A Charlie Brown Christmas at the Gaylord Palms ICE! Exhibit 2016

DSC00343-1

It has become a tradition in my family to visit the Gaylord Palms in Orlando, Florida to see the ICE! Exhibit as well as the acrobat and light shows.  We love the festive atmosphere as well as the variety of restaurants available at this resort.  The 2016 exhibit is over but the atrium view rooms where you can see the shows start to book up several months in advance.  This year's theme was  "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and was one of my favorite so far and I wanted to share my photos.

 

 

Continue reading "A Charlie Brown Christmas at the Gaylord Palms ICE! Exhibit 2016" »


Christmas in Burlington Vermont Featuring Church Street

Everyone thinks I'm crazy for wanting to visit Vermont in the wintertime.  It's true that I have friends and family that I want to see regardless of the time of the year.  The truth is I miss the seasons now that I have lived in Florida for eight years.  I especially love the decorations on Church Street in Burlington in the winter especially around Christmas time.                           

 It was not especially cold this year when I was there in mid December but it was cold enough coming from 90°F in Tampa, Florida  to 30°F in Vermont.  I just wanted to share a few the photos I took this year.  Church street is busy regardless of the time of year and quite frankly I was a little too chilly to use a tripod.

Church2I just love the Christmas tree on Church Street in Burlington!

Church2
Church2
This is another shot of Church Street heading away from the Christmas tree:
Church2

New video (1 of 1)-72

The landscape in Vermont is not it's prettiest after the foliage is gone and the snow hasn't fallen yet.

  Vermont-1111040_960_720

The pub where we had dinner was very empty.  If the students were still in town, it would have been standing room only.
Untitled (1 of 1)-118
Here is a family portrait and a photo of my mother's gorgeous Christmas tree:

New video (1 of 1)-62
New video (1 of 1)-62
I will leave you with a photo of a covered bridge in Underhill, Vermont:
Church2

Thank you for visiting.  I hope you all enjoyed the holidays!  I wish you all a healthy, happy and successful 2016!

~Michelle

 

 

 

 

 

 


Holiday Lights at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo Florida Christmas 2015

Wandering and searching Island Girl  (1 of 1)-4

The Holiday Lights event at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo Florida began on November 27th and ends on December 31st in 2015.  The hours are 5:30 -9:30 daily.  This beautiful display of tropical gardens is free, but they suggest a donation of $4.00 for everyone over the age of 13.

Not only are there beautiful decorations, but there is an array of free entertainers every night.  You can see a list of entertainers here:  2015 entertainment.  Santa Claus is also available to visit with and take photos!  This event is made possible by more than 450 volunteers, donations, and very generous sponsors.  It is the largest fund raiser of the year for the gardens.  

It would have been really difficult to use a tripod (for me at least) during this event as there were a lot of people there on the night my husband and I visited.  I did my best to capture some images.  Overall, I thought this was a really fun event that I would recommend to anyone and I can't wait to go again next year!
Wandering and searching Island Girl  (1 of 1)-4
Wandering and searching Island Girl  (1 of 1)-4
Wandering and searching Island Girl  (1 of 1)-4
Wandering and searching Island Girl  (1 of 1)-4
Wandering and searching Island Girl  (1 of 1)-4
Wandering and searching Island Girl  (1 of 1)-4
Wandering and searching Island Girl  (1 of 1)-4
Wandering and searching Island Girl  (1 of 1)-4
Wandering and searching Island Girl  (1 of 1)-4
Wandering and searching Island Girl  (1 of 1)-4

 Thanks so much for stopping by!  Please let me know if you have any questions as I love to hear from my readers.  I hope you are enjoying the holiday season.  Have a wonderful week and enjoy the final days of 2015! 

~Michelle

 

 

 

 

 


The ICE Exhibit at the Gaylord Palms Convention Center in Kissimmee Florida Christmas 2015

It's become a tradition for my husband and I to visit the Gaylord Palm's ICE exhibit in Kissimmee, Florida during the holiday season each year.  I really like staying at the hotel.  There is so much to do at the hotel itself as well as the Kissimmee area.

The Ice exhibit's theme for 2015 is "Twas the Night Before Christmas".  The event started on November 24th and ends on January 3rd 2016 so you still have time to go!  The prices for admission can be found here:  ICE Exhibit Packages and Prices.  Parking is an additional $20 at the Kissimmee, Florida location.  Please have your own gloves as they don't give them out this year!  It took my hands a good fifteen minutes to thaw after exiting the "The Frostbite Factory".

To make the ICE exhibit at Gaylord Palms requires 36 truckloads over a 3 week period of ice and several artists from Harbin, China which is near Siberia and temperatures fall to an average of 2 degrees in the winter.  I can't imagine having the skill and carving these awesome sculptures in 9 degrees F.

Here is the link for reservations or more information about the Gaylord Palms Convention Center.

 Here is a photo of my husband and I in the chilly entrance of the exhibit:

Untitled (1 of 1)-8Here are just a few of my favorite ice sculptures:  It's not easy to take photos as it's a little dark in some of the rooms and there are a lot of people standing around the sculptures and having friends or family take photos of them in front of these beautiful works of art.
Untitled (1 of 1)-8

Untitled (1 of 1)-51
Untitled (1 of 1)-8
Untitled (1 of 1)-8
Untitled (1 of 1)-8
Untitled (1 of 1)-8
Untitled (1 of 1)-8
Untitled (1 of 1)-8Here is one of the artists hard at work building/maintaining these gorgeous sculptures:
Untitled (1 of 1)-8
Untitled (1 of 1)-8
Untitled (1 of 1)-8This crystal clear nativity scene is at the very end of the exhibit:
Untitled (1 of 1)-8
Untitled (1 of 1)-8
Untitled (1 of 1)-8
Untitled (1 of 1)-8
Untitled (1 of 1)-8

Untitled (1 of 1)-8There are four ice slides.  There is an extra fee for them.
Untitled (1 of 1)-8
Untitled (1 of 1)-8As I stated previously, The Gaylord Palms Hotel is very beautifully decorated, has a lot of restaurants and shows.  Here is a gigantic Christmas tree which took my breath away!
Untitled (1 of 1)-8
I watched several VERY talented acrobats performing neat the lovely Christmas tree.  Again, it wasn't easy to take photos.  Next year I would LOVE to stay in one of the hotel rooms overlooking this incredible courtyard!

Untitled (1 of 1)-21
Untitled (1 of 1)-21

Untitled (1 of 1)-8
Untitled (1 of 1)-8Here is a dome and a sculpture I found just walking around:
Untitled (1 of 1)-8
Untitled (1 of 1)-8There were a lot of small alligators and turtles in one of the ponds:
Untitled (1 of 1)-8

Untitled (1 of 1)-8Thanks for stopping by my blog.  I hope you and are enjoying this holiday season.  Have a great week! 

~Michelle

 


“Everything and anything you want to do, you can do in Las Vegas.” - Drew Carey

Here are my final photos of Las Vegas these photos were taken in the hotels Paris and Caesar's Palace.  I was amazed at the number of very very high-end shops in Caesar's Palace forum.  I enjoyed window shopping as it's rare to see Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Breitling and Chanel, Tiffany etc. all right next to each other. I found it really fun to take photos in all of the hotels I've visited in Las Vegas as there is so much detail.
   

 Well it's 2015 now and I hope you all have a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year. Here's to your New Year's resolutions lasting much longer than any troubles you have at least mine.  Take care my friends!

December (1 of 1)-45
December (1 of 1)-45
December (1 of 1)-45
December (1 of 1)-45
December (1 of 1)-45
December (1 of 1)-45
December (1 of 1)-45
 

December (1 of 1)-73
December (1 of 1)-73
December (1 of 1)-73
December (1 of 1)-73

December (1 of 1)-73
December (1 of 1)-73
December (1 of 1)-73The ceiling at the Paris Hotel:
December (1 of 1)-73
December (1 of 1)-73

Critique (1 of 1)-43

Thanks so much for visiting.  I would love to hear any comments or questions you have.  Happy New Year! 

~Michelle