January 25, 2022

Ice…most often when you hear the word, especially in winter, thoughts of poor road conditions, slick sidewalks, and a dash of misery come to mind. However, I’m here to tell you there is a nice side to ice. Taking advantage of one last hoorah in New England before my travel nurse assignment ended, we spent a final weekend in New Hampshire exploring a frozen castle and all things ice.

After a winding scenic drive, lasting the better part of an afternoon, we found ourselves nestled into a cozy condo at the base of the White Mountains in northern New Hampshire. Pulling into a snowy and not-so-well-plowed parking lot, we unloaded the car and got acquainted with our temporary weekend living arrangements. As per usual, one of the kiddos tried to call dibs on the master bedroom equipped with a king-size bed, but alas, much to their disappointment, I’d already claimed it (one of the perks of being the parent.) Now with the sun long since down, we quickly inventoried our cold weather gear, grabbed a quick bite to eat, and headed towards the yearly man-made phenomena- Ice Castles.

About fifteen years ago, a man by the name of Brent Christensen, was attempting to entertain his six stir-crazy kids on a cold winter’s day in Utah. Crafting an ice cave in his front yard, it became an instant hit with not only his family, but all the neighboring children as well. Affectionately nicknamed an “ice castle,” this boredom buster became the first prototype of what would turn into a yearly seasonal sensation. Now with five locations across the U.S., Brent and a group of 20-40 ice artists construct these fairy tale frozen palaces by hand every winter.

So you may be asking, “How does one create an ice castle?” Well, once a location has been chosen and the weather is cold enough, Brent (the lead artist and architect) and his dedicated team spend a little over two months growing an estimated 12,000 icicles EVERY day! These handmade icicles are then strategically placed and crafted into tunnels, stairs, thrones, towers, slides, and more! To add to the whimsy, LED lights are frozen into the ice, allowing every part of the castle to glow and twinkle as you explore. By the time each frosty palace is finished, it covers approximately one acre and weighs over 25,000,000 pounds! And to add a little practicality into the magic, the structures are always built near a natural water source so as they melt the runoff can flow back into the environment.

After sufficiently meandering our way through the halls of the mighty fortress, we then found ourselves entranced as we leisurely strolled through the Winter Fairy Forest, a mystical forest path, complete with twinkling lights, dazzling displays, and fairy houses at every turn. As if that didn’t fulfill every childhood hope and dream, we ended the night with snow tube races and a souvenir magnet to add to my ever- growing collection.

So what did the Cunningham Crew think? The word “enchanting” comes to mind. All the elements of the evening blended together to create the most mesmerizing experience; the frosty air pricking our noses, an enrapturing neon glow illuminating the starlit night, toasty hot chocolate warming our hands, and colossal walls of crystals shimmering all around us. It was like not only stepping into a winter wonderland, but also crawling, sliding, and exploring our way through one. Word of advice: if you ever get the opportunity to race down an ice slide…do it! You will not be disappointed!