To me a Prairie Dog is a delightful little animal. We came across them a while ago in a Prairie Dog town near Devil's Tower, Wyoming.
We came across several of these on our road trip in that area.
Hi Tom, whoever you are (sign painted in lower right).
Below is a photo of Devil's Tower. You can read about it here. Sci-fi fans may recognize this famous landmark when it was shown in the 1977 movie, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". You can see a partial clip from the movie here.
And just as a matter of interest, here is a photo of the model used in the movie. We found it at the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum, and their website is here.
Thank you for stopping by, and for putting up with another post that I transferred from my old blog. Hopefully the links are still open but if not I will correct them tomorrow. I need my sleeps right now.
This is the Parker House where Ralphie lives with his family. Everything is made of ice, apart from a few props. The porch was busy, and people were taking turns looking inside the windows. A few people asked me if I could take their photo which I happily did. One funny man asked me if I worked there as he had seen at least three people hand their cameras to me. He had that twinkle in his eye, made me laugh, and I kept moving. It was very chilly inside. We were given parkas as it was about -2 degrees F.
The Parker's 'car' was right there at the side of the house.
Truth be told I have never been to an ice sculpture exhibit before, and certainly not one like this. I think I once saw a large piece at a hotel years ago as a buffet centerpiece at some kind of reception, but that's been so long ago the memory is foggy. William comes to mind, who hosts Ottawa's Daily Photo. He has shared the ice exhibit that occurs in his city ever since I have been a visitor and longer than that maybe. I have always been fascinated by his posts. Those ice exhibits, the word elegant comes to mind. These are excellent but in a kitschy way, and fun as you are taken back to funny or cringy moments in the movie. There are also some very poignant scenes but the leg lamp, well I really felt for his wife, let's just leave it at that.
Ralphie's Dad won it in a competition. I won't give the whole story away in case you haven't seen the movie before. They actually sold these in the gift shop. In fact, I saw one last December, in the window of a house in a neighborhood that goes all out for decorating. The street is a show piece for the holidays and attracts long lines of cars. I'm wondering if it will be there again this year. I must check it out. Should I have bought one? Nahhh! Not this year anyhow.
This takes place every year at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center in National City. The themes change and this year there were scenes from the movie that I recognized immediately. I have seen it many times. It was made in 1983. It makes me laugh and there are some 'awwww' moments, and it makes me cringe sometimes, but I will probably watch it again with Gregg before Christmas. It gives you the feel of what it must have been like in 1940. The acting is great and the Dad is Darren McGavin whom I have enjoyed in other movies/TV show from way back when. Here's a description I borrowed from Wikipedia and more can be read if you click the link. It reads:
"Set in December 1940, the film is presented in a series of vignettes, with narration provided by the adult Ralphie Parker reminiscing on one particular Christmas when he was nine years old, in the fictional town of Hohman, Indiana. Ralphie wanted only one thing that Christmas, a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. Ralphie's desire is rejected by his mother, his teacher Miss Shields, and even a Santa Claus at Higbee's department store..."
No more telling about the movie, I'll just let the photos speak for themselves. Gregg checked out the window too and there he is waving at us. A touch of nostalgia for him? He remembers a Roy Rogers bicycle given one year.
All for now. There will be another batch in my next blog post.
We only decided to go to National Harbor a few days previously. Perhaps I should have done more research on our hotel, but as we were within a 30-mile radius, I jumped in. We were both ready for a trip as it has been a while. To Gregg I said, "What do you think about going over to National Harbor and stay overnight somewhere?"
We have talked about it several times over the past year. He was on his laptop and had booked the hotel, plus tickets for the ice show I had been telling him about. I was very surprised when we pulled up to the place. It was a lot larger than any we have stayed at before. The top photo shows only a small part of it. I had forgotten it was also a convention center. Me in the planning stage: "The hotel where the ice show takes place, wouldn't it be a good idea to stay overnight, so that we didn't have to drive home late and in the dark?" It was also very nice that we didn't have to worry about parking. It was a hike to the exhibit but mostly inside the hotel, with a short walk from there to the large enclosure (my idea of a hike may be different than yours). The weather was quite dreary, but all our entertainment was at the hotel for our short stay, so no walking around in the rain.
There are two buildings inside the atrium that look like regular sized homes. They are shops.In the photo below, halfway down the large atrium window, you can make out the arches supporting the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Virginia is on one side of the Potomac River, Maryland is on the other. We were in Maryland where National Harbor is located. This is also the view from our room.Just to give you an idea of how big this place is, there are 1,996 rooms and 110 suites, seven restaurants, and a 19-story glass atrium with views of the Potomac River. As mentioned, it is also a convention center and it has 95 event rooms, 537,430 square feet of meeting space, and a 20,000 square-foot spa. It also employs 2,000 people.
We went on a weekday thinking this would be a quieter time. It was but I can only imagine what it must be like on the weekend. There were lots of families there for the ice show.
There is a 55-ft tree suspended from the ceiling. It comes to life when it gets dark and all the lights are switched on. There is also a stage and we were treated to Christmas carols later that evening, along with a laser light show when the singing had stopped. The people above must have been in the preparation stage as that show didn't take place until later. I took videos of the laser lights and have included short movies of them below. Here are three photos to be going on with. This display is free. My photos and the two short videos don't do it justice. (If anyone has a problem with flashing lights, I would skip the movies.)
The lights and music are synchronized with a fountain that shoots 60 feet high.
There is also a nightly indoor snowfall.
It is very pretty at nighttime.
We stopped off at this place. No tables inside but plenty in front. It is well stocked with beverages and food, and other items. A coffee for me and a cold drink for Gregg. Neither of us were feeling that hungry and by that time were a little tired, so we decided not to go to the restaurant for a sit-down meal. Instead we bought chicken salad sandwiches to share, and took them up to our room. They were excellent!
We walked by a duck pin bowling alley with a bar.
Close-up of the mural.I enjoyed the hotel very much. There are a lot of hotels in this area. Within walking distance if you go out the front doors, the MGM National Harbor Resort and Casino is just up the road to the right.
Now for the videos.
If you go here it will take you to a website called Fun in Fairfax VA where I got some information, and I enjoyed their photos.
I can see where the flashing lights might be a problem for those who have issues, so please don't play them if you think they would affect you.
On select days, Christmas on the Potomac features two Christmas shows in the Atrium. Both shows are free to watch but guaranteed ticketed seats have the best view, so I read. We were in our hotel room while taking these. If we come here again next year, we thought we would reserve a room more in the center of the atrium’s back wall looking straight on, and probably not much higher than the fifth floor. Our room was on that floor but in the corner with an okay view. We could open the doors which had a rail but no balcony, and decided that we would prefer looking down from a more central position. The center rooms and those on the side of the atrium have the balconies. It would be great to sit out and listen to the choir from above, and watch the laser show afterwards. I expect these rooms would go fast, and booking them well ahead of time would be the way to go. Just something to think about.
I hope you have enjoyed seeing a little bit of our hotel. This link will take you to the original built in Nashville, Tennessee, with its history. That hotel was built to support the Grand Ole Opry. Similar hotels have been built in Texas and Florida.
An evening with our son and daughter-in-law at the Alamo Drafthouse. They have the most interesting old movie clips before the main movie, this one dating back to the early talkies. If you have never been to one of these places, there is a long bench wide enough that acts as your table, and this runs all along in front of the seating, and a menu and order slips at each seat where you can order meals and beverages. There is enough room between your bench and the seat in front for a waiter to come by and pick them up, and delivers soon after. The seats are also staggered enough that you don't block the view of the people behind you, or disturb the people in front. It took me a while to get used to having something delivered after the movie had started and I wasn't sure I liked it that much, but now after several meet-ups with son and daughter-in-law at one of their favorite movie theaters, I find it part of a very enjoyable experience.
9.48 p.m. and we are back in our hotel after a wonderful day meeting up with Gregg's aunt and cousins.
We had arranged to meet at Gregg's cousin's house this evening for dinner. We settled in to catch up on the laundry - yes I know, pretty boring but we were rescued.
An invitation from Cousin to meet for lunch, as well as another cousin, (her brother) and his son at a really neat place called Lutes in the historic part of Yuma. We had the best time, it was wonderful reconnecting with everyone and enjoying each other's company.
I loved Lutes and all its brickabrack on the walls. It certainly was a popular place.
There were many actors on the walls. Here's one of Audie Murphy. My Dad and I watched many of his western movies when I was growing up. My Dad was a big fan. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. I made a point of visiting his grave once, as I had this connection with my Dad, and Audie too.
This actor is Danny Trejo and my son has enjoyed many of his movies and is a fan. I took this photo for my son. Danny had quite a start in life and I'm glad everything turned out well for him.
Another western star whom I remember from watching all those movies with my Dad, Walter Brennan.
The husband for sale joke made me chuckle, especially the bit about the remote.
These were taken when we were leaving. I had noticed the mural on our way in. I tried to get it all in frame as best I could.
There were outside tables blocking my way and it was difficult. One of those fun murals that are similar to greetings cards I have seen, and have bought in the past.
This mural was just down the street.
After we left we came back to the hotel and Gregg did laundry. I caught up on emails and downloaded photos.
It wasn't long before it was time to meet up at Cousin's house. In addition to everyone we met earlier, there were Gregg's Aunt and Cousin's three grandchildren. We warmed to them immediately, each an absolute delight. The oldest, 16, was a super young man, very mature for his age and very loving and protective of his younger siblings. He was also a great guitar player and we had an enjoyable conversation with him about a number of things. His knowledge impressed us. His sister, a dear and sweet young lady (I like to think we made a connection through our love of wildlife), and youngest brother, a darling little boy. We all talked and talked before, during and after dinner. Great people, great company, and a most delicious meal. All too soon it was time to leave.
This day was a whole lot of fun. Each made us feel very much part of the family, which we will remember with great fondness. We send them all lots of love and hugs, which include the children's parents. We didn't get to see them this time as they were out of town, but their kids are very special indeed, and I look forward to the day when we can meet them too. They are all very much in our thoughts.
On the road again tomorrow. We are heading to Joshua Tree National Park in California.
