Question of the Day - 16 December 2012

Ice skating in the desert? Why yes, of course!

Right now, it being the season for such things, we have no less than five options available for your ice-skating pleasure:

For the holidays only:

• Ice Rink at Blvd Social Club: The rink at Cosmopolitan will be in place through January 20, 2013. With views overlooking the Strip, the "Winter Wonderland" experience features fire pits, s‘mores, and and skating on real ice. Regular hours are 3-11 p.m. Mon. to Fri.; Sat.-Sun./holiday (Dec. 24 to Jan. 4) hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. It's $15 for an all-day pass ($10 for locals), plus $5 for skate rental.

• The famous floating ice rink is back at Lake Las Vegas through Jan. 6. It holds up to 75 skaters at a time and operates 3-9 p.m. Mon.-Thurs. and noon to 10 p.m. on the weekend (9 p.m. Sundays). It's $15 for adults and $12 for kids.

• Venetian/Palazzo hosts "Winter in Venice" once again, with it's synthetic "Ven-ice" rink in situ through Jan. 6. The rink is open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily and general admission is $14.95 ($9.95 for locals).

That's the roundup for al fresco seasonal skating rinks, but we also have a couple of year-round options:

• Las Vegas Ice, located out on the west side at Flamingo and Ft. Apache, is currently charging $10 for adults, $6 for children aged 5 years and old, including skate rental, for the "Winter Wonderland" sessions.

• Lastly, the ice rink at Fiesta Rancho charges $7 admission, plus $3 skate rental, Mon. - Sat. The Sunday special includes skate rental for $7. Click for the weekly schedule and holiday events.