Have Yourself a Meaningful Christmas

Christmas is upon us. If you’re traveling and reading this while waiting for your next stop, safe travels to you. If you’re at your designated home for the holidays, sipping your peppermint flavored hot cocoa, watch those calories. If you’re sick with a virus, I pray it isn’t too bad. If you’re relaxing by chestnuts roasting on an open fire, enjoy your snuggle. If you’re sad and alone … if you’re missing somebody special, write me an email and share your thoughts … I’m interested. Whatever you’re doing, may you bask in the spirit of Christmas and the love of our Holy God.

TGIF people! Happy Chanuka, Feliz Navidad, Maligayang Pasko, Shèngdàn jié kuàilè (圣诞节快乐), eid milad majid (عِيد مِيلَاد مَجِيد),  Śubha baṛadina (শুভ বড়দিন), schastlivogo Rozhdestva (счастливого Рождества), Merry Christmas!

Raoul

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.” — Isaiah 11:1

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Jose of LA county

Videos of the Week

Thanks to Richard of New Manila, Philippines

Thanks to Maling of New Manila, Philippines. Hilarious clip of
a man screaming while getting hair waxed.

Parting Shot

Thanks to Maling of New Manila, Philippines

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre, CA

I found these

My good friend (and jokester) Terry and I came up with these.

The post Christmas Depot appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Gaylord Palms in Florida honored its ice artisans last month with a standing ovation and Chinese-themed lobby celebration. The workers, who began work in August, are carving away in sub-freezing temperatures after a two-year pandemic break.

Guests will soon be invited to “freeze the day” this Christmas as the hotel’s longtime holiday tradition, ICE!, returns Nov. 18, 2022-Jan. 1, 2023, after a two-year hiatus.

Using more than 1,000 tons of ice, the classic Dr. Seuss story and animated special, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, will be brought to life by a team of 40 ice artisans who work approximately six weeks to create the nearly 20,000-square-foot, frozen attraction.

Starting with more than 6,700 massive ice blocks – created by three different ice manufacturers because of the amount needed – carvers will tally more than 12,000 man-hours. The artisans, using skills passed down from generation to generation, follow a 300-page design book to create the display.
This year, ICE! will feature more than 10 scenes from the story featuring classic characters such as The Grinch, his canine sidekick Max, and Cindy-Lou Who. Ice carvings range in size from details as tiny as a coin, to soaring scenes measuring nearly 30 feet tall.

The environment will be kept frozen in the warm Florida climate by a state-of-the-art chilling system that maintains the temperature at a frosty 9 degrees Fahrenheit. Guests will be provided Gaylord Palms’ signature blue parkas to keep them warm and toasty while in the attraction.

Colored ice, clear ice and LED lights are all used throughout the display, as the frozen fun follows The Grinch’s journey from his mountaintop cave to Who-ville. It turns out that hauling ice is science and art. The Gaylord’s supply was created by a chemist who mixes special food colorings to ensure sculptures maintain their bright colors the entire season.

This is the first time The Grinch has been featured during the Orlando resort’s holiday celebration.”We can’t wait for our guests to once again experience the magic and wonder of ICE! during this year’s Christmas at Gaylord Palms celebration,” said Johann Krieger, general manager of Gaylord Palms Resort. “Since debuting here in 2003, ICE! has always been a one-of-a-kind attraction for our guests, and we’re excited to welcome this Gaylord Hotels tradition back this year with ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’ and all the beloved characters in the classic Dr. Seuss story.”

In addition to seeing characters from the Dr. Seuss tale, guests can also take rides down two-story-tall ice slides, explore ice tunnels and arches, and visit Carver’s Showcase to see live sculpting demonstrations. The ICE! experience concludes in a separate area dedicated to a Nativity scene, meticulously carved and shaped in a dramatic display of crystal-clear ice.

Known as “Ice City,” Harbin is no stranger to elaborate ice carvings – it’s home to the world’s largest annual ice and snow sculpting festival in the world. At Gaylord Palms, some of the same artisans who create the Harbin festival will carve 300-pound blocks of ice into the larger-than-life, whimsical scenes. Carvers will use chisels, chippers, tongs, handsaws, grinders and chainsaws to bring The Grinch and the residents of Who-ville to life. The artisans from Harbin have created ICE! for Gaylord Hotels for many years, but haven’t been able to travel to the United States the past two holiday seasons because of international travel restrictions in place due to COVID-19.

And snow much more

While ICE! is the signature attraction for the 2022 Christmas at Gaylord Palms celebration, there are plenty more festive events, attractions and dazzling decorations throughout the 64-acre resort. The entire resort transforms into a holiday wonderland with more than three million lights, elaborately themed Christmas trees all throughout the garden atrium and convention center, more than 20,000 ornaments and miles of garland. Christmas shows and activities are presented in the atrium, while parts of the convention center transform into a bustling, holiday hamlet with Bavarian-style village storefronts, live shows, characters, a concession stand, and at Christmas shop.

Here’s a rundown of the events, live entertainment, hands-on activities, holiday meals, exciting attractions and notable news taking place this holiday season at Gaylord Palms:

Shows and Live Entertainment Highlight the Holidays

• Yule Be Amazed
  A Gaylord Hotels original production, “Cirque: Spirit of Christmas” features high-flying stunts, acrobatic feats, elaborate staging and a dramatic musical score. Returning after its successful debut in 2021, this Cirque-style show centers on Noel, a child dismayed by the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Throughout the 30-minute atrium show, Noel is visited in dreamlike chapters by trapeze artists, acrobats, aerial silk performers and others who help rekindle the Christmas spirit.
• A Musical, Storytelling Celebration
  The birth and life of Jesus Christ has been called “the greatest story ever told.” Guests can experience it through the eyes of six international storytellers in “The Greatest Story,” a musical stage show and multicultural celebration of everlasting faith, hope and love.
• Ready, Set, Glow!
  The skies above the Gaylord Palms atrium burst in a spectrum of animation in Shine. Vivid LED curtains suspended from the ceiling come to life in a light show that features an original musical score, dancing spotlights and a Christmas tree bathed in an ever-changing array of colors.
• Winteractive Fun with the Adventure Kids
  Adventure Kid Sophie joins her best friends Ava the Alligator and Seth the Sea Turtle for yuletide fun in Adventure Kids: Wonders of Winter. The trio stars in this interactive stage show that teaches young adventurers about the environment, wildlife and the world around them.
• Journey of the Three Kings
  Guests experience The Journey of Los Tres Magos, a live stage production that honors the Three Wise Men. Told through story and song, the show commemorates the Christian tradition celebrated in Latin America, Spain and around the world.

Tons of Fun at Interactive Attractions

• A Holiday Escape
  Guests test their winter weather wits inside the Naughty or Nice Escape Room. Yuletide trickster Jack Frost is back with his icy antics and has added new names to Santa’s infamous Naughty List. But Jack has a deal to make – if guests can sneak into Santa’s office and solve a series of puzzles, their names will disappear from the Naughty List. Guests need to put on their holiday thinking caps, solve the mystery, and then dash away, dash away, dash away all!
• Best in Snow
  A snowy play space awaits guests in the Snow Factory, along with ice tubing and snowball throwing. After climbing Snow Flow Mountain, guests hop in inner-tubes and speed down atop real ice. (Admission allows unlimited ice tubing rides on the date specified on the ticket.) After the need for speed is satisfied, guests can head over to Snowball Build & Blast. Conveyor belts deliver tubs of real snow to guests who race to make snowballs and toss them at targets. Also inside the Snow Factory is Snow Bar, a themed pop-up bar serving cocktails and mocktails.

Hands-On Fun This Holiday Season

• Believe in Your Elf
  Guests can learn the secrets of being a part of “Team Santa” in Elf Training Academy. One of Santa’s top toy makers teaches the secrets of becoming one of St. Nick’s helpers and leads new “students” as they create a special keepsake gift or craft to take home for someone special.
• Make a Date to Decorate
  In the Gingerbread Decorating Corner, guests let their Christmas creativity run wild while they adorn gingerbread treats. After they’ve reached confection perfection with their edible art, they can enjoy a sweet meet-and-greet and photograph with Nutmeg the Gingerbread Man.
• A Very Beary Christmas!
  Also in Alpine Village, guests can experience Build-A-Bear Workshop®. Guests make their own furry friend, take part in the iconic Heart Ceremony, and personalize them with seasonal outfits, accessories, sounds and scents.

More Décor Than Ever Before! Overnight Stays Sweeten the Holidays

• A Tree-mendous Holiday
  It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! In all, there will be more than 3 million holiday lights sparkling at Gaylord Palms. More than 100 Christmas trees – with more than 20,000 ornaments -will be on display, including a centerpiece, 60-foot-tall tree in the main atrium. Beautiful trees will also be suspended from the ceiling in the Everglades atrium and placed on floating islands in the Key West Lagoon. Another guest favorite, the Christmas Tree Trail, will once again wind through the atrium and feature elaborately themed trees for picture-perfect, family photo moments.
• Rooms with a Yuletide View
  There’s never a better time for guests to book a room with an upgraded atrium view. With balconies that overlook acres of Christmas décor, guests can immerse themselves in the festive surroundings. Select rooms even provide prime balcony viewing for atrium shows such as “Cirque: Spirit of Christmas,” “Shine,” “The Greatest Story” and “The Journey of Los Tres Magos.”

Exclusive Access for Overnight Guests

This year, Gaylord Palms is offering benefits and special access to overnight resort guests so they can wait in line less and enjoy more. These benefits include:

• “Chill Pass” privileges to ICE!, offering front-of-line access and shorter wait times for this year’s signature attraction. “Chill Pass” is free for eligible overnight guests. Attraction tickets are required and sold separately, in advance.
• An invitation to “Extra Cool Hour,” which provides early entry into ICE! and Alpine Village one hour before it opens for day guests. “Extra Cool Hour” is free for eligible guests. Attraction tickets are required and sold separately, in advance.
• Exclusive access to reserve seating at four popular holiday dining experiences -Thanksgiving Dinner, The Feast with The Grinch character breakfast, Christmas Dinner, and New Year’s Eve Buffet. Overnight resort guests staying on the dates of these meals are the only guests eligible to book tables and make reservations.

There’s More in Store with The Grinch!

In addition to taking center stage in ICE!, The Grinch will be featured in two more holiday events at Gaylord Palms: a character dining experience and a family scavenger hunt.

• For overnight guests, The Feast with the Grinch character breakfast is a buffet with lots of Christmas flavor to savor, with special appearances by The Grinch and his canine friend, Max.
• The Grinch has also hidden clues about his latest mischief. He challenges guests to find these clues in The Grinch’s Wonderful Awful Idea Scavenger Hunt. Guests try to solve riddles and thwart his plans, with those completing the quest receiving a special stocking stuffer.

A Round of Applause for Santa & Mrs. Claus

• St. Nick Takes ‘Santa’ Stage
  Guests can chat with the jolly old elf himself, Santa Claus, to make sure they’ve secured a spot on his prestigious Nice List. Santa will meet guests inside Alpine Village from Nov. 18 through Dec. 24, before he heads back to the North Pole for his gift-giving journey. Presented by DEI.
• Hostess with the Mostess
  The jolliest hostess of all celebrates the season in Mrs. Claus’ Christmas Traditions. Mrs. Claus entertains guests in Alpine Village with a sing-along and story time with the Christmas tale, “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” She also shares Santa’s favorite snack – milk and cookies.

Christmas Merchandise & Spa Visits are Nice

• One-Stop Christmas Shop
  In Alpine Village, one of the largest holiday shops in the Sunshine State opens just for the Christmas at Gaylord Palms celebration. Market Square features wall-to-wall holiday gifts, collectibles, toys, plush, home décor, apparel, ornaments, branded merchandise and more.
• ‘Tis the Spa Season
  From Nov. 1, 2022-Jan. 6, 2023, Relâche Spa at Gaylord Palms is featuring Winter Wonderland massage, facial and pedicure treatments, highlighting the benefits of eucalyptus. The aromatic plant has been known to be high in antioxidants, to promote relaxation and reduce pain.

Enjoy Resort Amenities, Book Packages That Are Sure to Please

• Year-Round Fun
  In addition to the more than 15 special events, attractions and activities during Christmas at Gaylord Palms, guests can enjoy many of the year-round amenities. The resort features a 4.5-acre atrium with more than 500,000 plants, Florida wildlife and a 161,000-gallon lagoon. Cypress Springs Water Park is a water wonderland open exclusively to overnight guests, with seven water slides, a multi-level water playground, surf simulator, two pools and an action river. In addition, guests can enjoy a world of cuisine and fine dining at a variety of taste-tempting restaurants.
• Packages and Tickets
  Also being unwrapped this year: new Christmas at Gaylord Palms packages that include special room rates and admission to select events. Guests are encouraged to book their experiences early, as advance online reservations are required for all ticketed events. Admission is limited to many of the holiday experiences and showtimes. For tickets, more information, or to book an overnight stay, guests may visit www.ChristmasatGaylordPalms.com.

Gaylord Palms Resort features 1,718 guest rooms and more than 500,000 square feet of meeting space. Guests can explore the resort’s 4.5-acre garden atrium with its winding waterways, waterfalls, plants and Florida wildlife. Other resort features include gourmet dining, a full-service spa, the three-acre Cypress Springs Water Park and a host of special events during the year. The resort is located within minutes of the area’s world-famous theme parks and attractions.

The post ‘ICE!’ Returns to Gaylord Palms Following Pandemic Break appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Curated by Ed Boitano

Letters to Santa Reveal the Toll the Pandemic is Taking on Kids

Courtesy Faith Karimi, CNN

Jonah wants nothing from Santa this year except for a cure for coronavirus.

Anthony told Santa he wants a magical button he could press to transport him away from the weary reality of the pandemic.

Jasmyne’s Christmas list is short and to the point. “This year, I would like end of Covid-19, world peace, climate control, new Xbox,” it reads.

In their letters to Santa Claus, kids across the US are still asking for toys, clothes, Legos and video games. But in a year filled with illness and uncertainty, a review of letters addressed to the North Pole and collected through the Post Office’s Operation Santa program reveals the pandemic is weighing heavily on children.

Some are imploring Santa to make coronavirus go away. Others are asking for masks for Christmas. Still others write about the challenges of going to school online or how their parents can’t afford to buy presents this year because they lost their jobs.

“Dear Santa,” Jonah wrote. “I don’t want anything for Christmas, but I would like to ask you if you can do me a favor: Can you please find a cure for Covid-19 and give it to us to save the world. Thank you.”

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Eight Elaborate Christmas Displays Across America — And the People Behind Them

In her new book, photographer Danelle Manthey captures a distinct type of American folk art: Christmas light decoration.

READ ON

Happy Holidays and a Good and Healthy New Year to Us All

By Susanne Servin of Herzerl Tours

ADVENT – is the quietest time of the year (line of an Austrian poem).

Advent time (which is usually the four weeks in December and translates to expectant waiting) in a non- religious way is very meaningful for all us right now – as we are expectantly waiting for a relief of this awful pandemic that ravages our country and the world – for a vaccine to come.

But there is HOPE!!!

And to cheer us all up or to take our mind of things – lets bake!

My most favorite Christmas cookie recipe is Vanille Kipferl (vanilla crescents) – it’s a family recipe going back to my great grandmother, Emilie Zimmermann.

I have featured it on my website but let me send it to you again.

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Best Cities for New Year’s

Courtesy Diana Polk, WalletHub Communications Manager

With New Year’s around the corner but the scale of celebrations limited by the COVID-19 pandemic, the personal-finance website WalletHub released its report on 2020’s Best Cities for New Year’s.

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Dublin & Galway Selected Friendliest Cities in Europe

It’s travel award season on the island of Ireland! In recent weeks, the island has been awarded a number of exciting accolades. Both Dublin and Galway have topped the Condé Nast friendliest cities in Europe list, while EPIC The Irish Immigration Museum has been awarded Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction by the World Travel Awards for the second year running.

Meanwhile, Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel experts were wowed by the Burren Ecotourism Network’s community effort, naming them one of ten winners in the new ‘Community’ category of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2021. Ireland’s Burren Ecotourism Network has been named one of ten winners in the new ‘Community’ category of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2021.

8 Immune-Boosting Smoothies We Want to Sip All Day Long

Courtesy Mary Nunes

Whether it’s flu season, allergy season, or you’re just in the mood for a refreshing, flavorful drink, an immune-boosting smoothie is always a good idea. By snacking on something as easy and convenient as a smoothie, you can jam-pack your body with antioxidants, vitamins, and more superfoods that kick-start your immune system into gear. Smoothies are (rightfully) all the rage these days, as they are easy to make, totally filling, and can give your body a plethora of health benefits.

READ HERE

You Might be an American Traveling Abroad if…

Inspired by Jeff Foxworthy with assistance from the Alot Travel Team

If you wear a Baseball Cap while traveling abroad you might be an American tourist.

Baseball is the American pastime, right? At least, it was at one point, and it’s still thought of that way, even though we watch more pro football than baseball at this point.

Still, we love the caps, and we carry them around with us everywhere — including overseas, where they immediately mark us as Americans.

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5 Things Science Says Will Make You Happier

Research-backed habits that will improve your outlook and positive attitude

By Nataly Kogan
Medically reviewed by Daniel B. Block, MD

It’s easy to assume that things like money and a luxurious lifestyle lead to happiness, but research shows that it’s the more simple experiences — like practicing gratitude or spending time with friends — that promote a sunny outlook.

Whether you need to shift from negative thoughts or want to continue a streak of positivity, here are five ways to boost happiness every day.

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The Pentagon is Missing the Big Picture on “Stars and Stripes”

By Mark T. Hauser

The Pentagon’s plan to scrap funding for the Stars and Stripes newspaper isn’t just an attack on a historic military institution. It’s ignoring the lessons the paper’s history offers for efficient operation and integrating military operations with the economic life of the nation.

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Ireland’s Voices Stream Christmas Hope to the World

The home of Guinness in Dublin will be the location for a unique Christmas concert that will connect the heart of Ireland with the world.

One of Ireland’s most respected musical events, Other Voices, is staging a special Christmas show in the Guinness Storehouse, which will be live streamed around the world on 16 December.

Featuring a wide range of Irish talent, ‘Other Voices: Home at the Guinness Storehouse’ will see this iconic building in the heart of Dublin come alive with an eclectic programme of Irish music, stories and songs.

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How an Ancient Revolt Sparked the Festival of Lights

By Amy Briggs

It’s time to celebrate Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights that lasts for eight days and nights. This year Hanukkah starts on Thursday, December 10, and ends Friday, December 18. The holiday’s popularity has surged in modern times, but its origins date back to the turbulent centuries following the death of Alexander the Great, the ancient Macedonian leader who conquered the Persian Empire.

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The Grinch That Keeps on Grinching

A new television special hearkens back to the nearly 50 years of Christmas thievery from the Dr. Seuss classic

Courtesy Patrick Sauer, SMITHSONIANMAG.COM

The first time readers young and old laid their eyes on the Grinch, he wasn’t green. He wasn’t on television, on stage, or even in a book. He didn’t even debut amidst the Jing-Tinglers of the season, but rather during the dog days of summer. In 1955, a 33-line illustrated poem “The Hoobub and the Grinch” ran in Redbook magazine. In it, Dr. Seuss introduces the Grinch as a con artist selling a piece of string for 98 cents to a yellow-furred galoot out catching some rays. It’s “worth a lot more than that old-fashioned sun,” says the Grinch. (A scam to be sure, but the Grinch is right about the broiling damage that can be done without proper UV skin care.)

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No Two Alike: The First Photos of Snowflakes

Courtesy of Brian Clark Howard, National Geographic

Published in 1923, these vintage images highlight the beauty and mystery of snow crystals.

In the late 1800s, a self-educated Vermont farmer by the name of Wilson Bentley made the first successful image, or “photomicrograph,” of a single snowflake. He used a bellows camera attached to a microscope.

Here are some of the very first photos of snowflakes.

SEE THE PHOTOS

WNPA Recently Announced the Recipients of its Annual Awards

Western National Parks Association (WNPA), a nonprofit education partner of the National Park Service (NPS) since 1938, recently announced the recipients of its annual awards. For over 30 years, WNPA has recognized individuals and organizations who make exceptional contributions to national parks and increase awareness of WNPA’s mission.

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What Americans Abroad Should Not Expect

Pancakes

The fluffy flour-based pancakes that American’s have come to love at breakfast time (or for brinner) just aren’t found abroad. French crêpes are too thin. The Japanese version (okonomiyaki) is too thick and most often topped with savory things like meat, seafood, and cabbage. Australian-style pancakes are too eggy and have sugar in the dough.

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The Radical History of Corporate Sensitivity Training

By Beth Blum

During these turbulent months, American corporations have responded to demands for racial justice by straining to showcase their sensitive sides. They’ve pledged, like Quaker Oats, to change offensive product names; they’ve scrambled, like Prada, nascar, and Delta, to implement emergency sensitivity workshops; and they’ve opted, like most of the major publishing houses, to hire sensitivity readers to vet new manuscripts for racist representations. Not so at the Donald Trump White House.

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The Future of History in the Pandemic Age

By Michael Creswell

Historians need to consider and prepare for changes to the profession that will follow the COVID-19 pandemic.

Attempting to predict the future is always perilous, and events frequently humble those who dare to try. Making predictions is especially hazardous for historians, who often struggle to explain the past. Peering into the future is not part of their professional training, and their efforts to do so are likely to fail.

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“Heroes of Our America”: Reading a “Patriotic” History of the United States

By Alan J. Singer

Not long ago, history textbooks were written as patriotic fables. Examining one offers a warning about the cost of putting mythmaking ahead of historical learning

Heroes of Our America (1952) was a history book for fourth graders published by the Iroquois Publishing Company of Syracuse, New York. Its co-authors were Gertrude and John Van Duyn Southworth. John Southworth, with Harvard and Columbia University degrees, taught at a number of schools in the New York metropolitan area and was president of the publishing company. Gertrude Southworth, his frequent co-author, was also his mother.

I picked it off my office shelf after Donald Trump called for teaching “patriotic history” in American schools as a defense against a mythical radical “left” conspiracy and to ensure that  “our youth will be taught to love America.” Heroes of Our America is an example of the kind of “patriotic history” Donald and I were both exposed to as children in the 1950s. I grabbed the book when it was discarded from the Hofstra University Curriculum Materials Center only a couple of years ago.

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The post Kids’ Letters to Santa, Jewish Festival of Lights appeared first on Traveling Archive.