Featured image: One of the 39 handmade silk lanterns at the China Lights festival in North Las Vegas (photo credit: China Lights) Lighted lanterns have been a tradition in China for thousands of years, and Zigong, Sichuan, is known as the cultural capital of this craft. The artisans there created giant illuminated silk lanterns for … Continue reading China Lights illuminate Craig Ranch Regional Park in North Las Vegas through February 25

Photos from the National Park Service It's that time of year again when the glowing ribbon of Horsetail Fall returns to the east face of El Capitan at Yosemite National Park for two weeks when the sky is clear and enough snow fell to allow the water to flow. If all goes well, you can … Continue reading Glowing Horsetail Falls at Yosemite National Park returns February 12-26, conditions permitting

Featured image credit: Lunar New Year Festival, Vancouver, British Columbia Chinese New Year is on February 16, but the festivities have started already in parts of Vancouver, British Columbia, at the Lunar New Year Festival. And they'll continue through early March. Here's a sampling of what's in store. For more details, view the full schedule. … Continue reading Celebrate Chinese New Year for the rest of February, early March throughout Vancouver, BC

Featured image: The outdoor sock skating rink at the Discovery Museum in Acton, Massachusetts (photo courtesy the Discovery Museum) When we were kids, freshly mopped and waxed kitchen floors enticed us. What a perfect place to slide around in our sock feet! We often caved to the temptation, much to the frustration of our mothers, … Continue reading Slip-slidin’ away on the sock skating rink at the Discovery Museum in Acton, MA

Featured image credit: Dartmouth Winter Carnival The Dartmouth Winter Carnival started as a snow sporting weekend in 1911. Now it has grown to a three-day campus-wide festival with live music and ice sculptures. The 2018 theme is "Snow Wars - May the Frost Be With You." The carnival runs Thursday-Sunday, February 8-11, and most events … Continue reading “Snow Wars – May the Frost Be With You” theme of winter festival February 8-11 at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH

Featured image credit: Newport Winter Carnival in Newport, New Hampshire The Newport Winter Carnival in Newport, New Hampshire, is celebrating 102 years in 2018 with the "Life is Sweet" theme Thursday-Sunday, February 8-11. Become a playing piece in the life-sized Candy Land game inside the high school gym. Go ice skating on the Common. The … Continue reading Life is sweet at the 102nd annual Newport Winter Carnival in New Hampshire February 8-11

Featured image: Hoodoo Ski Bowl (photo credit: VisitCentralOregon.com) Of all the winter events I've researched and written about this season, Hoodoo’s Winter Carnival in Sisters, Oregon, has a widest variety of zany activities. The festivities are at the Hoodoo Ski Bowl on Saturday, February 10, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. The schedule of events includes an ax … Continue reading Ax throwing, Frisbee golf, hula hoop contest, and the Dummy Downhill among the zany activities at Hoodoo’s Winter Carnival February 10 in Sisters, OR

Featured image credit: Clark County Public Works After a delay exceeding seven years, construction for the Otto Brown Neighborhood Park in unincorporated Clark County east of Vancouver, Washington, starts on Thursday, February 15, according to a report in the Columbian newspaper. The park is expected to open in late August 2018. The construction delays were … Continue reading Construction begins on new park set to open fall 2018 near Vancouver, WA

Featured image credit: Methow Trails If you're planning to ski in the Race of the Methow in northcentral Washington Saturday-Sunday, February 10-11, register now! Registration closes at midnight on Thursday, February 8. After that, no more registrations will be accepted. Register here. Races start at 9 a.m. on both days at the McCabe Trails at … Continue reading Race of the Methow on February 10-11, registration ends at midnight February 8

Featured image: A walrus encounter at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington (photo by Cheryl Landes) Friday-Saturday, February 10-11, the animals at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma are getting special nutrient-rich heart-shaped treats and toys in celebration of Valentine's Day. You're invited to watch and share the love. Here's … Continue reading Love at the Zoo returns to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma February 10-11