You regulars know how I can blog on and on about the myriad offerings available in the Washington Metro area. Usually I'm all about cheap and free activities and events but every now and again I have to dig in my limited funds and pay for something. And many times, I am not hugely disappointed. I have previously blogged about the not so new National Harbor project in Oxon Hill, Maryland which is not too far from where we live in southern Prince Georges County and a short distance from the new and improved Woodrow Wilson Bridge. The anchor to this major commercial/residential development project is the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center.
As a part of their Christmas on the Potomac celebration, the Gaylord welcomed ICE! to the Harbor area for the first time and, thanks to the generosity of the boys' Aunt Ellie and Aunt Dutchess (thanks y'all) with some last minute holiday funds, I was able to take the boys.
Now, what is ICE! you ask? It was a large cooled tent with amazing ice sculpture displays and the pictures don't even begin to do it justice. According to the website, they brought in ice artisans from China to sculpt these tons and tons of ice blocks into amazing works of art. What was equally amazing was not just the scope and size of these sculptures but the three variations in ice - from crystal clear that looked like glass, to white ice that reminds you of your personal snowman sculptures, to vividly colored ice that was sculpted into various shapes (my personal favorite were the blue penguins and the poinsetta). The boys' favorite was the room with the ice slides . . . even at 9˚ (despite them being decked out in snowsuits, snow boots and the parkas provided by the Gaylord staff) I had a really hard time getting them out of that room and moving on to the next amazing sights. And I have to admit, those ice slides were, in the words of the kid in The Incredibles movie . . . "TOTALLY WICKED!"
Now as amazing as the ICE! event was, I don't necessarily think this will be an annual event for us. I do think, however, that we will definitely check out the holiday decorations and attend the tree lighting and all of that holiday cheer that we actually missed because who knew this ICE! thing that went largely unadvertised (as far as I could tell) would have actually sold out during prime holiday season. But now that I know about it, I'll be sure to have it on my list of things to do come next holiday season. Looks like we missed some awesome sights based on the videos following my pictures from our adventures in ICE!
the poinsettia at the entrance
the "wreath" arch near the entrance
the "welcoming crew" in front of sculpted sponsor board 
the lighted Christmas tree in the Victorian house scene 
me and the crew dashing through the snow in a one-horse open ice sleigh 
the penguins (mine and those made of ice) inside the igloo
Nic and Davon making their way down one of the four ice slides
Dylan and an elf in "Santa's Workshop"
Drew and Davon prayerfully posing near the ice angel
mommy and her little ones in front of the amazing Nativity scene
our final photo op near the exit
Video I found on youtube . . . ENJOY and meet me out there next holiday season!
