CHRISTMAS MAGIC
Ice Spectacles
A holiday tradition returns in November when six walk-through winter wonderlands open throughout the United States. Called ICE!, the attractions are created and hosted by Gaylord Hotels. Visitors literally enter a world of ice, full of immersive scenes, slides, passageways, and more. The attractions may encompass up to 20,000 square feet.
ICE! spectaculars feature festive settings, including glass atriums adorned with millions of twinkling lights, Christmas trees, and seasonal décor.
Each ICE! attraction is created by 40 master artisans.
To create the attractions at each resort, master artisans from Harbin, China, follow a 300-page design book and carve more than 2 million pounds of ice. The project takes over a month to complete. The icy displays are enhanced with vivid colors, LED lighting, and intricate detail. Two-story ice slides, photo-worthy tunnels and archways, and other features add to the experience.
This year, each ICE! destination will showcase a different Christmas classic:
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” at Gaylord Opryland, Nashville, Tennessee: The lovable Charlie Brown rediscovers the meaning of Christmas.
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” at Gaylord Palms, Kissimmee, Florida: A young reindeer uses his luminous red nose to save Christmas.
The Grinch attempts to steal Christmas from the Whos at the ICE! attraction in Aurora, Colorado.
Warner Bros.’ The Polar Express at Gaylord National, National Harbor, Maryland: An imaginary train journeys to the North Pole.
Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” at Gaylord Rockies, Aurora, Colorado: The greedy Grinch fails to destroy the Whos’ holiday spirit and grows a big heart.
New Line Cinema’s Elf at Gaylord Texan, Grapevine, Texas: The boy raised as an elf journeys to New York City to find his true identity.
Frosty the Snowman at JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort, San Antonio, Texas: A snowman comes to life in a magical, frozen world.
Frosty the Snowman comes to life with a magical top hat in San Antonio, Texas.
Activities vary by resort. Several offer the Snowball Build & Blast, which invites guests to dig into real snow and launch snowballs; the Elf Training Academy, where kids create a keepsake craft; and Mrs. Claus’ Christmas Traditions, a storytelling and cookie-sharing experience. The Naughty or Nice Escape Room at Gaylord Palms challenges guests to solve riddles and escape Santa’s office before he returns in a race to get off the Naughty List.
Some locations also host Broadway-style Cirque shows and ice skating. Gaylord Opryland features carriage rides. Ice tubing returns to all destinations, providing a high-speed winter adventure.
For more information, visit ice.marriott.com.
SAFETY
Emergency Triangles
I’m hopeful all RVers carry at least one set of three emergency reflective triangles, to be used in the event of a breakdown or disablement. Please also make yourself aware of how to open them in advance — they’re a little different.
Now let’s talk about storage of the safety triangles. If you are dealing with a disablement, you’re probably going to do your best to get the vehicle to the right shoulder. So, storage of at least one set of triangles should be on the curb side of the vehicle. This keeps you from standing on the traffic side, fumbling in a compartment to get your triangles out.
Once you have the three of them in your hand, safely move to the rear of your vehicle. When placing triangles behind your disabled vehicle, keep the reflective side facing traffic, especially at night.
The Federal Department of Transportation requires CDL drivers traveling on divided highways (traffic moves only in one direction on each side) to place the triangles at 10 feet, 100 feet, and 200 feet from the rear of the vehicle. It’s best to angle them away from the traveled lane and toward the shoulder edge, with the reflective side continuing to face the traffic. We all know there are crazy drivers out there, so be mindful of that when placing triangles. Should you be on a two-lane highway (one in each direction), triangles should be placed 100 feet in front of your vehicle, 10 feet to the rear, and 100 feet to the rear.
If you do not have triangles, or if yours have gotten damaged, you can purchase a set at many places, including Walmart, Camping World, truck stops, etc. They usually cost around $20. Personally, I carry a set on each side of my vehicle. They fit nicely in their box and don’t take up much room.
When you’ve secured service or a tow, remember to pick up your triangles and put them back on the correct side of the vehicle — and say a little prayer that you’ll never need them again.
— Bruce List, F14489
Upper Falls, Maryland
HOLIDAY CRAFT
DIY Travel Keepsake
Create personalized RV ornaments for your friends, family, or yourself. Find lightweight RV-shaped wood pieces in crafts stores or online. Find a photo from your travels and size it to fit the front of the wood; attach the photo with Mod Podge or a similar product. Once it’s dry, make a hole in the wood with a small drill bit or an awl, and thread a piece of ribbon through it for hanging.