeller Center (tel. 212/332-7654; www.rapatina.com/iceRink), a great spot for celebrity sightings (Britney Spears just last week!) and a chance to ogle that magnificent Christmas tree (if you are there during the festive season). Operating hours are long and confusing so I won't add them here. Suffice to say that in between ice grooming, the rink is open daily and stays open to 10pm on Sundays and Holidays, 10:30pm Mondays to Thursdays and midnight on weekends for a cost of $10 per adult and $14 on weekends ($7.50 and $8.50 for kids; skate rental is $7.50). For a quick afternoon bout of exercise, try the Monday to Thursday lunchtime session for only $5.

Accommodations in New York City at this time of the year are never cheap, but here are a couple of options that will still leave you a few dollars for skates and hot chocolates. New York Inns (www.nyinns.com) has three centrally located properties -- Amsterdam Inn, Murray Hill Inn and Union Square Inn. Currently a stay at the Murray Hill Inn starts from $129 per night per room, $89 per night per room at the Amsterdam Inn and the Union Square Inn has rooms from $119 per night. These room rates are for double or queen rooms with private bathrooms but taxes are additional.

Fancy heading further northeast for some outdoor skating? Providence, Rhode Island's Bank of America Rink (tel. 401/331-5544; www.providenceskating.com) is open daily -- Monday to Friday 10am to 10pm and 11am to 10pm on weekends with skate rental fee of $4. Entry price is $6 per adult and $3 for children. Skate at lunch time or between 4pm and 6pm on a weekday and pay only $4 plus $3 for skate rental. The historic Providence Biltmore Hotel (tel. 800/678-8946; www.historichotels.org/hotel/237) in Providence, R.I. is offering a "Skate and Stay Package" for stays from November 22 to December 30, 2006. The package includes junior suite accommodations, ice skating admission at the Bank of America outdoor rink, skate rental and a Starbucks coupon for a complimentary coffee. The package is priced at $199 per night for a maximum four people staying in one suite.

From November 15, 2006 to March 16, 2007, skate your butt off at Chicago's Millennium Park (tel. 312/742-5222; www.millenniumpark.org). This is only the sixth skating season for the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink, yet it still manages to lure in 100,000 skaters annually. The rink is free to the public, with skate rental available for $7. The rink is open daily from 10am until 10pm, although it may occasionally close at 8pm for private events.

In our nation's capital, you can combine you love of fine art with some artful moves on the ice. The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden ice-skating rink (tel. 202/289-3360; www.nga.gov/ginfo/skating.shtm) in Washington, D.C. is open from mid-November through mid-March, weather permitting. View magnificent works of sculpture while skating in the open air and enjoying music from the state-of-the-art sound system. The rink is open Monday to Thursday from 10am to 9pm, Friday and Saturday 10am to 11pm and 11am to 9pm on Sundays. Two-hour sessions, beginning on the hour are priced at $7 for adults and $6 for children, students and seniors over 50. Skate rental is $3.

The gorgeous four-star Monaco Hotel (tel. 877/536-0508; www.monaco-dc.com), a boutique property from the Kimpton group is located less than half a mile from the National Gallery of Art. Stays here during the winter start from a super low $127 per room per night as part of the hotel's "Hot Dates = Great Rates" promotion (check right at the bottom of the hotel's website, under the address, for the link). If you are west-coast bound, you can still skate away this winter. San Francisco is home to the Kristi Yamaguchi Ice Skating Rink (tel. 415/956-2688; www.embarcaderocenter.com) at the Embarcadero Center. It is open annually from November 9 to January 2. Operating hours are10am to 10pm Sunday to Thursday and 10am to 11.30pm on Friday and Saturday nights. 90-minute skate sessions start on every even hour. Rates are $7 weekdays and $7.50 on weekends ($3.50 and $4 for children). Skate rental fees are $3.50.

Stay at the luxurious boutique Argonaut Hotel (tel. 866/415-0704; www.argonauthotel.com) in Fisherman's Wharf, and choose the "Nice" package (as opposed to the "Naughty" one) and receive accommodations for four people, tickets to the Kristi Yamaguchi Ice Skating Rink and the Exploratorium, cable car passes, shopping coupons for Union Square retailers, a keepsake holiday ornament and breakfast. The package starts at $350 for a two-night stay and rates are valid from November 1 through December 30, 2006.

One of the last places you might expect to find an outdoor seasonal rink is near Los Angeles but that is exactly where the Irvine Spectrum Center Rink (tel. 949/753-5180; www.skatespectrum.com) is located, approximately 40 miles outside Los Angeles. Enjoy skating between November 3, 2006 and February 18, 2007. All skating sessions are 60 minutes with 15 minute breaks between sessions and there are live DJs to spin the music and make it a great date night on Fridays and Saturdays. Operating hours are Monday to Thursday 11am to 8:45pm and Friday to Sunday 11am to 12.30am. Skating prices are $12 for adults and $10 for children ten and under.

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