Last day for a sleigh ride at Danada

After his wonderful behavior at church Sunday morning, 5-year-old Dax Kugelman was rewarded with a trip to Danada Forest Preserve for horse-drawn sleigh rides.

"We want to ride on the horses," Dax said Sunday afternoon while clasping onto hay to keep himself warm. "They run fast."

Throughout the weekend, hundreds of area residents visited the forest preserve and equestrian center in Wheaton for horse-drawn sleigh rides. Rides run from noon to 2 p.m., and today is the last day of the year they'll be available.

The educational rides offer history and fun facts about specific horses their breeds.

Matt Dehnart, an equestrian assistant who led the rides, loves being outside, seeing the different wildlife and talking to people.

"We're in the middle of suburbia Chicago," he said. "You can come out here and just get away from everything."

Dehnart predicted there will be very little snow on the ground today, so instead of sleigh rides, the forest preserve plans to offer hay rides through the forest.

"The snow is just barely thick enough to run the sleigh," he said.

The annual sleigh-rides captured the attention of people of all ages.

Michael and Roberta Smith of Naperville, who got married Saturday, thought the 20-minute ride was wonderful.

"It was our first date as a married couple," Roberta Smith said. "Neither of us have been on a sleigh ride before, and it's amazing that something like this is available."

The newlyweds were chilly, but said the hay and snuggling kept them warm.

"We loved it," Smith said.

Dax's sisters Jenna, 7, and Kayla, 3, also joined him.

Jenna, who's seen horses a couple times before, said she likes the friendly animals because they're soft.

Kathy Kugelman, Dax's mom, said the family always heard about the sleigh rides, but never actually came.

"We just wanted to do something different today," she said.