"The larger the island of wonder, the longer the shore of wonder."--Ralph Sockman
I never thought I would get a chance to go to the North Pole, but somehow we ended up there by chance. I was visiting my best friend who had recently moved to Fairbanks, AK. We had already had some amazing adventures and along the way we learned of an ice sculpting contest that was about to end. We thought it would be a lot of fun to make the short trip from Fairbanks to the North Pole.
When I think of an ice sculpting contest only a few things come to mind, such as really neat ice sculptures on display and maybe lights illuminating the creations. That in itself was reason enough for us to want to visit, especially knowing how much effort and talent goes in to making an ice sculpture. If I ever tried to make an ice sculpture it would look like an amorphous blob, so I have a lot of respect for those who can turn a block of ice into art.
We were 1000% blown away by what we saw there. It was so much more than just ice sculptures in a row lit up my brightly colored lights. The variation of sculptures was amazing. No two were anything alike. We saw a penguin, trains, abominable snowman, Groot, minions, and Christmas themed sculptures. Check out my pictures to get a better idea. Words just don't do that justice.
Not only were there dozens of amazing works of art to look at, but there were sculptures you could interact with. Before you even entered the area with all of the art there was a gigantic ice sleigh with a giant ice santa and reindeer that you could stand in, climb on, and take pictures with. Inside there were 3 ice slides you could go down as much as you wanted and all were varying lengths and heights. There were also sculptures that had a hole where the faces were so you can stick your face in to take funny pictures. They even had a walk in igloo and made it so you could pose with several of the sculptures.
Not only was the outdoor experience much more than we anticipated, the activities inside the main building also exceeded our expectations. The staff were all extremely friendly and more than happy to help. There was an area where kids could sit down and color while their parents relaxed and warmed up after being outside. You could also buy delicious hot chocolate that the staff were kind enough to make us.
The North Pole has a lot more going for it that just the Ice Museum with the ice sculpting contest. They take Christmas seriously there. Christmas decorations and lights adorn the town year round. They even have a gigantic "Santa's House" that you could go in and explore. If you love Christmas and gorgeous lights and a town that has no shortage of Christmas spirit, the North Pole is the place for you.
"Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand"--Neil Armstrong
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