Of sand and snow

And you thought the Mall of America was impressive. Does it have a ski resort within its walls? I don't think so. You have to travel a little further than Minneapolis to find that...all the way to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on the Arabian Peninsula. Ski Dubai is the main attraction at the Mall of the Emirates. It features five slopes; the longest run is 1,312 feet with a vertical drop of 196 feet. And it has a black diamond run (check out the schematic - it drops like an elevator shaft). Dubai is not a very wintry city - the temperatures this week are in the 70s and 80s - so the resort, which keeps its temperature at a comfortable 30 degrees, rents jackets, "trousers" and disposable socks as a part of its ski equipment package. Read more about the resort and Dubai in the Travel section in Sunday's Gazette. - Deb