Winter months provide the opportunity to enjoy festivals and gatherings that celebrate all things icy and cold.

Here are five places where you can chill out with carvers, climbers and history makers: 

Ouray, CO –

This southwestern Colorado mountain town, known for its picturesque jagged peaks, is home to one of the country’s premiere ice festivals. Competitors of all levels, climbing companies and spectators gather for the event and the opportunity to demo the latest ice tools, apparel and gear. Family members can access dozens of interactive and educational climbing clinics through out the festival. For many, the highlight is watching the world’s best ice and mixed climbing experts battle for the top prize. 

Contact:www.OurayIcePark.com

Whitefish, MT.

The Annual Whitefish Winter Carnival kicks off with the coronation of a king and queen, followed by a Penguin Plunge (a hole is cut into Whitefish Lake and participants take a dip to raise funds for charity). Visitors are welcomed by mountain men, penguins and Viking divas, otherwise known as the costume-clad volunteers who share stories and point the curious toward the old-fashioned Main Street parade, an ice sculpting contest, a kid’s carnival, a pie social and a pancake breakfast. You can also expect a torch-light ski parade, ski-joring, cross-country ski races, and a figure skating demonstration. The festivities are open to the public and most are free. 

Contact: www.whitefishwintercarnival.com. 

Washington Crossing Reenactment, Bucks County, PA.

George Washington’s daring 1776 Christmas Day crossing of the Delaware River and defeat of the opposing troops in Trenton is considered an important turn of events in the Revolutionary War. This historic scene is reenacted twice during December, as thousands gather on the banks of the Delaware River to garner a glimpse of the past. Witness participants, clad in Continental military dress, listen to “George Washington’s” inspiring speech, before he leads them across the icy river in replica Durham boats.

Contact: http://www.washingtoncrossingpark.org/park/crossing-reenactment/ 

Stowe, VT -

The Annual Stowe Winter Carnival offers a seasonal wonderland of family fun. Expect kooky sporting events, ice carving competitions, ski movies, Kids Carnival Kaos and Snowgolf and Snowvolleyball tournaments. Tour the Northern Vermont town, while watching professional ice carvers manifest clever Ice creations throughout the village. The Vail Resorts Epic Pass now offers unlimited, unrestricted access to Stowe Mountain Resort.

Contact: ; www.stowewintercarnival.com  

Aspen, Co –

With a nod to the town’s Nordic heritage, local Aspenites began celebrating the popular winter festival, Wintersköl in 1951. Surrounded by the peaks of the Elk Mountains, visitors celebrate the “toast to snow” with four days  of festivities including a quirky canine fashion show, torchlight ski parades, a soup cook-off as well as broomball and fat biking competitions. Make time for downhill and cross-country skiing as well as shopping, dining and spa time.

Contact: www.aspenchamber.org.

If you and your family are yearning for a seaside holiday, these coastal National Parks may fit the bill.

Here are five to consider:  

1. Olympic National Park, Port Angeles, WA

Brimming with thousands of years of human history, your family can contemplate the complexity of the natural world amidst lush rain forests, glacier-capped mountains and richly-hued seaside tide pools.  There are wild animals to observe, trails to hike, rivers to fish and more than 70 miles of untamed coastline to explore.  Rangers are in residence to provide input during interpretive walks, campfire programs and to help decode the starry sky. Stay in the park lodge, in cabins or pitch a tent in your own campsite. , Built in 1953, Kalaloch Lodge is the only coastal lodging in the Park.

Contact: https://www.nps.gov/olym; www.thekalalochlodge.com.

2. Cumberland Island National Seashore, St. Marys, GA.

Bypass the crowds and head for Georgia’s largest and southernmost barrier island.  Pristine beaches, mud flats, dune fields and salt marshes provide respite for shore birds, sea turtles, wild turkeys and wild horses. Kayak, fish, and hike by day.  Enjoy the bounty of stars visible from your family’s campsite. (No other lodging is available on the island.) A 30-minute, daily dockside program offers insight into the island’s history, culture and ecosystem. Other lengthier tours are also possible. Check the web site for times and availability.

Contact: https://www.nps.gov/cuis

3. Virgin Islands National Park, U.S. Virgin Islands.  

Explore the underwater world via a 225-yard trail where snorkelers are treated to a signed introduction to the region’s fish and marine life. While 40 percent of the park is under the water’s surface, there is plenty to do on land. Stroll the beaches, hike or tap into the region’s history at the visitor’s center.

Ranger led programs include bird watching, hiking, yoga on the beach, lionfish safaris and sky watching. Inside the park, resort lodging and camping are available. An extensive array of possibilities are available outside Park boundaries. (recovering from hurricane damage)

Contact: https://www.nps.gov/viis; http://www.CaneelBay.com.

4. Padre Island National Seashore, Corpus Christi, TX. 

This Park protects the longest stretch of undeveloped Barrier Island in the world, a landscape that includes dunes, tidal flats, prairies and 70 miles of coastline. Home to more 380 species of birds, the Park also provides a safe haven for Kemp’s ridley sea turtles. Hatchling releases, often open to the public, occur from mid-June through August. Ranger-led interpretive programs broaden the experience with walks and talks and birding tours.

Contact: https://www.nps.gov/pais

5. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Porter, IN 

Geocaching is a favorite activity of families who choose to explore this 15,000-acre Midwestern lakeshore. Be on the lookout for the rare Karner blue butterfly. Climb over dunes, along rivers and through wetlands as you choose from 50 miles of meandering trails. Take the Succession trail to the top of a dune for a view of the Chicago skyline. Kayak via the Lake Michigan Water Trail or claim your spot along the 15-mile stretch of sandy beach. 

Contact:  https://www.nps.gov/indu

Could We be… A SCUBA Family???

I’m a skier. Raised in New England, I cut my teeth on the icy slopes of the White Mountains. Eventually I moved west and learned to ride powder, ski the trees and pop through double-black chutes. My dream was always to imbue my family with the same passion for flying down snow covered slopes.

Give the guys in your life the gift of travel.

Here are five ideas to consider: 

The Ranch at Emerald Valley, Colorado Springs, CO.

Visitors to this high mountain, luxury outpost in the Pike National forest can team up with man’s best friend ( Reba, the fly fishing dog ) for an afternoon of casting for trout in one of two lakes on the secluded property. Later, give Reba a rest while exploring the surrounding area on horseback or hike to nearby lookout points. Challenge friends and family on the archery range or fireside for a masterful game of chess.  Share stories while enjoying  fresh, gourmet fare at the dinner table, in the hot tub or around the cozy fire pit. It's all part of the Broadmoor's Wilderness experience which also includes Cloud Camp and a Fishing Camp. 

Contact: www.Broadmoor.com.

Fly Fishing Adventure, Jackson Hole, WY.

Catch the attention of fly-fishing enthusiasts with the promise of an overnight fishing trip on the South Fork of the Snake River.  The extraordinary experience includes a two-day float through some of the most coveted, trout-rich water in the western United States.  As the sun sets on the initial day, anglers arrive at the South Fork Hilton, a fully outfitted camp tucked in the pines with a steep, canyon wall as backdrop.

The overnight includes a deluxe dinner, tall tales and roasted marshmallows around a campfire. Participants rest up for the next day’s action in cozy platform tents. Day two promises stunning scenery, 16 miles of braided waters and the option to expand the adventure while wading gravel bars and maneuvering up productive side channels.

Contact: www.WorldCastAnglers.com;  www.WyomingTourism.org. 

Big League Tours.

Are the men in your life fans of Fenway?  Are they eager to cheer inside Wrigley Field? If the idea sounds like a home run, then a Big League Tour might be a perfect fit for your favorite baseball fan.  Word is tour participants hang out with MLB players, get on to the field, inside the dugouts and catch a batting practice in venues that continue to infuse allegiance to the game. Tours and vacation packages make it possible to hear the crack of the bat in your Dad’s favorite cities or an entire region.

Contact: www.BigLeagueTours.com 

Zion Adventure.  Springdale, UT.

Send your guy to the slots where he can take on the famed canyons on his own or with a guide. The Narrows, a 16-mile corridor, can be hiked in one rigorous day, but most recommend an overnight or the Bottom Up hike that enables hikers to see some of the most stunning aspects of the canyon in four to six hours. Either way, Dad will thank you for the opportunity to experience the splendor of the twisting slots, where carved sandstone rises to the bright, blue western sky.

Contact:  www.zionadventures.com; www.nps.gov/zion.  

Bob Bondurant Performance Driving School – Phoenix, AZ.

Channel your guy's need for speed with a visit to this premier performance-driving academy. He’ll get the chance to sharpen everyday driving skills, learn skid control or don a fire suit and helmet and hit the track for some high octane track time. Learning the Bondurant Method, crafted by Bob Bondurant as a way to train pros as well as daily commuters, promises to shape drivers into capable and confident roadsters while having the time of their lives. Contact: www.Bondurant.com; www.VisitPhoenix.com. 

Take a hike — and take the whole family with you.

Here are five scenic destinations to consider:

When I was knee-high to the cattle roaming near my Midwestern home, my grandfather gave me a block of old barn wood for my birthday. Burned into it was that famous Helen Keller quote, “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”  My grandfather knew a thing or two about growing things in the dirt, and about his precocious granddaughter.

Later, in a relatively abbreviated period of time, I went from a deliciously luxurious life spent marinating in grand adventures, near and far, to the sometimes austere and certainly crazed life of a single mama running her own business and running after a tiny human.

Where do great adventures factor in?

Do I still take that Chamonix ski trip, but this time pack in my kiddo instead of my ice tools?  Do I throw caution to the Montana wind and buy a ticket to New Zealand? Or do I now buy two tickets and download 20 hours of cartoons to the iPad for the flight?  And do I realize a lifelong dream of learning how to sail, press pause on my Montana life and allow the winds to carry me around the globe…albeit this time with a tiny-human sized life jacket aboard?

The answer is simple.  Yes, yes and YES!

I’ve made many mistakes at this parenting game that I've tackled on my own.

But what I am most proud of, what really sends the gooey, chocolate center of my heart into palpitation, is when my daughter runs up to me and says, “Mama, let’s go on an ADVENTURE!”

Now, to a nearly 3 year old the term ‘adventure’ means a slew of different things.  We often load up on crusty bread and ‘adventure’ on our bikes to the MSU duck pond and share carbs with our webbed friends.  We also ‘adventure’ to nearby Yellowstone National Park for geyser gallivanting, to practice our elk calls and then spend the evening bouldering on grassy slopes high above Gardiner with Electric Peak on the horizon.  And most recently, ‘adventuring’ has included Kaia’s inflatable dragon floatie that we’ve launched for many aquatic missions across Montana’s rivers and lakes (Lake Upsata is a recent favorite…full of lily blossoms, loons and trumpeter swans!).

As my daughter grows older, she continues to astound me with her simple wisdom.  She is correct in that ‘adventuring’ does not always have to include lengthy plane rides, schlepping gear up a far-flung mountain or river, and scaring myself silly in general.  All of that is good in moderation, but what we are so lucky to enjoy in Montana is the spectrum of adventure.  From meandering ambles scouting for bear grass on the Whitefish Trail in northwestern Montana, to leisurely canoe paddles in the stunning Missouri River breaks, to dawn patrol backcountry ski days filled with homemade muffins and fresh powder tele turns in Hyalite just south of Bozeman…we can fill our boots with adventure in any fashion we choose.

All we have to do is walk out our front door.

Becky Edwards is a runner, climber, skier and all around mountain lover who resides in the shadows of the Bridger Range with her daughter, Kaia, two furry wolf pups and a cat named Pickles.  She owns a communications and marketing consulting company: Sun Snow Creative.

During a recent outing I was reminded why they call one of my favorite sports “fishing”.

And not “catching”.

Get close to creatures of the sea for a wild family adventure.

Here are five ideas to consider:

At home on the open range, self-reliant and hard working, the American Cowboy remains an iconic figure.  With spurs jangling and hat tipped against the wind, he continues to symbolize the free-thinking, rugged individualism that, in part, defines the American West and much of our country’s history.

The first cowboys or vequeros came from Mexico in the late 1500s, hired to move cattle into what is now Texas and New Mexico. In the centuries that followed, the cowboy played a crucial role in the development of the West.  Working hard for low wages, breaking trail through dangerous country and enduring long, lonely days and nights sleeping under the stars, cowboys helped establish the new frontier.

Despite fewer numbers and changes in ranch management, the cowboy’s work still must be done. Throughout the West, you’ll find men and women on horseback, protected by hats, chaps and boots, riding into the far reaches of the backcountry to round up errant cattle, mend fences and doctor a sick calf.  You’ll also find them on the rodeo circuit showing off their skills, often including tricks of their trade passed down through the centuries.

For many who are part of today’s Baby Boomer generation, childhood play might have meant donning a pretend holster, hat and cowboy boots before heading out, fully outfitted for a Wild West adventure. Then came watching Roy Rogers and Dale Evans on television and perhaps catching a John Wayne movie on the weekend.

Yet, free time for modern day kids is more likely to include high tech pursuits ranging from globally-themed video games to text-heavy “conversations” with friends or organized athletic pursuits.

“Unplugging from our busy lives can benefit everyone. “ That, according to Tyler Beckley who owns and operates the Three Bar Ranch in Cranbrook, BC and coordinates the efforts of the Spur Alliance, a group of ten, like-minded guest ranches in the West.  “We see what it means for families when the kids are able to run free, there is little focus on time or technology and adults and children are able to connect with animals, nature and each other. “

For those interested in savoring the rich flavor of the old West and tapping into the compelling culture of the cowboy, the options remain plentiful. Even if the name “Trigger” doesn’t ring any bells, grab your boots and a bandana and hit the trail. Here are five places to consider:  

Santa Fe: Cowboys Real and Imagined.

The storied Santa Fe Trail comes to an end in the heart of Santa Fe, NM, just steps from modern day museums, shops and galleries. What was once a challenging, 900-mile trade route brought many a weary cowboy into town. There, he would tie his horse to the hitch rail and seek refreshment, grateful for a break from the dusty trail where rattlesnakes, weather and the threat of Native American attack kept him on high alert.

The city of Santa Fe  has celebrated this beloved aspect of their local history with a multi-faceted exhibit, Cowboys, Real and Imagined, at the New Mexico History Museum.

Drawing on photos and artifacts from its extensive collections as well as loans from more than 100 individuals and museums, Cowboys, Real and Imagined sought to answer the question: Who is a real cowboy?

“One of the reasons the cowboy myth has been so pervasive and long-lasting is because anybody could become a cowboy of sorts,” said guest curator B. Byron Price, director of the Charles M. Russell Center for the Study of Art of the American West at the University of Oklahoma and director of the University of Oklahoma Press.

In its search for an answer, Price said, the exhibit discovered that cowboy “is a verb, an adjective, a noun, an adverb.”

The interactive cowboy extravaganza offered plenty for visitors to see, touch and hear from recreations of a saddle shop to cowboy movie nights. Popcorn, a palomino horse character,  offered his take on the cowboy story in kid-friendly language. Children had the opportunity to try on cowboy costumes and participate in hands-on activities.

The annual family-friendly Wild West Weekend, (check the web site for dates) features cowgirls and cowboys in full dress, music, saddle and boot makers, plus cowboy cooking and roping demonstrations.

Contact: (505) 476-5100;  www.nmhistorymuseum.org  

Cody, Wyoming

Cowboy culture is alive and well in this Wyoming town, founded in 1896 by Colonel William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody. Thanks to the legendary showman’s traveling Wild West shows, Cody was once bestowed and now retains the title of  Rodeo Capital of the World more than a century after he put an entertaining twist on the skills local cowboys used in their daily endeavors. The Cody Stampede Rodeo attracts topnotch talent and also serves up classic rodeo entertainment, parades and a craft fair.

Each year, from June 1st through August 31st, Cody’s night rodeo, the longest running in the country gets underway at 8:00pm. Operating for more than 60 years, expect fan favorites including riding, roping, and bull and bronc exhibitions.

The musically inclined will want to tune it to Dan Miller and his "Empty Saddles Band" at the historic Cody Theatre across from the famed Irma Hotel. The Cowboy Music review offers up music, comedy and poetry throughout the summer months.

Also outside the Irma, catch a nightly Wild West street performance where the good guys and bad guys battle it out to the delight of visitors.

Make your way to Old Trail Town on the original site of Cody City to see 26 authentic frontier buildings dating back to 1879.

The onsite Museum of the Old West features artifacts that offer insight into how trappers, frontier folks and cowboys lived in the era as well as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids’ “Hole in the Wall” cabin and the gravesites of mountain men including Jeremiah “Liver Eating” Johnston. (Contact: www.YellowstoneCountry.org.)

Livingston, MT

Once home to the likes of Calamity Jane and her cohorts, Livingston, MT rests on the outside edge of a lazy eastward bend in the legendary Yellowstone River. Just fifty miles north of Yellowstone Park’s Gardiner Gate entrance, the former railroad town’s main street and historic buildings still stand as a testament to the ways of the old west. Their authentic turn-of the century charm cast the town as the perfect backdrop for movies like A River Runs Through it and The Horse whisper.

Today, the region’s cowboys still mix it up with local artists, writers and visitors, all of whom pay homage to the area’s blue-ribbon fly fishing and the rugged Bridger, Crazy, Absaroka and Gallatin Mountain Ranges that beckon many into the backcountry.

Each year over the Independence Day holiday, top-ranked PRCA cowboys and cowgirls gather for the Livingston Roundup, one of the country’s top paying rodeos. The festivities kick off with an old-fashioned parade, complete with tossed candy, costumed Shriners, themed floats and crusty wranglers pulling mule-trains along the parade route. 

After three sold out nights of barrel racing, team roping and bronc riding, the festivities come to an end on July 4^th when fireworks light up the western sky and a patriotic sound track gets the flags waving.

Extend your experience with a stay on a nearby guest ranch or the historic Chico Hot Springs Resort.

Contact: 406.222.0850;  www.VisitMT.com; www.livingston-chamber.com/rodeo.html; www.MtnSky.com.  

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

Oklahoma City, OK.

Founded in 1955, the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum has shared its extraordinary western art and artifacts collection as well as a wealth of history with more than 10 million visitors from around the world.

The stories told through the works of famed artists Frederic Remington, Charles M. Russell and James Earle Fraser combine with interactive history galleries to illuminate the enduring legacy of the American cowboy, rodeos, western performers and the region’s frontiersmen.

“There is nothing more American than the American cowboy,” explains Don Reeves, the Curator and McCasland Chair of Cowboy Culture at the museum. “People can really relate to the Code of the West and everything the cowboy stands for. We get a lot of young families in the museum who talk about integrating those values into their lifestyle.”

Throughout the year, families can enjoy the Children’s Cowboy Corral and interactive exhibits. Over Memorial Day weekend, the annual Chuck Wagon Gathering & Children’s Cowboy Festival gets underway. Expect authentic cowboy grub served from a chuck wagon as well as stagecoach and covered wagon rides, weaving and roping demonstrations and a range of western stage entertainment.

Contact: 405-478-2250; www.nationalcowboymuseum.org   

Visit a Dude Ranch.

Mountain Sky Guest Ranch

High-profile families flock to Big Sky Country where there are more buffalo than paparazzi.

From Ted Turner and Dennis Quaid to the recent arrival of singer John Mayer, Montana offers

a chance to unplug from a pressure-filled existence and enjoy the wide open spaces. Local

guest ranches, such as Mountain Sky in vista-rich Paradise Valley, treat all their guests like

celebrities, according to general manager Yancy Arterburn. “Whether they choose to sit on the

porch reading a book or load the kids into helicopter for a day of private fly fishing or

Yellowstone sightseeing, we just want everyone to have a good time.” 

Contact: visitmontana.com; 1-800-548-3392; www.mtnsky.com

Hunewill Ranch

Established in 1861 by Napoleon Bonaparte Hunewill and his wife Esther, the Hunewill Ranch, is the oldest working guest ranch in California and home to 1200 head of cattle, 190 horses, and an assortment of llamas, goats, and sheep. “The fact that we are one of the oldest continuously owned family cattle ranches in the American West means our guests have the benefit of all that history. We are the real deal,” explains Betsy Hunewill, the great, great granddaughter of the founder, who was known as “NB”.

“Some of our guests show up wound pretty tight,” adds Hunewill, “but by the time they leave they are different people.” It makes perfect sense. Guests have the option to disconnect from their daily stressors and enjoy outdoor adventures on the eastern edge of Yosemite National Park in the shadow of the Sierra Nevadas. Days begin with a cool morning breakfast ride through a lush meadow.

Later guests can saddle up and help move cattle, fly fish, watch as young foals or yearlings are worked in the corral, or explore a corner of the 26,000 acre expanse on which five generations of Hunewills have shared their western ways. Riding programs are crafted to match the skill and interests of each rider, explained Hunewill. Wranglers have designed games to help beginners learn horsemanship, activities that Hunewill says are as enjoyable for adults as they are for the youngsters. Following a home-style dinner in “NB”’s original Victorian ranch house, families gather for talent night, square dancing, stories around a campfire or a little roping practice before retiring to their comfortable cottage-style accommodations.

“We get a lot of repeat guests and many families have been coming generation after generation,” said Hunewill. “One mom recently told me she had offered to take the kids to a popular theme park. But the kids insisted on returning to the ranch. It’s kind of neat to hear that.”

Contact: www.BestDudeRanches.com ; www.Hunewillranch.com.  www.DudeRanch.org 

Happy trails to you until we meet again. Happy trails to you, keep smilin' until then. Who cares about the clouds when we're together? Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather. Happy trails to you 'till we meet again.   Dale Evans – 1950.

See nature from a paddler’s point of view.

Here are five places for family kayakers to consider:

In her book Up: A Mother and Daughter’s Peakbagging Adventure, writer Patricia Ellis Herr relates the adventures and lessons learned as she and her young daughter summited 48 of New Hampshire’s highest peaks. Your goals might be a little less lofty, but here are five ways you and your family can enjoy peak experiences: