Ice Festival 2012

After a long week...we're talking horrible tooth pain involving a root canal...I was ready for some weekend fun. We took off yesterday to the Ice Festival. It was weird to go this year and there not be any snow on the grass. They even had to use the snow machines to make snow! Everyone has been talking about what a mild winter we have been having.
Last year it took us two tries to have a warm enough day to see the ice sculptures. This year it was 30 degrees...but there was talk of snow coming later in the afternoon. We were happy that the festival moved to a new location this year because that meant we got to ride the High Level Bridge Streetcar for free from the the LRT (subway) to the festival. It was really fun (and a little scary) to be up so high looking over the river!


The streetcar...who knew so many people could be packed on it?



The view of Edmonton from the bridge.



The LRT tunnel from the streetcar.

We walked from the streetcar to the Ice Festival. The ice sculptures were really impressive!

Poor Grayson...he had fallen asleep. Doesn't he look so funny?!

Claire couldn't wait another second to try out the ice slide. She kept saying, "I'm gonna ride the ice slide, Momma!" She was so excited...so I was completely shocked when she got to the top of the ladder and refused to slide down. I kept standing there with my camera ready, and Charlie kept trying to get her to slide down, but she wouldn't.

We finally got her to try out the baby slide and she loved it.

She slid down the baby slide a bunch of times, but never did try out the toddler slide. I wonder where she got her stubbornness, ha!

We also checked out the ice maze...

but it didn't take long before we were cold and ready to be on our way home.

We got back on the streetcar and rode the LRT home. And later that afternoon...it snowed about 3 inches. It seems that winter is here at last!