Travel
G
aylord Palms Resort is an
oasis in the midst of busy
Orlando, or nearby Kissimmee
to be exact. Stroll along
serpentine paths lined with
giant ferns, cabbage palms, and
verdant greenery. You’ll feel like
you’re walking in a botanical garden,
the Louisiana bayou or an island
paradise; orchids, waterfalls, and
streams -- even a lake with a boat,
fit inside the hotel atrium. The
behemoth structure seems like a
biosphere. Why, one could live within
the confines for days and never need
to go outside.
By Thanksgiving, the resort hotel
adds holiday sparkle-- over two
million twinkling lights, beautiful
bows and garland, plus thousands of
poinsettia plants intermingled with
the foliage. The expanse is gorgeous
and the illuminated Christmas tree
simply stunning.
For the past twelve years, Gaylord
Palms has turned their convention
center into the “Florida Fridge.” The
event begins to take shape in October,
when 40 Chinese artisans and their
cook arrive from Harbin, China. The
ice men cometh to carve two million
Debi with Gingy
pounds of frozen water into a
frosty fantasyland. The job takes
approximately one month to complete.
Originally, only crystal-clear ice was
used, created by filtering de ioni ed
water for three days. Then, colored
ice blocks were developed by adding
food coloring. The process is not as
easy as it sounds; the mixture must
be stirred constantly to obtain
consistent color. Making white ice is
easiest, just freeze quickly for a
cloudy look.
The themed project starts with
detailed architectural blueprints.
Gaylord Palms Tree
Gaylord Palms
Resort in Florida
99
Measurements are transferred and
marked off on the oor. Like a home
building site. Ice blocks start
arriving from the factory at a rate
of two truck loads a day for fifteen
days. Each block weighs four hundred
pounds, so they must be moved
around by a forklift.
Workers begin to assemble the
blocks, adding spec ial uorescent
lights between some of the pieces,
and cutting others with chain saws.
Sculptors denote points to guide
them as they work like Michelangelo.
Each artist brings his own set of
tools, akin to a chef and his knives,