Winter in the Midwest can be a pretty depressing time. We consider ourselves hearty souls, but weeks on end of snow, cold, and wind can get to just about anybody. If a case of cabin fever is beginning to rule your life, take a look at some of these holiday winter destinations--it may be the best way to get rid of the winter blahs.

Biking
Probably the athletes hit hardest during the winter are cyclists. With snow, ice, and slush coating the roadways, getting in a workout on the bike outside is not easily done around here. But wintertime in San Diego, now that's a different story!

Hostelling International will hold its 48th annual Christmas Bike Trip. This year's trip will run from December 26-31. Riders will cover about 400 miles in six days through the foothills, deserts, and seacoasts of Southern California. The entry fee of $325, covers support and gear transportation, two meals per day, and lodging. Travel expenses to and from San Diego and hotel accommodations are extra. A word of caution, though - be ready to rough it! Since this is a fund-raising trip, lodging is very basic, as riders either camp out or are put up in gyms, churches, or community centers. It's also very hands-on, as every rider will be responsible for helping prepare the meals and clean the facilities. At the same time, the trip is a great chance to meet riders from all over the country and to see the diverse beauty of the California countryside.

For more information, call 619-338-9981 or check out www.sandiegohostels.org/bikeride.

Cross-Country Skiing
For cross-country skiers, a trip to the Royal Gorge Resort in Lake Tahoe, CA, is a perfect winter destination. Situated at an altitude of 7,000 feet, the resort boasts first-class lodging, as well as the largest groomed trails in North America that wind through the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains. With an annual snowfall of 600 inches, having enough of the white stuff to ski is definitely not a problem.

For more information, call 800-500-3871 or check out www.royalgorge.com.

Running
Runners who want to ring in the New Year in a unique way can do just that in the Big Apple with the Emerald Nuts Midnight Run, organized by The New York Road Runners; a 4-mile fun run that takes off at the stroke of midnight, 2005.

The event is a New Year's party for runners, with music and dancing at 10 p.m., followed by a costume contest at 11 p.m., and concluding with fireworks and then the race. While thousands celebrate a few miles down Broadway in Times Square, runners will have the usually busy Central Park all to themselves, celebrating the start of the year with their fellow runners, and getting 2005's first four miles into their log book to boot!

For more information, call 212-860-4455 or check out www.nyrrc.org.

Snowshoeing
If trying something different is a New Year's resolution and you couldn't get away during the holidays, consider heading to Traverse City, MI, in late January for a bit of snowshoeing. The Bigfoot Boogie 5K and 10K races will be held at the Timber Ridge Resort on Saturday, January 29. The 10K race is also a regional qualifier for the USSSA National Snowshoe Championships in Anchorage, AK.

The event welcomes athletes of all abilities. And if you don't have snowshoes, they rent them out for a minimal fee. Be ready for a workout, though, as the hilly course presents quite a challenge.

"It's a nice winter event," said Daniel Siderman, who along with Jeff Gaft co-directs the race. "It's a tough event but a fun event. Part of the draw is the challenge."

For more information call 231-933-9242 or check out www.runsnow.com.

So if the thought of spending the holidays here starts to get you down - do something! A little vacation might be a big winter pick-me-up.

Mike Knapp is a local freelance writer.

Or. . . Head North of the Border
RESORTS

Telemark Resort - Cable, WI
Telemark's winter activities feature cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowboarder-only slopes, a tubing hill, and a small pond for ice skating. Rental equipment is available. Telemark is also the finish line for the Subaru American Birkebeiner, North America's largest cross-country ski race.

For more information call 877-798-4718 or check out www.telemarkresort.com/jsmain.html

Bear Paw Outdoor Adventure Resort - White Lake, WI
Offers Nordic skiing and snowshoeing during the winter with available equipment rentals. They have special educational programming, such as the Women's Wellness program in January 24-25. The Bear Paw offers a variety of accommodations from cabins (kitchenette, modern or rustic) to campgrounds for tent-style camping.

For more information call 715-882-3502 or check out www.bearpawoutdoors.com.

EVENTS

Granite Peak Ski Area New Year's Eve Party Wausau, WI - December 31

This ski resort has undergone the most extensive renovation in the Midwest with 58 new runs, a terrain park, 500 new snowguns, and five new lifts. Ski Magazine ranked Granite Peak #1 in Wisconsin, Upper Michigan and Minnesota. They have a New Year's Eve Party with live entertainment.

For more information, call 715-845-2846 or check out www.skigranitepeak.com.

Cascade Mountain New Year's Eve Party Portage, WI - December 31

This snowboard and downhill skiing resort has a big New Year's Eve all night party featuring live music and special events, free pancake breakfast, and the lifts run until 4 a.m. Cascade Mountain has its own lodging on the premises, and also offers tubing and four Terrain Parks.

For more information, call 800-992-2754 or check out www.cascademountain.com.

-Brenda Barrera