ICE! at Gaylord National Harbor Travel Guide

***Please note that this ICE! at Gaylord National Harbor Travel Guide will be updated and recirculated periodically to reflect the most up-to-date information. This travel guide was most recently updated as of December 2025.***

Sparkling light displays, Christmas trees galore, and alll things holiday cheer, the Gaylord Hotel at National Harbor is truly a magical place to be during the holidays! Ever since I was a kid, I have been visiting the magic of Christmas at the via ICE! Gaylord National Harbor. Truly, Christmas at the Gaylord is a holiday tradition that I have enjoyed for decades now! And, with ALL of its holiday magic and glory, the Gaylord has become a popular spot to spend Christmas time for folks both near and far. At the same time, I am someone who gets SOOO overwhelmed by the holiday crowds: something I know I am not alone in experiencing. As someone who has visited the Gaylord National Harbor pretty much every Christmas season, I’m going to share a bit about how to avoid the holiday crowds (to the best that you can!) while still enjoying some Christmas cheer!

Please note that this content is apart of my exploring the Washington, DC area series. For more information on planning your own trip to Washington DC (here), Northern Virginia (here), the Virginia Wine Country (here), Maryland (here), and beyond (here), please use the corresponding links for some recommendations and inspiration.

*Disclaimer: Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through one of my links, then I will receive a small commission. This commission is at no extra cost to you. Additionally, this post is not sponsored, and all opinions are my own.*

ICE! at Gaylord National Harbor Travel Guide


 

What is ICE! at Gaylord National Harbor?!

One of the most popular offerings that the Gaylord National Harbor has is its annual ICE! Christmas display. ICE! Is an ice sculpture display based on a well-known Christmas-themed movie (themes rotate each year amongst all of the Gaylord Hotels across the country!). 2025’s ICE! at Gaylord National Harbor theme is … The Polar Express (2024’s ICE! Display is themed around A Charlie Brown Christmas). Other rotating themes include: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer & Elf!.

My Experience at ICE! at Gaylord National Harbor

Here are a few key notes to keep in mind for your ICE! experience:

  • Upon arrival at the Gaylord National Harbor, all guests are to immediately follow the signs to ICE!. If you get lost in the big hotel that is the Gaylord National Harbor, then don’t fret, as several staff and fellow guests are happy to help guide you in the right direction. As of 2024, ICE!’s entrance and exit was housed in the Christmas Village, filled with magical Christmas gifts, a Build-A-Bear station, and fun holiday-themed activities.
  • Staff will let guests in based on their timed entry on their ticket. It is worth arriving at the Gaylord National Harbor 30 minutes-1 hour before your ticketed time to ensure you make it in on-time to fully enjoy your experience.
  • Come bundled up! Although big, blue puffer jackets are provided to all guests as the interior temperature of the ICE! displays are around 9 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s still worth bringing a hat, gloves, and wearing lined leggings/pants to ensure you stay warm and have the best experience possible.
  • Photos are welcomed all throughout the ICE! Christmas displays. Whether it be a camera, phone, or anything in between, ICE! at Gaylord National Harbor is the perfect opportunity to take all of the photos and capture all of your best memories!

Now, in addition to ICE!, what does the Gaylord National Harbor offer at Christmas time?!

The Gaylord Hotel offers everything from onsite restaurants and shops to Christmas trees and displays galore to sparkling lights and trees at every turn. Some of the many Christmas offerings in addition to ICE! at Gaylord National Harbor is listed below:

  • Sparkling lights line the trees that line the main hotel entrance. Truly, it’s a magical welcoming! And, once inside, Christmas trees lining the lobby hallway with an on-display gingerbread village.
  • An atrium Christmas tree that showcases unique atrium performances and periodic light displays galore throughout each evening. The lobby and second floor atrium balconies offer superb views of the tree and lights. At the lobby balcony, there is a restaurant and bar for guests to enjoy drinks and light bites on a first-come, first-served basis (crowds vary based on timing). To avoid the crowds though to get the optimal atrium tree views, it is recommended to take photos on the second floor balcony.
  • Onsite restaurants including the Old Hickory Steakhouse, a market and cafe, and a rooftop bar. Usually, I choose to dine at one of the many restaurants outside of the Gaylord in National Harbor (see the list here!). My favorites over the years include Redstone American Grill and McCormick & Schmick’s for more of a splurge and Potbelly and Chipotle for a more budget-friendly meal.
  • ICE! Christmas displays are truly an asset to the Gaylord National Harbor! As previously mentioned, the Christmas themes rotate amongst the Gaylord hotels across the United States, so visitors can enjoy a new theme year-after-year. ICE! Is an excellent photo opportunity and time to truly take in ALL of the holiday magic. Buy tickets here!
  • Outside the entry to ICE!, the Gaylord has its Christmas Village with several vendors, including a holiday-themed Build-A-Bear workshop, and boasts several opportunities to purchase holiday gifts for loved ones. Beyond the Christmas Village, the Gaylord has multiple onsite shops for your Christmas shopping (or treat yourself moments), too!

Crowds at ICE! at Gaylord National Harbor

Now, you are probably thinking, how do I avoid the holiday crowds to the best of my ability while visiting the Gaylord National Harbor?!

The best days/times to visit the Gaylord National Harbor are the following:

  • Thanksgiving Weekend and more specifically on Black Friday or the Sunday after in the evening
  • Any weeknight from Sunday evening-Thursday evening
  • Late afternoons on a weekend

The worst days/times to visit the Gaylord National Harbor are the following:

  • The weekend before Christmas
  • Any weekend after Thanksgiving during peak times (specifically anytime not late afternoons on the weekends)
  • The week of/before Christmas

Wrap-Up

Above all else, I find the Christmas cheer at the Gaylord National Harbor to be such a beautiful thing! Indeed, I go year after year and have been for decades to see this magical hotel light up every holiday season. And, I know that many of y’all get nervous about the Gaylord National crowds during Christmas. Crowds or not, the Gaylord National Harbor is an incredible place to be to ring the holiday season!

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

Annapolis, Maryland Travel Diary

I spent an incredible late July Saturday afternoon in the gorgeous town of Annapolis, Maryland! Growing up, I spent many summer days in the Maryland State Capital with my relatives who live there (and still do!) sailing, enjoying cotton candy ice cream at Storm Bros. Ice Cream Factory (which I did this time around, too!!), and walking the charming downtown streets and taking in ALL of the vibes. While I unfortunately due to family matters back at home could not meet up with my relatives this time around, there is ALWAYS a next time which I am looking forward to. Annapolis is a great stop on a road trip to the Delaware Beaches – my favorite near-to-me beach destination, which you can read my travel guide on the town of Bethany Beach, Delaware here. This time around, I brought my semi-recently acquired camera with me and snapped TONS of charming photos of Annapolis which is also known as “Naptown”. Now, I am sharing my *very own* Annapolis, Maryland travel diary!

Please note that this content is apart of my exploring the Washington, DC area series. For more information on planning your own trip to Washington DC (here), Northern Virginia (here), the Virginia Wine Country (here), Maryland (here), and beyond (here), please use the corresponding links for some recommendations and inspiration.

What I Did:

To kick off my Annapolis, Maryland travel diary, I got to meet my fellow Facebook and Instagram friend Jennifer of Capitol Hill Calligraphy & Design (support her here) at The Pink Crab – Annapolis’s Lilly Pulitzer Signature Store. Jennifer and I have SO MUCH in common, including ties to both North Carolina and New Jersey and *of course* the Washington, DC area, so it was destined that we meet! I am excited to connect with Jennifer now more, too. After a stop at The Pink Crab and meeting Jennifer and purchasing some of her incredibly gorgeous designs, too, I went to have a delicious lunch as I was starving at McGarvey’s and enjoyed a half a dozen of their $1 raw oysters (a STEAL nowadays thanks to inflation!), an Aviator’s Lager, and one of the most delicious salads I’ve ever had …. A shrimp & crab root vegetable summer salad. I will mention that the staff at both The Pink Crab and McGarvey’s were both beyond kind and made my experience at both places amazing!!

After *a little bit* of retail therapy and lunch, I headed for the iconic Naptown waterfront where I met an ultra-kind family from New York that visits Delaware every summer (which is where my Dad lives and my favorite summer spot, too!!!) and admired the gorgeous waterfront views filled with sail boats. Growing up, I would spend many summer afternoons and evenings sailing throughout the Annapolis waterfront with my Uncle John and cousins Jack and Laura alongside my Mom and brother Will, which I have MANY fond memories of. It was fun to see others enjoying Summer memories similar to mine! After the waterfront, I headed for the gorgeous and windy and colorful streets of Annapolis with my camera. Needless to say, it was a beautiful day and afternoon in Annapolis!

Wrap-Up:

Annapolis truly holds a special place in my heart and will for YEARS to come. I am excited to come back to Naptown and make more memories here with family and friends and myself as well.

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

A Day at Assateague Island National Seashore

Flashback to a few months ago and my best friend Amanda and I were planning our next trip (see one of our previous trips to Philadelphia here!) to visit my Dad and Step Mom and my “Sissy” aka their Yorkie Ginger in Bethany Beach, Delaware. Out of the blue, Amanda texts me that we MUST go to visit Assateague Island National Seashore on our visit. I had been previously to Assateague and had yet to see *even* one horse, HOWEVER, we truly hit the jackpot this time around. Long and behold, we had a sunny day AND saw … HORSES!!! Needless to say, it is worth making an Assateague Island day, especially as its within a reach from Washington, DC and Philadelphia to catch some waves and perhaps see a pony (or a few!!).

Please note that this content is apart of my exploring the Washington, DC area series. For more information on planning your own trip to Washington DC (here), Northern Virginia (here), the Virginia Wine Country (here), Maryland (here), and beyond (here), please use the corresponding links for some recommendations and inspiration.

About:

Assateague Island National Seashore is located in Berlin, Maryland and is proudly on the edge of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Assateague Island National Seashore is a National Park Service destination and offers a variety of different day and overnight activities for visitors to do, including: oceanfront camping, kayaking, and simply driving through and sightseeing. Check out more information here.

Getting there:

Assateague Island National Seashore is located about 3-4 hours (give or take traffic) from Washington, DC. It is within either a day’s trip reach from the city or makes for a great overnight trip combined with the nearby beaches of Ocean City, Maryland/the Delaware beaches (Bethany Beach, Dewey Beach, and Rehoboth Beach) or the charming nearby town of Berlin, Maryland. Note that one must pay for admission via a Standard Pass of $25/vehicle to Assateague IF you do not have a National Park Service pass already, so plan accordingly!

Overall Experience:

While we opted to mainly drive through for our Assateague Island Day as we went on an overcast April day, yet you could easily spend an entire day or even weekend here! Through it all though, I was SOOOOO happy that we got to see … ponies!!!! After multiple visits to Assateague Island National Seashore without seeing ANY horses, I was genuinely SO SO SO excited to see many of them at once and I know my crew aka Amanda and Dad and my Step Mom and Ginger were, too. At the same time, we took the opportunity to walk to the ocean from the parking lot filled with horses. Amanda and I did a mini photo shoot, admired the gorgeous coastline with peeks of sunshine, and Ginger ran allll across the sand A TON. It was a GLORIOUS time!

Wrap-Up:

The bottom line is to keep expectations LOW when visiting Assateague as to whether or not you will see horses. Seeing horses there is definitely hit or miss, but can be so beautiful to see. Either way, the scenery at Assateague Island National Seashore from marshes to ocean to everything in between is STUNNING and worth a visit!

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

A July 4th Weekend in the DMV

Baby you’re a firework!!! This past weekend, my best friends Hannah and Alanna visited for the July 4th weekend. We had a blast and were able to, as Hannah put it, visited three states – Virginia, District of Columbia, and Maryland – in 3 days. We spent our weekend exploring the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia (but mostly for a fireworks show), Annapolis, Maryland with a boat ride along the Severn River off of the Chesapeake Bay, and of course Washington, DC. Today, I will be sharing our experiences from the past weekend AND some tips and tricks to combating the crowds and still having a great time at the notable fireworks show in Washington, DC. Here we go!!!

My July 4 Weekend Trip

Friday – The Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia

Alanna and Hannah both came in on the train on Friday evening. My Papa LOVES going to the Workhouse Arts Center’s fireworks show every year, so he bought my friends and I a tailgate ticket to enjoy the fireworks, ourselves while he got a VIP ticket.

Fun fact: The Workhouse Arts Center is the former prison outside of Washington, DC-turned Arts Center. The formerly known Lorton Prison also housed some of many notable suffragettes in the 1900’s, bringing on a dark history to the center and Northern Virginia suburb of Lorton. Since becoming an Arts Center, the Workhouse Arts Center hosts a fireworks show every year along with displaying beautiful pieces of artwork made by local artists along with glasses, galleries, and a museum exhibit on its former prison roots.

Before going to the Workhouse Arts Center for a fireworks display, we all grabbed Mission BBQ – one of my favorite barbecue chains that supports police officers, firemen, and our military amongst many other first responders and our own American heroes. Once we arrived at the Arts Center, we strolled through the vendors and stations filled with several local businesses and admired the Arts Center’s grounds. We got to enjoy our dinners and the sunsets before an 8 minute-long fireworks show. Such a great way to kick start the July 4th weekend!

Saturday – Annapolis, Maryland

Some of my many relatives live in and around the beautiful town of Annapolis, Maryland. Annapolis is the Maryland state capitol and resides on the Chesapeake Bay. For reference, the Maryland city reminds me of the beautiful New England cities of Boston, Massachusetts and Newport, Rhode Island! To kick off our time in this gorgeous city, we visited my relatives at their Annapolis house before hitting the historic downtown.

Once we went downtown, we walked around the notable Annapolis Main Street and hit the local and oh-so preppy boutiques that it has to offer. Most notably, The Lucky Knot and of course The Pink Crab – a Lilly Pulitzer Signature Store. We also hit the most stunning Starbucks locations that I have been to on Main Street along with the 17 year old flagship Annapolis Ice Cream Company. We, then, strolled along State Circle which is home to the Maryland Statehouse and some extraordinary views of it. The streets all along Main Street and State Circle are cobblestone streets with colonial inspiration wherever you go!

After exploring downtown, we walked about a mile away to Eastport, Maryland where my Uncle John’s sailboat is. On our walk there, we crossed a beautiful drawbridge that displayed stunning views of the Chesapeake Bay and the Severn River along with local Maryland yacht clubs. Once we arrived on the boat, we enjoyed several stunning views of the Severn River. We went by the Naval Academy, downtown Annapolis, and much more! We, even, saw a rainbow from a recent storm – what a great way to spend the day!

Sunday – Washington, DC

From 8am to 12am, we were all in for a full Washington, DC Fourth of July. Each way, we took Metro – the Washington, DC area transit system. We kicked off our day with a Sunday brunch at the uber trendy and super fun Urban Roast. Urban Roast is known for their charcuterie boards with everything from your typical meat and cheese to waffles and your typical morning breakfast favorites! We got the breakfast board with waffles, biscuits, eggs, fruit, pastries, bacon, and sausage. It was great and the Instagram photos made it all even better!

Our early afternoon was spent at the Smithsonian’s American History Museum. As I have previously mentioned in my blog posts, due to COVID-19, the Smithsonian is offering ticketed entry where visitors can register to visit at a particular time up to 30 days in advance. All tickets are free, just like every Smithsonian museum always is. Everyone must wear a mask and maintain a social distance of 6 feet apart. So, we in a socially distanced fashion enjoyed the Smithsonian Museum – probably my favorite of the bunch! We went to the First Ladies, Transportation, and Food exhibits amongst many others. My favorite exhibits is, in fact, The First Ladies exhibit. The gift shop at that museum is also a favorite of mine, too. Definitely a fun time!

The remainder of our day was spent in and around the National Mall. The National Mall is where the fireworks were to be held that night. We ate at local food trucks for dinner and ice cream and took naps on the Mall, with some of us awake at each time of course. We also walked around to go see the National Monument, Korean War Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, and Capitol at a distance (each were blocked off due to the fireworks). The fireworks were a blast as the fireworks show was packed with visitors and fireworks for 17 minutes straight. Fireworks were presented by the National Monument and the Jefferson Memorial/Tidal Basin. It was super cool to see both, as well. Overall, it was a hot day but a very fun one, too!

Tips for seeing the Washington, DC Fireworks

  • DO NOT spend all Day in the city – get there in the evening. If you don’t, then you will probably be drained and tired of the crowds like I was by 3pm. The crowds get bigger and bigger as the day progresses. Take the fireworks viewing like a concert – be alert and ready to watch and have a great time!!!
  • Take public transportation – pretty much all of the areas to park in the city and even the nearby suburbs will be closed. So, be prepared to take the Metro in and the crowds that come with it.
  • Bring chairs, blankets, and your own food and water – food and water bottles are expensive in the city and your own comfort will be more at ease when you do. Sitting in the grass can suck at times if you forget it all and your wallet will appreciate you, too.
  • Leave the National Mall a few minutes later – it will be very crowded once the fireworks show ends. People will be rushing to leave once it all ends and the crowds will be INSANE. So, definitely save yourself the hassle and hang out in and around the National Mall a few moments later. You also may want to walk a little bit extra to a further Metro station such as Metro Center, Foggy Bottom, or Farragut North/West. You can even check out a bar or restaurant, too. Just be mindful that Metro trains will depart at around 10:45 at the latest.

Here’s to a great July 4th weekend with even greater friends!!!

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment