By Heidi Hess
A pristine, crystalline blanket of the white stuff covers a large patch of grass near the intracoastal. It’s winter here in South Florida and that can only mean one thing – it’s sand. Seven hundred tons of it to be precise.
The sculptors are hard at work for November 30th’s lighting of the 35-foot pirate-themed Christmas tree made entirely of sand. It’s not snow. I know. If you’ve lived down here long enough you’ve learned to find the joy of the season without the need for mittens or watching snow fall while sitting next to a cozy fire.
There are a lot of holiday/winter themed events and Sandi Land is just one of them. Not only can you watch the dancing light display on the quarter hour from 6pm to 10pm (it’s quite impressive) but you can also get a Birds Eye view of downtown West Palm, the Intracoastal and Palm Beach on the Ferris Wheel for $5.
Honestly, my favorite part is the ride on the trolley down Clematis Street to see Sandi. Strands of white Christmas lights are strung all the way down the street. It’s absolutely beautiful and reminds me of my kids and how we’re always wide eyed looking at this display.
They usually have lots of other smaller sand sculptures and activities for the kids. It’s so festive. If this doesn’t fill you with the joy of the season, I don’t know what will. But I get it… maybe you need some help. Here’s a quick list of the things they have in colder climates that help to create that winter wonderland and its southern counterpart:
Replace snow with sand, snow angels with sand angels(you can do it). Replace egg nog with mojitos, a cozy fireplace for a Floridian sunset, new mittens for a new bathing suit. Sledding for surfing. Hot chocolate for a Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino. Although my son assures me that even if it’s a hundred degrees outside, HOT chocolate is always the answer.
I could go on and on but I have to get back to staring at the ocean and intermittently scrolling through all those posts from insanely cold places.
Wherever you are, I hope you find yourself surrounded by the people you hold most dear and living your best life. Even if you don’t have sand…
Happy Holidays!