Are We in a Hallmark Movie?
My husband makes this joke a lot about being in a Hallmark movie since we’ve been living in the Northwoods, but it indeed has been a change living here - especially for me in the winter. I honestly didn't do much in the winter in IL. In the heart of winter, something is going on almost every weekend up here. We haven't even participated in all of the fun events happening, but the past two weekends, we were able to experience some of the magic that winter has to offer in Vilas County.
2022 USA Hockey/Labatt Blue Pond Hockey National Championships
For our kid's skating lessons, we need to put in 20 hours of volunteering which is pretty cool because it dramatically reduces the prices of the classes. Kevin had his eye on volunteering for the Pond Hockey event since he heard about it and signed up for the afternoon to be a scorekeeper on Saturday. He took off, and after I fed the kids lunch, we also decided to go check it out.
I didn't do any research before I left, and I've never been to a Pond Hockey tournament, thinking it was one rink on a pond, but of course, I was way wrong. The Eagle River Fire Department creates 24 specially marked rinks on Dollar Lake, and participants drive or fly in from all over the United States.
We took a bus from the ice rink to the event because the parking lot was full at the lake, and I was blown away when we finally got there. There were people everywhere, hilarious team names (be sure to check the link above if you want a laugh), people dressed up in fabulous winter outfits, a concession stand with food and drinks, plus a seriously cool photo op of a WI state ice sculpture. It was pretty chilly, so I only stayed with the kids for a couple of hours, but we are making plans to have friends up next year and make it a weekend event. Kevin also quickly signed up as a scorekeeper the next day and was able to watch some of the finals; he had so much fun.
2022 Awassa Trail Candlelight Snowshoeing/Ski/Fat Tire Bike Event
Our friend Karen told us about this event when we first moved here, and that's when the first Hallmark Movie reference was said. It was so beautiful; the description she told us was excellent, but it's truly breathtaking when you see it in person. There were 762 ice luminaries this year - which is completely impressive thinking about the time it takes to freeze all of the luminaries then light all of the candles, and yes, they were real candles!
There is also a little oasis set up at the trailhead with a nice big fire, log benches, string lights, and snacks for attendees. It was truly magical to see that when you start and heavenly after the 1.7-mile loop when you finish (especially for the kiddos) to get that warm cup of hot chocolate and homemade chocolate chip cookies.
The Awassa Trails are quickly becoming one of my favorite places in Vilas County for hiking and the fun events they put on. The St Germain Non-Motorized Trails Committee hosted this event, and they did a spectacular job.
Needless to say we’ve had quite the experience this month and will continue to share our winter exploration and Hallmark moments.
