By Richard Varr From Galveston.com

The ice carvers are back, chipping away at more than two million pounds of ice that are already being formed into sculptures for Moody Gardens’ upcoming ICE LAND exhibit, just in time for the holidays. This year’s theme brings a touch of the warm Caribbean to the icy exhibit, ICE LAND: A Caribbean Christmas.

“We are excited to invite guests to explore the Gulf of Mexico,” says Moody Gardens Public Relations Coordinator Courtney Carr. “Visitors can see abundant coral and fish in addition to a lighthouse and shipwreck, and slide down an ice slide that takes the form of an oil rig.” The ice oil rig ice slide leads to the so-called Flower Garden Banks. Sculptures also include tropical fish, eagle rays, turtles, dolphins, hammerhead sharks and more. Also new this year will be Shivers Ice Bar. “Guests are also invited to our fully functioning ice bar for a frosty beverage,” says Carr.

ICE LAND: A Caribbean Christmas opens along with the popular Festival of Lights and six other holiday attractions on November 12th, kicking off with live entertainment including singers and dancers, and all leading up to Santa parachuting out of an airplane.

“In its third year, ICE LAND continues to offer families a new tradition and frozen world that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to experience,” notes Carr.

“This coupled with the seven other holiday attractions makes Moody Gardens the perfect place to make family memories around the Christmas season.”

As in past years, Festival of Lights includes a one-mile walking trail that features hundreds of light displays. The other attractions include movies in Moody Gardens’ 3-D theater, the Cirque Joyeux Noel Dinner & Show, train rides and the thrilling Artic Slide.

ICE LAND will be open November 12 through January 8. Admission for adults is $26.95, $21.95 for seniors and $15.95 for children. A Value Days discount of $5.00 is available Sunday through Thursday, November 15 – December 17 excluding Thanksgiving Day. Special packages are available for groups of 20 or more.

Moody Gardens is also offering an advance show inside ICE LAND, the Ice Carver VIP Experience, running from October 1 – November 6, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Visitors will see the ice carvers in action as they create ICE LAND. Guest should bring closed-toed shoes, hat and gloves and Moody Gardens will provide parkas. A bonus includes a 45-minute Penguin Encounter with a real penguin at the Aquarium Pyramid.

Guests will also have lunch with the ice carving team, take part in a question and answer session, and receive a ticket to visit ICE LAND and the Festival of Lights when the attractions open. The cost is $199 per person. For reservations, call 409-683-4368. Reservations are required one week in advance, and prepayment is required at the time of the reservation.

For more on this story go to: http://www.galveston.com/blog/421/moody-gardenss-ice-land-returns-with-a-caribbean-theme-for-the-holidays/