Christmas at Gaylord National Resort -

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I’ve visited the Gaylord National Resort a few times before – once for a girls’ shopping and spa day with Laura and a couple of other times for work conferences (when I was still in the 9-5 world). It’s only a 25ish minute drive from downtown DC, which makes it an easy little escape for the day.

I’ve always heard that the Gaylord does Christmas BIG, but I haven’t had an opportunity to visit during the holiday season until this year! Last week, Victoria and I made a day out of it and explored all of the holiday goodness at the resort! I’m sharing all the details below, but just as a heads up, you should definitely check out Victoria’s YouTube channel as she vlogged our entire day! Here’s a direct link to her video!

Cirque Dreams Unwrapped

Victoria and I met in the lobby of the resort, which is decorated beautifully for the holiday season! There are Christmas trees all throughout the lobby! I was excited to learn that the Gaylord National Resort is host to a Cirque show this year! The show is family friendly and really geared towards kids in that it’s only 25 minutes long, which worked out perfectly for us since we only had an afternoon to spend at the resort!

I was thrilled to check out Dreams Unwrapped. The stage is set up in the enormous atrium of the resort where there’s a massive Christmas tree display suspended from the ceiling – it’s quite impressive! The show was equally as impressive! It was filled with contortionists, high flying acrobats, and a few other impressive acts as well!

I was oooing and aaahhing for the entire 25 minutes!

Christmas Market

After the Cirque show, we ventured over to one of the conference rooms that the Gaylord has transformed into a gigantic Christmas Market! It exceeded my expectations. Not only did it have Gaylord National Resort branded souvenirs, it had the official White House ornament, along with other unique Christmas ornaments and decor to shop.

ICE! Featuring a Charlie Brown Christmas

We didn’t have an opportunity to check out the ICE! exhibit, but the long line was enough evidence that it’s a hit! The exhibit features Charlie Brown rediscovering the meaning of Christmas as the beloved story of Charlie Brown’s Christmas unfolds through 2 million pounds of ice sculptures and displays! You can read more about the exhibit here!

Relâche Spa

We saved the best for last, the spa! I’ve visited the Relâche Spa at the Gaylord National Resort before so I knew we were in for a treat. Victoria and I both were treated to a 50 minute S’mores massage, which featured a relaxing massage including a chocolate scented foot scrub, followed by a hydrating marshmallow scented lotion meant to revitalize your feet. It was HEAVEN! After our massages, we relaxed in one of the tea rooms that overlooks the Potomac river and National Harbor. It was the perfect ending to our visit at the Gaylord National Resort!

If you’re in the DC area, I highly recommend checking out the Gaylord National Resort over the next few weeks! It has something fun for everyone! If I had to pick one thing to indulge in, I’d recommend wandering through the resort to take in all of the holiday decor and booking a seasonal themed massage at Relâche Spa!