Winter Lodge — Attraction in Palo Alto

In the grand game of life, like on the ice, you'll find obstacles and challenges that test your grit and grace. The hum of the ice-chilling equipment at Winter Lodge, for instance, is relentless. It's a constant opponent for those of us living nearby, battling for a sliver of peace and a good night's rest. It's a reminder that the season, with its trials and triumphs, eventually gives way to silence, a much-awaited reprieve for frayed nerves and sleepless nights.

But it's not just the physical noise that can disrupt our lives. I've seen actions at Winter Lodge that echo louder than any machine—the noise that unsettles the heart. Witnessing outright discrimination, there was a stark reminder that, despite our progress, some arenas still have barriers higher than the boards around a rink. Turning away a group of eager individuals from the homeless community, judged unfairly before they could even lace up their skates, was a low point. It's a painful reminder that the spirit of the game, the essence of community and inclusion we cherish, was sidelined.

In the quest for the simple joys of skating, finding the right gear can feel like an uphill skate. My journey to secure a pair of skate shoes led me to Winter Lodge, where I hoped would understand the anticipation of stepping onto the ice. Yet, the response to my modest request—to gaze upon the rink I longed to glide on—was met with disbelief and disdain. It's disheartening when the guardians of these experiences fail to see the passion and potential in every...

I will never skate here!!! My story: I was trying to buy a pair of skating shoes and tried a lot of places. All those places were either out of stock or they don't sell skate shoes there. I search online and saw this place so I went in one day. Talked to one of the staff(seems to be a manager as some other staff guided to him) there and they told me that they won't any shoes in stock. If I want to buy, I will have to preorder. That's fine, I understand. So I asked them if I can take a look of the staking field as if I order shoes here, probably I will skate here for a long time. I think this is a pretty reasonable request. Even if you go to a gym, you get a free trail. I'm not even asking for free trail, I'm just asking if I can take a look of the field. But the staff there tilted his head, stared me with only one eye, giving me a very surprising and puzzled look, and asked me: "What!? You want to take a look of the ice?" I swear to God, this is the worst facial expression I've ever seen. I felt it's very offensive and discriminative. As if he was talking to an idiot or someone with mental issues. How can I staff there be so arrogant? I left the front desk and swear I will never skate there!!! You pay money and you...

This was my partner’s and I’s first time at Winter Lodge and it was awesome! Since downtown San Jose got rid of their outdoor ice skating rink this year, we were dying to find another outdoor rink in the Bay Area that didn’t require us having to go all the way up to Union Square in SF. Enter Winter Lodge… We loved the ability to buy tickets online (which also limits the number of people per session and prevents it from getting overcrowded like Downtown Ice did) AND super duper bonus points for having hockey skates in smaller sizes! The rink itself was a great size and we loved all of the holiday decorations. This experience definitely enhanced our...