Sorry I’ve been absent lately. I spent the large part of this week in Baltimore attending the Social Fresh conference. Fabulous experience for marketers! Such a refreshing conference with tons of relevant, actionable topics.
*Um, yeah… I am fully aware that technically today is Thursday so I have no right acting like this is a Wordless Wednesday post but “Text Free Thursday” just didn’t have the same ring to it and I really meant to get this up yesterday, so there. (I may need some more sleep.) I’ll be sure to blog more about the experience in the next few days.
Families in the region who are looking for an exciting new holiday tradition need look no further than Christmas on the Potomacat the Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, Md.
It is an experience like none other.
We’ve attended Christmas on the Potomac twice (2010 and 2011) and both times our family has been left practically speechless. I’m a parent of tween boys and trust me when I say that it is getting harder each year to find outings that the whole family can enjoy. That being said, I’m not exaggerating when I say that my kids never want to leave the Gaylord National. (Neither do their parents, truth be told)
But this year, our visit was definitely over the top:
Gaylord has teamed up with Dreamworks to offer “Merry Madagascar,” a two-night one-of-a-kind Dreamworks character vacation. Kids (and adults!) get the opportunity to rub elbows with Po, Shrek, Alex, King Julien and other Dreamworks characters during character breakfasts, scavenger hunts, and wake up calls, ice skating and more.
Have I mentioned ICE! yet? ICE! is a separate interactive indoor wonderland created entirely out of clear, white and colored ice. ICE! continues on with the Dreamworks theame featuring 10 scenes from “Merry Madagascar.” Best part? The two-story ice slide that both kids and adults can enjoy, as well as a sparkling nativity scene made entirely of crystal clear ice. The structure took 40 Chinese artisans 30 days to carve the two million pounds of ice needed for the holiday spectacular. “ICE!” is open daily through Jan. 8, including holidays.
Coupled with Gaylord’s already extravagant Christmas on the Potomac activities, which include indoor snowfall, simulated Northern Lights and a 7,000-pound Tree of Light, there can be no doubt that it is a magical experience. I highly, highly recommend it!
If you would like more information on the Dreamworks Experience at Gaylord National, ICE! or Christmas on the Potomac, please consult Gaylord National’s website or call (301) 965-4000.
FTC Disclosure: I attended the opening weekend of Christmas on the Potomac as a member of the press for Want2Dish.com. I was not asked to share my experience nor was I compensated in any way for this post. All opinions, videos and photos are my own.
Up until a week ago, my children had never had the opportunity to visit New York City. It has been a dream of mine to one day introduce them to the hustle and bustle of the city that I dearly love.
I was thrilled to get the opportunity!We officially kicked off our summer vacation with a family trip to Manhattan. Not only did we bring the boys, but we also treated my mother and father-in-law and to surprise tour of the Big Apple a la THE RIDE
THE RIDE is part scenic tour, part comedy tour and part off Broadway show all facilitated via tour bus. But these aren’t just any tour buses, THE RIDE’s custom vehicles are outfitted with stadium seating and state-of-the-art lighting and sound. Seats face sideways, not forward so audience members look through floor-to-rooftop windows that sport breathtaking city views and make the streets, crowds, and building façades feel just like a show. Onboard hosts (Jackie and Scott) guide THE RIDE, commenting on New York history and sites, as well as everyday citizens and performers.
THE RIDE is the most unique experience I’ve had in a long, long time.
My husband and two boys L O V E D the street performers that were woven into the tour. Their stages are quite literally the streets of New York. (The free style rapper was my husband’s personal favorite. He was hilarious, to be sure.) I most enjoyed watching the locals acting completely blasé about random opera singers, tap dancers, ballet performers and the like launching into performance in the middle of the street. Only in New York…
Even my mother and father-in-law (lifelong residents of New Jersey) found themselves dancing in their seats. And THAT is saying something.
It was a BLAST. (Even for me and I’ve been to New York countless times and seen all of “the sights.”) Want another opinion? How about Josh Grobin? Here’s a video of Josh Grobin talking about THE RIDE on Regis & Kelly. Hilarious!
THE RIDE vehicle itself is over 13 feet high, 45 feet long and 8 feet wide. (Apparently it is as tall as the federal government will allow on the streets of NYC.) It is quite impressive!
More than 3,000 LED lights, 40 video screens, a surround-sound system and “floor shaking” technology in each vehicle can create the feel and sound of everything from a subway train to the inside of a nightclub. (Funny thing, later we got on the actual subway prompting my son to quip, “This subway feels like THE RIDE.” LOL.)
If you are a family with children living anywhere near the Washington DC region you are going to want to seriously look into Gaylord National’s holiday offerings.
Beginning November 18th, Gaylord National will offer a brand new 15,000 square foot ICE! extravaganza featuring DreamWorks’ Merry Madagascar™. The animated holiday TV special is being transformed into a interactive wonderland of colorful ice sculptured entirely out of two million (yes, you read that right) pounds of ice.
But that is just the tip of the iceberg. No pun intended.
Gaylord is taking a page from Disney’s books and offering two-night one-of-a-kind Dreamworks character vacations. Families will not only get the ICE! experience but also the opportunity to rub elbows with Po, Shrek, Alex, King Julien and other Dreamworks characters in a variety of unique experiences ranging from character breakfasts, scavenger hunts, and wake up calls to poolside holiday movies, ice skating and more.
Coupled with the hotel’s already extravagant Christmas on the Potomac activities, which include indoor snowfall, simulated Northern Lights and a 7,000 pound Tree of Light, there can be no doubt that it is shaping up to be a regional experience like no other. (Our family stayed there last Christmas and were, quite literally, blown away. I spent the rest of the holiday season convincing friends and family to visit. It was magical.)
Special package pricing families is currently available. For more information on the Christmassy Dreamworks Experience at Gaylord National, ICE! or Christmas on the Potomac, take a look at Gaylord National’s website or call 301-965-4000.
This past weekend I got to participate in the perfect charity fundraiser.
Well organized? CHECK
Benefited children? CHECK
Tons of fun? CHECK CHECK
Involved water? ABSOLUTELY!
Great Wolf Lodge hosted their Second Annual “World’s Largest Waterslideathon” across the country raising thousands of dollars at each of their locations to benefit the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization.
My family and I participated at the Williamsburg location where a total of 2,071 people took a trip down the waterslide to help kids in need. It was a truly phenomenal time. 100% of every dollar they raise each year at this event goes to Big Brothers Big Sisters. (If you would like to see photos from the event across the country, there are tons on Great Wolf Lodge’s Facebook page.)
Like I said – The best children’s fundraiser EVER.
ASIDE from their philanthropic work, Great Wolf Lodge is an amazing destination for families. We’ve been there twice and each time my boys can’t get enough.
What they really want is to LIVE THERE.
No really.
They keep asking how much it would cost to move in. (I’m looking into it.) (more…)
Working momma. Flibbertigibbet. Family environs upkeep manager. Deadline juggler. Intellectual magpie... Random postings from a life of a working DC Metro mom. Unapologetically myself.
