It is now officially less than one month until Christmas. Can you believe it? Every year since moving to the DC area we have made it a family tradition to experience ICE! at Gaylord National
ICE! is created by 35 artisans from Harbin, China by hand-carving more than 2 million pounds of ice. This month’s theme for ICE! is A Charlie Brown Christmas. Each and every year ICE! leaves me in awe of just how beautiful ice sculpting can be.
This year, my kids loved weaving around all of Charles Schulz’s beloved characters beautifully made of nothing but ice. The gorgeous Christmas music added to the festive ambiance.
No visit to ICE! would be complete without numerous trips down the ice slides. My children honestly talk about them all year long. Seeing the joy on their faces after their 40th trip down the slides makes braving the air (kept at a crisp 9 degrees) worth it.
Like every year, ICE! ends with a gorgeous Nativity Scene carved with Clear “Crystal” Ice. Crystal ice is created using highly filtered de-ionized water. It takes 3 days to freeze the 45 gallons of water used to create each 400-pound ice block. By freezing it slowly, the molecules are able to line up perfectly, similar to a diamond or crystal. In fact, this ice is so flawless it is often compared to Waterford Crystal. Just knowing these facts makes me appreciate the time and talent that goes into making the nativity scene even more.
While we love coming to Gaylord National to experience ICE! every year, it is always fun seeing new additions as well. This year Gaylord National has added a show, Cirque Dreams Unwrapped. The 25-minute show is amazing and features contortionists, acrobats, acrobalance, trapeze artists, dancers, and musicians. We were kept on the edge of our seats watching the performers fly over our heads, balance objects and more.
For their last stop, my kids made sure to stop by ‘Mrs. Claus’ Christmas Traditions’. Mrs. Claus read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ while my kids enjoyed having cookies and milk on comfy bean bag chairs.
By the end of our time at Gaylord National we were ready to pick up our Christmas tree and deck the halls! My family and I highly recommend you adding a trip to Gaylord National ICE! as an annual family tradition as well. It is family friendly, fun and festive.
Want to experience ICE! at Gaylord National? Use code: SNOW18 to save $4 on tickets! Click here to get started!