Three Stops - Florida to Barksdale AFB, LA

 

Site 55 at Barksdale AFB near Shreveport, LA.  Ready for a little break by the third day, so we stayed here 3 nights.  Unloaded the trike and took short rides on two days.  Caught up on our household chores and ready to hit the road again.  Heading to Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, NM.  Will take 2 -3 days to get there depending upon weather forecast.  

Site 33 at Camp Shelby on Lake Walker near Hattiesburg, MS

Site 8 at the Hitchin Post Corral Campground near Cottondale, FL  Passport America Park

On the Road Again!

We have been posting more of our travels on Facebook for the last couple years.  This year we will return to posting on this blog.  Looking forward to doing a full Canyon raft trip starting Memorial Day weekend to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary.  From there we plan to head further west and doing more trike riding.  Watch here for more posts later this year.

 

Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center - Orlando November 2018

After attending the 2018 ICE show, we decided to take Mom for a tour of the Gaylord Palms Resort. 

Gaylord Palms is built around a 4.6-acre glass-covered atrium, divided into four areas, each with their own activities and guest rooms.

The hotel was decorated for the Christmas season.  You can see the beautiful holly tree to the right of Mom. 

She was looking at the carp swimming in the water. 

Here is a great photo of Mom and Kathy. 

The Atrium is divided into four separate sections.  We visited only two of the sections during our tour. 

St. Augustine has an old-world colonial Spanish theme based on North America's oldest existing permanent settlement

Key West is inspired by Mallory Square, the central area of the major Florida Keys port city.

You can see many decorative Christmas displays throughout the hotel.

Waterfalls are plentiful. I can't imagine the staff that it takes to attend to all the plants, trees and wildlife.  

Mom was amazed at all the waterways and lush gardens. We did see a couple of banana trees and others showcasing the landscape of the Everglades.

Here is a pool of Turtles and Gators.  I thought the alligators were fake until I asked one of the keepers who explained that they are just chilling out under the heat lamps.  He said they do not keep Gators more than three feet in length.  

Another beautiful waterfall on the other side of the hotel. The hotel also has Christmas musicals each evening during the holidays.  All in all, a great place to visit! 

Gaylord Palms - A Christmas Story

We took Mom to experience Ice 2018, "A Christmas Story" at the Gaylord Palms Hotel.  The Ice is controlled within a 9-degree winter wonderland.   They provide you with a full-length parka to keep you somewhat warm during your visit. Kathy and Mom brought a scarf, gloves, and earmuffs. 

  

A Christmas Story is set in the 1940s. Ralphie's dad drove a 1937 Oldsmobile Six.  The ice, 36 truckloads start to arrive in September from Ohio.  The Ice sculptors start preparing the ice for each of the exhibits. 

The car is licensed in Holmon, Indiana where the movie takes place.  

Meticulous records are kept each year to create the exact colors needed for the displays.   

More than two million pounds of ice is used to create all the displays.

The ultimate triple dog dare you at the school's flagpole. 

The Old Man's major award, the lamp with the leg and stocking. 

To give you an idea of the size and scope of the attraction, it boasts 1,500 fluorescent tubing lights frozen within three different types of ice: clear glass-like crystal ice; white snow-pack-like ice, and colored ice.

During your walking tour, you are literally surrounded by ice sculptures depicting characters and scenes from the holiday season crafted into a series of themed areas.

The shaped, cut, illuminated, and often colored ice takes over a large portion of the resort's convention center.

Ralphie still looking for the BB gun under the Christmas tree. 

 An ice tunnel, decorated with a reef along the route.  

This winter-season event features literally tons of ice sculptures that have been hand-carved by artists from Harbin, China.

Chop Suey Palace where dinner was finally served.  

Next to me in the blackness, lay my oiled blue steel beauty. The greatest Christmas gift I had ever received or ever would receive. Gradually I drifted off to sleep, pranging ducks on the wing and getting off spectacular hip shots.  

The ICE! experience concludes with a separate area dedicated to a traditional Nativity created with crystal clear ice.

Mom and Kathy, a little-chilled praying to an ice angel for some warmer weather. 

All bundled up and ready for the ready for the walkthrough!

2018 Ice "A Christmas Story Video"

Here’s is a video of the entire walkthrough of ice! 2018. Enjoy a virtual tour with nearly no one in the building at the time!