Tubing is a blast at Afton Alps

December 16, 12:46 PMSouth St. Paul ExaminerRob Shirk

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Snow tubing at Afton Alps

Sometimes we just want to have fun with winter for a day or two, then it's back to the recliner, watch the movies you've ordered from Netflix, catch some hoops or puck, and otherwise endure winter's dark side of cold temperatures and shoveling the sidewalk.

But there is that day that comes along and you know you really should do something and I found an answer at Afton Alps, 660 Peller Ave. S., Hastings, MN. Their tubing runs are a blast and with just a little effort, you can enjoy a couple of hours without having to take lessons for anything, rent anything, or wonder if the orthopedic doctors work the weekends.

Afton Alps is the Twin Cities' playground when it comes to skiing and snowboarding. It lies just to the east of South St. Paul, really just a snowball's throw away. It features forty eight trails, three Wonder Carpet Conveyors, eighteen chairlifts, and lots of places to warm up.

The Wonder Carpet Conveyors means you merely have to walk with your tube over to the conveyor, stand on it and off you go straight up the hill. The days of huff and puff to get to the top of the hill is over, although standing on an incline repeatedly for an hour or two is surprisingly exhausting especially for those of us who are soft and rarely get out.

Marie Malinowski is the Minneapolis Outdoor Recreation Examiner and she is the type to go to Costa Rica to kayak or bike down some horrific trails in the name of fun. I can honestly say "Good for you," but all I want is tubing close to home.

There are six runs side by side to choose from, three of them open until they get too fast, then you switch over to the other three runs while the others are groomed. Oh, yeah, you get moguls and and everything else that skiers and snowboarders want without the need to know how to do anything more than sit in a tube and pretend you are a part of "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". You know, when Clark puts the silicon like substance on the bottom of his saucer and says, "Later, dude".

There's a chalet with some food and drinks (free water) where you can warm up, a fire pit so you can take a break in the great outdoors if you wish, and plenty of parking that's close by.