Ice Palace

This past week I headed over to Wausau Wisconsin for a conference.  My biggest mistake was not to take my camera with me.  So all of these pictures are taken on my phone.  It seemed that every time I stopped to take pictures the clouds would decided that was the best time to cover the sun... So I apologize as these pictures are not the best.

Michigan in my review mirror

As I was driving the blue skies in the mirror beckoned me to stop and take pictures.

To my dismay the view just wasn't the same on the side of the road.... 

In all the years that I have driven through Eagle River Wisconsin, I have never seen this Ice Palace on Highway 45.  I am not sure if I have had my eyes closed or what as I know I have been through the town during the winter months.  This year I saw it and stopped to take a few pictures.

It was amazing.  The ice palaces have been happening on and off since 1920.  It takes 700 man hours to cut and haul 3000 ice blocks from a local lake and take them to the area in Eagle River where the palace is built. It is built by the Eagle River Fire Fighters and Volunteers.  There is a place to leave donation and the sign says that the donations go to Fire Prevention and Education Material for Children.  If you would like to read more about these ice palaces or castles, head over here.

There is a box to leave monetary donations, but along the castle there was coins stuck to the side.  I am not sure I would want to be the one that had to pick up all the coins as the walls melted.

In the evenings coloured lights illuminate the ice palace.  I was able to get there just as the sun was going down and it was beautiful with the coloured lights and the blue, blue sky.

 This post isn't so much about sun and sunlight but it is about the amazing people of Eagle River that have used their talents to construct these wonderful Ice Palaces for many many years.  We may have complained about the weather and the cold but good things have come out of this cold weather like this magnificent ice palace.  This is one time that I wished that I had my camera with me.


Shared with these wonderful parties:  Sunlit Sunday, Mosaic Mondays