Note: I extended the giveaway by an extra day because I realized I kind of screwed up the timing when I set up the Rafflecopter entry form. Sorry, friends! The giveaway will now end tomorrow – Tuesday, Feb. 11 – at 12:00am ET.
I’m not sure who was more excited when I told my “Frozen”-obsessed kids that we were going to see a “real live ice castle” on our weekend ski trip. Yes, a trip to an ice castle for a 2-year-old who performs dramatic and heartfelt renditions of “Let it Go” at bathtime, and a 7-year-old who could listen to “In Summer” a dozen times in a row.
And, yes, I may listen to the soundtrack on my morning commute. When I’m by myself in the car.
However, things did not start well for us on Saturday morning.
We drove the 2.5 hours to Loon Mountain in Lincoln, NH, just in time to get Buddy squared away for his full-day beginners ski class. We pulled up in front of the lesson area, got him out of the car and realized … he did not have a coat.
Yes, I repeat. We are the parents who head out for a family ski weekend and didn’t think to check if their child – the who was actually going skiing – brought his winter jacket with him.
Dr. G. sprinted to the resort store and soon emerged with a new (and not surprisingly, pricey) jacket for Buddy, which he whisked over to him just in time for the start of his lesson.
Sigh.
With that crisis averted, we drove down the road to the resort.
As a family travelling with two small kids, I couldn’t have been more ecstatic when I opened the door to our room at The Mountain Club on Loon and saw we had not one but two rooms. One room for us, and one room that serves as more of a living area, complete with kitchen, an additional bathroom … and two Murphy beds that my kids just could not wait to sleep on.
Oh, and a small balcony looking over the slopes and resort. Such amazing views!
After we dropped off our bags, Dr. G. quickly changed and headed out to the lifts for a day of snowboarding, leaving me and Mimi.
So here’s the scoop. I don’t ski. I never learned as a child, and by the time I may have shown some interest as an adult, bad knees and a terrifying fear of falling and hurting myself really prevented me from pursuing it at all. Which is too bad, because Dr. G. loves snowboarding and now Buddy has shown interest in skiing too.
But now I had an entire day to spend at a ski resort with a 2-year-old.
I thought we’d try tot tubing: a smaller hill just for little ones to come down in inflatable tubes. Mimi was all excited, helping to pick out her tube when we checked in and helping me lug it up the hill. But when it was her turn to go down, she panicked. Big time. There were tears and plenty of “Noooo! I don’t want to!”
We ended up playing in the snow for a few minutes, returned the tube, then rode the old school locomotive that connects the different base camps on the mountain.
Finally around lunchtime – when I was hoping it wouldn’t be so crowded – Mimi and walked over to the Ice Castle.
Seriously. It really is an ice castle. A crew from Utah came down to build it at Loon Mountain, using only a large sprinkler system and subfreezing temperatures to “grow” giant icicles and create the structure. It’s one of only three ice castles in the U.S.
“Is Elsa there???” Mimi kept asking. “Are we going to see Elsa and Anna?” [“Frozen” reference here.]
It was impressive. And majestic. And beautiful. There were ice walls and “towers” reaching some 20 feet into the air, icicles of all different sizes and patterns …. seriously, no one section of the castle is identical.
We wandered under ice archways and through ice tunnels and along ice pathways and eventually Mimi hit the jackpot: a little tunnel, complete with ice slide.
I lost track of how many times she went down.
We even got to see one of the “ice architects” in action, working to grow and build the ice castle even further.
I couldn’t wait to come back at night with the whole family, when the entire castle is lit up.
But first, we met Dr. G. for lunch and then Mimi and I rode the train to pick up Buddy from his ski lesson.
We spent the rest of the afternoon in the pool before heading into town for dinner. By that point, it had started to snow, so between the weather, an insanely long wait for dinner, and the fact that Mimi (who hadn’t napped) was completely passed out in the car, Buddy and I ended up going back to the Ice Castle at night, just the two of us.
And it was magical … and almost ethereal in a way, too. Lights were displayed throughout, changing colors from blue to red to green, illuminating the surrounding ice. Buddy, like his sister, discovered the ice slide and enjoyed taking a few turns down. It really felt like something out of a winter storybook at night, especially with the snow falling all around us.
If you’re in the New England area, it’s definitely worth the drive to New Hampshire to check out the Ice Castle (especially if you also have “Frozen”-obsessed children). I recommend checking it out at nighttime, and don’t forget to dress warm. Also, boots are a must; the day we were there, the “floor” of the ice castle was all soft, crushed (and relatively deep) snow.
And you better plan your trip soon: The Ice Castle at Loon expects to close around March 1.
But don’t worry,you’re in luck. The kind folks at Ice Castles would like to give a four-pack of tickets to one lucky Keeping Mommy Sane reader to visit the Ice Castle at Loon Mountain!
Please enter using the entry form below. This giveaway will end Tueday, February 11, at 12:00am ET. I know it’s a quick turnaround, but I want to be sure the winner receives their tickets before February school vacation week! And while you’re there, don’t forget to check out the slopes (and spa) at Loon, too.
I received a complimentary stay at the Mountain Club at Loon Mountain, along with lift tickets and lessons, and tickets to the Ice Castle exhibit to facilitate my review. However, all thoughts and opinions are — as always — my own.
Lisa deck says
Sounds like an awesome weekend! What a fun contest 🙂
liza says
Would love to take my boys!
Melissa M says
I actually live in Illinois but I have a friend who lives near by so I am trying to win for her.
jen says
This looks amazing !!!!
Susan says
I’m most excited about taking my teen daughter. This is something that she would LOVE.
Julia Magnusson (@notlikeacat) says
My kids would LOVE this. We all would. And we need a weekend away!!
Emily says
This looks like such a great time! I’d love to take my son.
Liz says
I’d love to take my Frozen obsessed daughter!
Rebecca says
This looks amazing!!
Ida Mae says
My boys would love t see this ice castle!