“You can’t go home without tasting BBQ,” said my host and so I sat down again to dine, this time at Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbeque in the Plaza. “Zagat’s rated this place number one (for barbeque) in the country,” she continued. And, we began noshing yet another meal … starting with burnt ends as an appetizer. Kansas City originated these two-inch cuts of beef ribs renown for their charcoal-black crusty edges – the parts everyone fights over like the baked corners of lasagna.
Chills and adrenaline ran through our bodies as we spotted our first glimpse of the presidents heads atop Mt. Rushmore.
The images of four Presidential faces carved in granite are among the most famous in the world. But, the icon stands in the Black Hills of South Dakota, sacred North American Indian lands, which are pretty much in the middle of nowhere.
Badlands National Park, SD
My friend Judy and I made a trip to Sioux Falls and decided it was the perfect opportunity to visit the state’s awe-inspiring Badlands and Mt. Rushmore. Teddy Roosevelt described the Badlands saying, “Nothing could be more lonely and nothing more beautiful than the view at nightfall across the prairies to these huge hill masses, when the lengthening shadows had at last merged into one and the faint after-glow of the red sunset filled the west.”
Sun begins to set in the Badlands, SD
We spent one afternoon and evening among the deep desolate canyons, towering spires and rugged buttes. Sadly, that amount of time is not nearly enough.
The next day we drove the Needles Highway in Custer State Park seeing spiky mountain peaks and bison walking down the road. Rangers encouraged us to drive north on the Iron Mountain Road for the best approach to Mt. Rushmore. Little did we know the next 17 miles would turn into one of the most thrilling road trips.
First glimpse of Mt. Rushmore from Iron Mountain Road
Unlike its heavy, rigid sounding name, the Iron Mountain Road snakes around itself with a series of bridges, known as pigtail bridges, and through tunnels barely wide enough for one car. The term pigtail should not be confused with the hairstyle—think of a tightly twisted pig’s tail or a 720 degree spiral. The road’s construction, in the 1930’s, ranks as a marvel of engineering and has been termed “the by-way that couldn’t be built.”
Closer view of Mt. Rushmore from Iron Mountain Road
Since Judy and I made a point of pulling over at each scenic overlook, we naturally stopped at the first one. Our car was the only vehicle in the lot and the landscape seemed non-descript, like an ordinary field. But then….way off in the distance we spied a tiny white outcropping on the side of a mountain. It included four heads! Woo-hoo, our first glance at Mt. Rushmore in person.
I leap out of the car as if pushed by an ejection button. I was truly eyeing a place I thought I’d never see. As we proceeded, the road continued to flirt with seduction, offering a sneak peek here and there. The views got better and better as we drove along. At one stop we caught site of George Washington through an opening in the trees. Further along, we squeezed our car through a one-lane tunnel which acted like a dramatic portal. Iron Mountain’s summit offered a stunning but still distant vista of the 60-foot tall carvings.
Tunnel on the Iron Mountain Road
Eventually we arrived at the National Memorial and strolled down the Avenue of the Americas lined with each of the 50 state flags. We stared up at the immense work of Gutzon Borglum, his son and 400 other workers. The project took 14 years to complete from 1927-41 and cost less than a million dollars. We ogled and pinched ourselves; when an icon looks like this, nowhere becomes somewhere.
Take my word: Mt. Rushmore is one of those places you should see up close and in person. If possible, arrive via the Iron Mountain Road for an experience that will not disappoint.
For the past ten years, Gaylord Palms Resort near Orlando 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 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-ionized 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.
In previously years, I’ve walked through the finished attraction and highly recommend it get into a holiday mood. However, this year I had the opportunity to go behind the scenes and see ICE under construction.
Sawing ice blocks
Working on ICE
The themed project starts with detailed architectural blueprints. Measurements are transferred and marked off on the floor, like a home building site. Ice blocks start arriving from the factory at a rate of two truck loads a day for 15 days. Each block weighs 400 pounds, so must be moved around by a forklift.
Workers begin to assemble the blocks, adding special fluorescent lights between some of the pieces and cutting others with chain saws. I saw a small square block placed on a larger rectangular piece, which would eventually become a head on a body. The 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, including a variety of rakes, chisels, picks and trowels.
ICE under construction at Gaylord Palms
The temperature in the room hovers around nine-degrees, so carvers wear warm boots, coats, hats and gloves. (You should, too, although Gaylord provides oversized parkas.) They grapple through four-hour shifts with a warm-up break outside. I was cold after half an hour, but the Chinese are rugged. Harbin temperatures’ average only two degrees in the winter and sometimes plummet to -36. No wonder these men enjoy Florida’s balmy weather.
This year’s theme is Merry Madagascar taken from the Dreamworks’ movie. All scenes and characters are constructed entirely from ice, even the popular interactive slides. No wooden supports or iron beams are used.
ICE! featuring DreamWorks’ Merry Madagascar at Gaylord Palms Resort
The only scene to be repeated, since this event began, remains the magnificent life-size nativity, created from sparkling crystal-clear cubes. One artist, chosen by fellow sculptors, receives the honor of carving the largest angel.
If you haven’t seen ICE, make the drive to Orlando and treat yourselves and the kids to one ‘cool’ outing.
