I like to travel, but even I know that zipping around the globe to see all these iconic landmarks of the world would be impossible to do. Unless, you were seeing them carved in ice at IceFest in Hamilton, Ohio, which touts itself at ‘The City of Sculpture.’
The ice sculpture festival is held every 2-3 years and revolves around a theme. The theme of 2011’s IceFest depicted great books, and it was fantastic. This year, the theme was “Landmarks of the World” – right up my alley!
Mount Rushmore +
Niagara Falls and the Maid of the Mist boat
Taj Mahal
Big Ben
Eiffel Tower (I added the beret.)
Easter Island
An estimated 200 blocks and 40 tons of ice were used for sculptures lining High Street. We had the chance to watch ice carvers in action.
Luckily, visitors this year did not feel like ice cubes themselves. We actually enjoyed mild weather that day, which didn’t bode well for Abraham Lincoln. His neck got so thin that we weren’t sure he would make it through the day.
Lady Liberty got so hot she dropped her torch.
Give me your tired, your cold, your huddled masses yearning for a break!
IceFest also promoted a photography contest during the event. The Lady Liberty picture is my favorite, though I was generally disappointed with the way my pictures turned out, and don’t know that any are different than the ones ALL the other photographers were taking, too. Everyone had a camera. I’m not sure I’ll enter. But if I do, I think it would be Big Ben, Lady Liberty, or this one:
Which one do you like best?
Browsing The Atlas 
The beret was a nice touch. I would have done the same.
Thanks! It was goofy, but it also masked the fact that the top of the Eiffel Tower had broken off.
I feel like I’m back in Hamilton… Dad told me about this. :o)
Awesome – levels of skill that I can only gasp at. But poignant as, like a snowman, you know your creation, no matter how brilliant, cannot survive.
Here we often have a beach sand sculptor working the summer but whose work is regularly stomped on overnight – equally sad.
Oh, Big Ben’s my favourite.
Yes. Impermanence. We saw it in action that day.
You can never fully leave Hamilton, can you? No matter how hard you might try. 😉
AWESOME Jules!!!!
Thanks! You shoulda been here.
Love the Eiffel Tower (and the beret!), Big Ben, and the Taj Mahal. Ice sculpting never ceases to amaze me. I’ve seen huge sculptures in Japan (on TV) that were also fantastic. Although I wonder, what happens to all that ice once they begin to melt/the festival ends?
Well, there’s a river nearby… ??
Oh Big Ben I think, you can’t beat a bit of Victorian Gothic Revival
I like that one, too. The detail was beautiful.
Big Ben it is! The Eiffel with the beret is a cute second 🙂
I love the last one! The sun peeking through at the top is beautiful!
Thanks! I like that one, too.
It’s a tough call, but I’m going with Big Ben. Super Cool!
Thanks! I think the backdrop of the church steeple adds something to the picture.