Tampa’s Festival of Lights | Santa’s Village Drive-Thru Winter Wonderland

The Hillsborough County Fairgrounds announces their ALL-NEW holiday light spectacular, opening on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 25, and running through Sunday, December Tampa Bay’s Festival of Lights and Santa’s Village will envelop guests in an enchanting winter wonderland from their entrance marked by a custom, signature light display on Route 60 to their exit through twinkling trees as they leave the Fairgrounds. One million lights will blanket the entire site.

This year’s event boasts a nearly two-mile drive-thru of continuous light features followed by a festive walking visit to Santa’s Village. Designed to appeal to all ages and backgrounds, the elaborate light displays themed to Florida and traditional winter holidays are complemented by individual presentations representing Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. From hilarious elves wrestling alligators to a giant gingerbread house with candy and cakes to a beautiful Feliz Navidad presentation, each area flows seamlessly along the driving route, ensuring continual guest amazement. Santa’s Village is filled with activities and treats that tempt the young and young-at-heart, such as Santa’s barnyard, holiday movies, visits with Santa and a plenty of social media-worthy photo opportunities.

For the first time, the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds Board of Directors named Fair Manager Suzanne Holcomb the Event Producer, ensuring that the Fairgrounds is wholly transformed into a spectacle of holiday cheer. Holcomb hired Brandano Displays Inc., nationally known for community holiday display events, as the lighting design firm to further elevate the event. Led by Pat Brandano, the team brings 45 years of design experience to the event.

“People who attend this year will feel as if they’ve been dipped in holiday magic while creating family memories. With enchantment in mind, we have added brighter lights, jaw-dropping displays, new activities and music that combine to create an unforgettable immersive experience,” said Holcomb. “We are focused on the guest journey from the time they enter the road leading to the gate to the moment they leave Santa’s Village.”

The immersion begins upon entrance, as vehicles travel through 80 themed display areas with more than 250 larger-than-life pieces. Convenient post-drive-thru parking allows guests to easily walk to Santa’s Village, which will be fully decked out in holiday décor and music, including more than 3000 feet of lights on buildings and 500 animated dripping lights on trees.

Planned Displays
• Pirates of Tampa
• Santa Driving an Airboat
• Colorful Florida Reef with Coral, Fish, Sea Creatures
• Candy Cane Lane
• North Pole Ski Shop
• Frosty’s Ice Cream Truck
• Rudolph’s Bakery
• Penguins Playing
• Others to be announced.

Planned Activities
• Santa’s Barnyard – a clean, interactive display of Santa’s favorite critters, including camel rides
• Family fun games/activities, including face painting
• Holiday movies and shorts
• Holiday treats and delicacies
• Visits with Santa and other social media-friendly photo ops
• Additional activities to be announced.

Tickets for this year’s event are on sale now and cost $25/car, the same price as last year. For more information and tickets, please visit http://www.hillsboroughcountyfair.com.

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Media Contacts: Melinda Hartline, HARTLINE Communications
melinda@hartlinecommunications.com
813-494-7768 (mobile)
Lisa Taylor, Osprey Nest Enterprises
Lisataylorcommunications@gmail.com
703-725-3465 (mobile)

Bioluminescent Kayak Tour

Last month I was invited* to do something I had heard about, but had not yet tried. As a Florida native, it’s kind of astonishing that I hadn’t tried it at least once, but this sort of thing depends on weather, moon cycles… and is a definite step off the beaten path. What on earth is it? Well, it’s kind of “other-worldly” if you ask me: a Bioluminescent Kayak Tour in the waters of Florida’s Indian River and Mosquito Lagoon.

The first step in our adventure was learning all the right moves for safety and skill The top one on my list to master was The Hula. This move would help counteract swells and other obstacles that “could” lead to going overboard. And while I’ve been canoeing since I was in junior high, kayaking is slightly different and I wanted to have that maneuver down solid!

Next up after donning our vests and glow sticks we set out in our kayaks charged with going “straight out” to a particular point before making a hard turn starboard. (Is it even called starboard on a kayak?) My partner Meghan (On The Move) and I ventured out as described then waited for the entire group before heading down the river toward what would appear to be magic!

During the warm summer months the waters of Florida’s Indian River and Mosquito Lagoon come alive with Bioluminescence. Bioluminescence is caused by a chemical reaction producing light energy within an organism’s body. (If you want to know more, here’s an excellent resource.)

So what does that look like when a mullet swims past you, or a manatee glides past you in the water? My first thought was Tinkerbell! If you’ve ever seen a Disney movie, you’ve probably seen the intro where she can be seen swirling through the sky leaving a swath of light behind her.

For the entire tour, grown people could be heard giggling like little kids. Squeals of delight ushered a new, yet fleeting, sighting of some creature stirring up the waters and giving us our own mini light show from beneath. On our particular outing we “saw” manatees, fish and even a dolphin!

The bioluminescent waters proved hard to photograph…

I wish that our cameras could have adequately captured the pretty swirls and glowing affectations. I must have taken 50 pictures of my hands making splashes that looked like radioactive blue milk that night, yet sadly mysterious-looking glow kept its secrets from outsiders, except to those there in person.

If you’d like an adventure like no other, make a reservation with A Day Away Kayak Tours at Haulover Canal Launch and make it soon. The cycle ends as the temperatures drop, which for us means through October.

*I was invited to attend a Biolumiescent Kayak Tour with
A Day Away Kayak Tours at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

Dining in the Dark Orlando 2014

I’m not going to lie. It was a strange sensation, to say the least. “Dining in the Dark,” while sounding mysterious and exciting from a culinary point of view, sounded intimidating and, OK I’ll say it, scary from an emotional standpoint. Second Harvest invited the community to join them May 8, 2014 for a unique evening of fine dining to support not only their efforts feeding the hungry in Central Florida, but Lighthouse, an organization that assists the blind and visually impaired in our area.

The event began with a cocktail reception in the Second Harvest warehouse. In the middle of racks piled sky-high and refrigeration cases bloated with healthy goodness to be shared, we were serenaded by Asli Goncer, a local performer, while we enjoyed passed hors d’oeuvres. During this time we got a chance to meet our servers, the Orlando Police Department SWAT Team who let the “civilians” check out their night vision headsets. Some of us tried on the apparatus, while others just checked it out from afar. As the meet and greet hour grew to a close, so too grew my apprehension.

While I’ve never been arm-in-arm escorted by an officer of the law before, in this instance it was the only way to find my way to the dining room, not to mention my chair. The officer in charge of our table asked a couple of times if I was OK. (While I could see nothing, he could see the panic on my face.) Happily, though, my friend Emily Ellyn had done “this sort of thing” before and was a comforting presence, not to mention our table’s go-to gal on determining what we were eating. 

When the first course was set before us, I felt the bowl-like shape and laughed at the very real possibility that soup was on the menu. They were not as mischievous as I had envisioned, and instead presented us with a seared seafood boudin blanc (a seafood mix that is cut to resemble a scallop in shape, size, and texture). First course guess: wrong, but pretty darn close as I thought it was a scallop.

The salad was an easy guess, but I wouldn’t have picked out the pickled shaved radish (that I learned later looked so vibrant on the plate). Guessing which pitcher held water and which had iced tea was accomplished with the “whiff” test, while the wine was being passed with running commentary as to being white or red. There were, thankfully, no comments from the SWAT officers on the horribly inaccurate pour job I, nee we, did getting beverages in our glasses!

Over great conversation with my table-mates, we were then presented with the main course, a grilled lamb chop with a spring garlic and potato whip. I’m sure I wasn’t the only diner who, when presented with a big ol’ delicious bone sticking out, picked up my chop to munch happily. I learned that while there’s freedom when most everyone around you is in the same blind boat, it must be exhausting to live in that state at all times, constantly gauging your movements.

While I have intimate knowledge of what it’s like to be a hungry child in Central Florida, my experience with blindness is confined to migraines where, in my case, I go temporarily blind in one eye for as little as a few minutes, to an hour or more. My minor association with vision loss is enough to make me shudder at the reality faced by the visually impaired. More than any part of the event, that hard-hitting message touched a nerve.

One fellow guest who works at Lighthouse shared how their work helps families of young children either born blind or through trauma. Can you imagine teaching a toddler how to play pat-a-cake, or stack blocks? I, a grown woman, had a hard time finding my mouth for one evening (and it’s been in the same place for forty-some-odd years). Things we so often take for granted are absent daily to members of our community. Thankfully Lighthouse of Central Florida provides many critical services for the blind of all ages, as well as helping with job placement and training.

Second Harvest’s decision to partner with Lighthouse on Dining in the Dark was a great one, as people do tend to turn a “blind eye” to hunger. I doubt people around me even knew I was a hungry kid at the time. Adults rarely talk about it, and kids are embarrassed to share. (I remember I was!) Fortunately Second Harvest gets food in the hands of those who need it, so there are fewer kids like I was… wondering where my next meal would come from, and not even knowing who to ask for help.

I look forward to attending more Dining in the Dark Orlando events in the future. Not only was I impressed with the stellar job done by the chefs who donated their time (thanks Disney Chef team!) and the culinary students in the Darden Community Kitchen, but it was a great way to experience food in a more sense-ual way. Dining with heightened awareness to sounds, smells, temperature variations, brushes against your arm, etc., made for a memorable time.

Please keep an “ear out” for future Dining in the Dark events. Foodies and adventure-seekers alike will be happy to hear about this unusual outing that tickles your taste buds, awakens your senses, and warms your heart knowing that each ticket purchased helps bring a little more light to some dark corners right here in Central Florida.

 

Thanks Second Harvest for letting me originally share this as a guest post (here).

Half-Price Kids Tickets Through October 31, 2011 at SeaWorld

Nothing Spooky about this Friendly Witch!

Now through the end of October, kids get in for half-price at SeaWorld*. With each full-paid adult ticket, a child’s ticket (kids 3-9) can be purchased for half price and you both also get to enjoy the “second visit free” promotional with the discount. Additional children get $10 off their admission.  Just in time for SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular!

Guests enjoy trick-or-treating by the water side, and Halloween-themed shows throughout the park. Clyde and Seamore tend to go all out and street performers, like the Longshoremen, will make you laugh with their take on apple bobbing and pumpkin carving.

For an additional cost, families can dine with “The Count” from Sesame Street. This seasonal special is a lot of fun! Tasty breakfast, Elmo, fun for the whole family… what’s not to love? Click here for the link to purchase tickets. (Passholders don’t forget to log in to the main website to receive your discount.)

Kids can wear costumes, or not. The choice is up to them. Our 4-year-old insisted on a different costume EACH time we went last year. And as season passholders, that’s a lot of visits. (For the record, wearing a tee shirt with a baseball on it does, indeed, count as a ballplayer costume! Ha ha.)

Longshoremen Remove the "Pumpkin Guts."

Here’s a peek at the “Halloween Party” routine. I suggest when you see it live giving the stevedores some “room” to do the show. It is a splash zone. A pumpkin-spraying, arms-waving, guts flying good time.

Be sure to bring your camera as there are lots and lots of great shows, and whimsical sea creatures all around who are more than happy to take pictures with your little one. (And grownups, too!) Shamu, Opie Otter, Daisy Dolphin and the rest of the characters can also be seen out and about posing in their costumes. There are even some mermaids “swimming” about. I wonder what Shamu will be this year?!

I see something fishy at Spooktacular!

My favorite from last year was a little girl dressed as a jellyfish. What are your kids wearing? Any awesome marine-inspired costumes?

Tell me how you enjoyed Spooktacular last year. Anyone help Abby find her wand? Did you see the roller-blade-wearing sea weed? What was your favorite part? I’d love to hear from you!

*Adult admission is $81.99 plus tax, and children’s half-off admission is $36.99 plus tax with each paid-adult ticket. Visit SeaWorldOrlando.com or call 1-888-800-5447 to purchase tickets.

Hubbs-SeaWorld Research and Many Others Play Role in Winter’s Initial Rescue ¦ Dolphin Tale Article One

Four-year-old Daniel doesn’t quite know what to make of the dolphin
who is missing her tail fluke, but he’s eager to learn!

Winter the Dolphin is in the news quite a bit lately, with her movie debut scheduled for later this month. (Click here to go to the website.) Those of us who’ve read about her for years and have followed her amazing journey from rescued animal to global source of inspiration are not surprised one bit that Hollywood called. How can one NOT be inspired of her story of survival and adaptation despite staggering odds to the contrary?

Caught in a crab trap to the point where her body was bent into a horseshoe, the few-month-old baby Atlantic bottlenose dolphin’s body flailed in the water attracting Mosquito Lagoon fisherman Jim Savage in December, 2005. His call to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission put in motion an army of biologists, and other rescuers, who would work tirelessly for hours in an attempt to save the small dolphin’s life.

Although through movie magic Winter’s rescue seems rather quick it did, in fact, take many hours of a unusually cold Florida day, and into the night.

A research assistant at Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, Teresa Mazza, was one of the first to respond to the cetacean stranding. When she got there just before 10 a.m., Winter was floating on the surface in the middle of the waterway. Together with the fisherman who found and disentangled her, Teresa and Claire Surrey, a manatee rescue expert from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, gently guided her towards a sandbar. The women then took turns holding the dolphin in the frigid water across their laps, monitoring her vital signs, and doing their best to keep the frightened calf calm until about 4:30 when scientists from Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce arrived and the transportation team got there to take her to her new home.

It was just before sunset when Winter was loaded into the SeaWorld rescue vehicle for her 165-mile-long long journey across the state to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. The Animal Care team gladly accepted the “hand off” and each member crossed fingers and toes in hopes that the struggles of the day were not too much for the exhausted dolphin to bear. They worried, too, if her tail would ever heal from the injuries inflicted.

After hours on the road, more biologists, veterinarians, trainers, and volunteers met the SeaWorld Animal Care team and their very precious cargo. Though badly injured, the dolphin’s spirit showed the staff that they should, indeed, hold out hopes that she could survive.

And survive she did! Winter, named for the winter day she was rescued, is now the goodwill ambassador for the Clearwater Marine Aquarium whose team works day in and day out in her continuing recovery.

Despite workers’ best efforts, Winter did lose her tail. It wasn’t “movie magic” that helped her swim again… but some talented, caring prosthetic experts. But that is another dolphin tale to come!

Discovery Cove at SeaWorld Takes Your Breath Away

My 4-year-old, Daniel, is used to being up close and personal with marine life. As a visitor to SeaWorld and Bush Gardens well over 100 times in his short life (not to mention countless visits to zoos and other animal-themed attractions) he’s pretty much a pro when it comes to interactions. Our visit to Discovery Cove, however, has raised the bar so much so that I fear his expectation of “normal” is forever altered!

Walking into the check-in/lobby building, Daniel first noticed the incredible art. He bent over to examine the mosaic floor. “Look, Mom. It’s like waves,” he said as he then proceeded to show me how many shades of green were represented, and how many blue. His neck craned up: “Look, Mom, at the dolphins!” Above us graceful dolphins appeared to be floating, breathtaking fiberglass on steel crafted by artist Michael Linenbroker. He looked at it from multiple angles, checking out the white fish “swimming” with them. Our feast for the eyes had begun, and we’d only arrived minutes before.

Once our entire group had arrived, our guide walked us out of the main building toward the Reef. “This is a magical path” my son informs me as we make our way along the nature path past Serenity Bay and Dolphin Lagoon. He knows he’s going to see tons of sea life, and is thrilled to find a corded “fish I.D.” card he can take with us for the day. I was happy to find it, too, as he’s extremely curious on specifics. (I can no longer get away with: “It’s a bird, or a plant, or an airplane.” It’s a Toucan, a Dusty Miller, and a Cessna!)

After donning our wetsuits (sans Spanx, dang it), our little band made tracks for the shore. We easily found a locker for our gear and a chair for our towels. Despite being at capacity for the grand opening of the new attraction, we didn’t feel crowded. Even  “full” was not shoulder-to-shoulder like some places. We felt free and easy, with plenty of “elbow room.”

After our guides gave us the lay of the land we walked into the water, snorkeling gear in hand. A cow-nose stingray swam past us at about “knee deep,” causing aforementioned 4-year-old a moment’s hesitation. Initial fear melted into an ear-to-ear grin followed by wild expressions of delight. Great big eyes looked up at me as he asked, “Can we go way out there?!”

I knew he’d fall in love with Discovery Cove, but I had no idea it would be so hard and so complete. Everywhere he looked there were birds, tropical fish, marine mammals… you name it. At the center of his fascination was the brand new Grand Reef.

With a footprint of 2.5 acres and close to a million gallons of water and 5 million pounds of pristine, sifted beach sand, the Grand Reef is home to thousands of tropical fish and dozens of rays including spotted eagle rays that have a 5-foot wingspan! Behind glass we found eels and, holy moly, sharks!

We balanced on rock formations (man made, like the removable coral so as not to be sharp) and bobbed and floated and swam to points near and far checking out the abundant marine species, and marveling at this unprecedented view into their world.

We did attempt the snorkeling gear, LOL!

I would have loved it if my little man could have used the mask and snorkel to better see the curious and colorful creatures in our midst, but he may be a little young… this trip. He couldn’t quite get it into his head that something covering his eyes and nose (and being tight and pressing on his face) was a good thing. His mom, however, put the gear to good use (with dad nearby to watch the boy). Swimming nose to nose with a stingray whose eyes were larger than mine was awe-inspiring, I can assure you.

“I don’t see how I could ever return to common life after this,” thought we all (quoting “Anne of Green Gables”).

Sure you may have gotten goose bumps at SeaWorld interacting with the marine life and riding the awesome rides. And OK, your family has giggled with delight while whooshing down the slides at Aquatica…. But if you’re ready for your next BIG close encounter with all you love from the marine parks, do not miss Discovery Cove. I’m already counting the days until I, too, can return.

Get the Sensation at One Ocean at SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld’s new killer whale show was unveiled recently with a splash! (Understatement of the year!) Crowds, as you can imagine for opening day, were heavy, but we managed to get a seat. (We joking referred to ourselves as “ceiling fans,” we were SO far up in the stadium.) In our subsequent visits we’ve made it a point to arrive 30 to 40 minutes early to get the up-close-and-personal seats. Why? Well, first because it’ breathtaking being close to the whales, and second because you “get the sensation.”

Young children are naturally curious. Talking about events like this by discussing the senses is a super introduction to not only science, but language arts. And they learning to be good observers and communicators, all while recounting a fun, FUN show.

We started with the five “primary” (or most-known) senses.

What did we hear? Uplifting and up-tempo music, of course, but we also heard the sound of water splashing as the whales jumped out of the water, then BOOM landed again. We heard the crowd giggling and screaming when they were hit with the splashes and the water crashing on the stadium seats.

What did we see? Majestic, huge!, shiny black-and-white beauties, caring trainers, TONS of water, huge screens that moved, lots and lots of people having the time of their lives. We pointed out some of the whale’s anatomy: rostrum, fluke, blow hole, dorsal fin and eyespot. And look, up in the sky… it’s a bird. But he’s not part of the show! It’s just a white feathered friend trying to sneak a snack.

How about feeling? Did we feel anything… unusual? Well, when we sat up in the upper balcony we felt the smoothness of the seat underneath us and the gritty concrete of the stadium walls. Normal stuff. On subsequent visits (when we sat in the Zone), however, we also felt wet… REALLY wet as we felt the splash from the pool!

Get the Sensation of Being SPLASHED

We smelled snacks, and the faint smell of fish when the wind caught it “just so,” but didn’t taste anything until the show was over and we re-filled our popcorn bucket (you certainly don’t want a full bucket getting soggy in the show, now do you?).

There are more than five senses. It’s actually closer to 20. One of the many “lesser-known” senses we described is thermoception which, to my young child, we called hot/cold. One minute we were “enjoying” (ahem) the Florida heat and then WHAM! a wall of extremely cold water made our skin shiver as goose bumps appeared.

Our balance helped us maneuver up and down the steps and kept us from toppling off our seats when we were hit with “the wave.” We could tell time was passing as we waited for the show to begin and were impatient for it to start. (And, curiously, time seemed to go quicker during all the fun!)

Describing what we sensed not only helped fix the memories in our minds, but helped my son use his exploding language skills.

One Ocean was fun. It was thrilling. It was (dare I say it?!) SENSEational! And it was, yet again, an educational experience for the whole family, cleverly disguised as a whale of a day.

On Their Own, Now… SeaWorld Releases Their 1000th Rescued Sea Turtle

This gallery contains 3 photos.

The other day my son fell asleep on my chest. This usually high-test, fast motion, ALL boy 4-year-old for a few, brief moments let me hold him and nurture him “up close and personal.” After a stretch here, a yawn … Continue reading →

A Winter Wonderland at SeaWorld

I think a lot of people get depressed right after the holidays. No more presents to open. No more lights twinkling all around. No cheery holiday songs to mangle. (My favorites are a friend’s daughter, Rachel, singing “Giddy up jingle horse, look at your feet” and my son’s classic misunderstanding of a certain snowman’s anthem. He kept asking what kind of cakes he bakes. We were confused until we realized he thought the words were “Frosting the Snowman!”) Thankfully, SeaWorld keeps the holidays going just a little bit longer… until January 2 at least.

I’m pretty sure we’ve enjoyed the festivities at least 10 times this year, with another one or two on the horizon. Can you blame us?

A few weeks ago we sat front and center for the Winter Wonderland on Ice show. Before the skaters dazzled us with their fancy footwork, a quartet of Polar Express engineers serenaded us barber-shop style with all the favorites. You should have seen my son’s eyes get big and his mouth drop as they crooned away. You’re never too young for music appreciation, and my 3-year-old is certainly a fan! His eyes went from singer to singer. “It sounds just like a radio!”

Skates then sliced through the ice when a troupe of dancers performed effortlessly on the stage at Bayside Stadium. Parka-clad beauties in ice-blue dresses “shooshed” and swayed with their all-in-white partners appropriately to “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” followed by a high-energy solo for “Frosty the Snowman.” We especially enjoyed the graceful and elegant “Christmas Waltz” (just picture the flowing white gowns billowing in the breeze as the skaters glide past you!).  We then got jazzed up by a really top-notch soloist performing to “Cool Yule,” one of my favorite holiday songs. Big band Christmas music just does it for me and the skater nailed it! My son’s favorite number, though, was “Hot Chocolate!” And yes, we enjoyed the drink at the same time we were listening to the song! Dancing penguins?! Skating chefs with huge whisks?! AND singing about his favorite beverage. Well, as you can imagine… it was fabulous!

Hot chocolate, the drink!, has been a fun treat this year. All through the Christmas Market, and throughout the park, there are drink stations! We purchased the insulated mugs that allow you to get inexpensive refills. I have at least a pound or two of holiday weight gain thanks to these little babies, but OH has it been fun! (My favorite photos are of my little guy with a chocolate mustache curled up his cheeks while he hugs Santa Shamu!)

Warm insides, chilly (chilly!) temperatures outside have made for a wintery wonderland this year. Sigh. It’ll be over in a few days. OK, now I’m getting depressed. Better go make some cocoa…

Firefly Moments at SeaWorld

Little boys are more like fireflies than kittens… lightening in a bottle, elusive to catch, a joy to behold, and radiating with a glow from within. Kittens are also a blur of motion, and tough to pin down, but sometimes, just sometimes they slow down enough to be held. I had that joy the other morning when my usually wiggly 3 1/2-year-old snuggled up with me in my bed and let me rub down his back, his arm draped over my neck.

Moments of pure unadulterated warmth and joy are ones to cherish. I’ve been thinking about special times like that a lot lately with the holidays fast approaching. We’ve had many of our special memories of the season at SeaWorld.

I think we’ve either spent Christmas day, or the day before or after, at SeaWorld my son’s entire life. (Not to mention at least two or three times during the month of December!) The crowds are not bad, and everyone is in a good mood. Holiday sounds and music echo through the air. And most importantly, I have beside me the most amazing little boy, holding my hand, curling up next to me as we watch the dolphins from the underwater viewing area, or giggling like mad at the cold, cold riders of Journey to Atlantis as they get soaking wet from the splash at the end. It’s especially magical to romp through the Polar Express.

At my son’s age trains, as you can imagine, are of paramount importance. (A certain little blue cheeky engine and his friends take center stage, um, I mean floor, at our house.) Christmas trains, however, hold a special fascination. Unlike the warm climate our mild winter offers trains and their passengers, the winter wonderland of the Polar Express Experience allows that train to chug chug through ice and snow in a place so cold you need hot chocolate to warm your insides. I smile watching my son’s chubby red cheeks try to grin and drink at the same time, his jacket now dribbled and dotted with cocoa.

Of course the train isn’t real, and you can’t actually ride on it except through either the visual and physical sensations of the simulator ride (this is, mind you, my son’s only complaint about SeaWorld: no “real” train), or by watching the movie in the non-motion version. It is, nonetheless, a place to imagine Chris Van Allsburg’s vision… followed by a chance to meet Santa Clause, adorned in the glorious costume depicted in the Caldecott  Award-winning book and Oscar-nominated film.

I look forward to the new wonders SeaWorld’s dreamed up this year. The Sea of Trees, 74 in all, will be lighted within and without, synchronized waters arcing over and through them as the seas around them come alive as they “dance” to the holiday music.

There will be an ice skating show, which I’m anxious to see, and fireworks to cap off the evening. My little guy will be, no doubt, snuggled up on my lap as we watch. I’ll rub his back and as he drapes his little arms around me and his dad. We’ll drink in the magic and enjoy every blessed minute. I’ll bet the sparkles and flashes above our heads look like fireflies in the sky….