When we travel, we tend to be so busy from sun up to beyond sun down that we really only need our accommodation to provide us with a clean space in which to sleep. Not requiring much out of a hotel room beyond it being clean and tidy allows us to travel on a budget and stretch a dime. We, therefore, had little concern about choosing a super cheap room in a large hotel in Ocean City, Maryland. The room turned out to be a good size and was clean and tidy. The hotel was a bit dated and could do with a lick of paint and polish but we can overlook such things when just treating the room like a dormitory. The only real issue was that the walls were really thin and we unfortunately had super noisy neighbours.
As far as the kids were concerned, however, the hotel was a win because it not only had a larger than average indoor pool but also had an ice skating rink. After filling up on breakfast at a local cafe, therefore, we headed back to the hotel so that our youngest two sons – aged 8 and 10 – could go ice skating for the first time ever. They donned their ice skates and headed out onto the ice. At first their legs were wonky and wobbly, like newborn deer, so we gave them some support frames so that they could get used to the required gait and rhythm without worrying about falling or even concerning themselves with balance. After just a few circuits of the rink, however, they were ready to ditch the frames and skate unassisted. They absolutely loved it, had a whale of a time, were excited to have learned a new skill, and experienced a sense of achievement as a result.
A Pict in PA 
When my niece and nephew were young, they (Californians that they were) thought it would be romantic to skate on a frozen lake, so when they visited us in Minnesota we rented some skates and headed for the nearest rink. They discovered two things. One, it’s cold when you skate outdoors. That’s why the water freezes. Two, there aren’t any railings to hold onto.
i wouldn’t say it was a complete success.
Ha! Skating outdoors would definitely take more tolerance and skill. I’ve only skated a couple of times in my life and – despite being good at roller skating – it just wasn’t for me. My butt thumped on the ice too often.
I learned to stay upright, but that was my limit.
So Cool! I love ice skating 😁
Ice skating has never been my thing but my youngest sons really enjoyed the experience once they got the hang of it.
That’s great! I’m a Californian, so we don’t skate often either. Unless you want to be a skater 😁
A hotel with an ice rink – how great is that!! My days of ice skating are firmly behind me I think….. Seems like your boys took to it with aplomb.
I could not risk ice skating now even if I wanted to. I have chronic pelvic problems because of SPD in four pregnancies so I have to avoid that type of movement and that risk of slipping. However, it was fun to spectate and see how quickly the kids got the hang of things.
When I saw the title of this post, I was delighted. And the story is wonderful. I grew up ice skating, so it’s always been special to me. And a hotel with a skating rink *almost* cancels out noisy neighbors.
Yeah, the hotel was not the best but it was also not the worst we have stayed in either. However, the ice rink was a boon and gave the kids an opportunity to give a new activity/skill a try. They are keen to try it some more.
They look like pros. You know, there are a couple of ice rinks near home if they want to keep it up!
Yes. We are going to look into taking them locally but probably in the new year. Our December weekends are fully booked.
It’s amazing to see what kids’ bodies can do and what adult bodies must sit out. I threw my back out two weeks ago taking a step forward, and my physical therapy starts today. Let them skate while they are strong!
Ouch. Your poor back. I hope the PT works wonders. I once tore a ligament in my ankle falling off the bottom step of a flight of stairs and that was when I was in my teens. The slightest and weirdest things can cause injuries.
Ouch! That sounds so painful.
Nowhere near as bad as back pain though.
What a fun find!! So glad your kids were brave enough to try ice skating! When I was a young one I tried roller skating and could never manage it. I could however just manage ice skating. That never made sense to me why roller skating didn’t work but ice skating sort of did. Even so after a bad tumble or two on the ice I decided solid ground was preferable.
They are similar but different skills I think because I could roller skate but not ice skate. I used to roller skate absolutely everywhere to the point that I resented having to wear actual shoes and walk anywhere. That was on quad wheels though because I never liked roller blades either. Too much pressure on the ankles.
What a hoot that you could roller skate but not ice skate! Wow! I’m impressed that you’d roller skate everywhere! Do you still roller skate?
I haven’t been on roller skates in many years now but I’ve been tempted to do it again. I could just skate around the neighborhood.
Applause in advance if you do it!
Oh cool! There’s nothing quite like that moment when you let go of the edge and skate off on your own for the first time. Hope you had a great trip, I’m looking forward to reading all about it! 😀
They really took to it. We are going to try and find a rink that does public skating here so they can go again.