And just like last year, the giant gingerbread house did not disappoint. Standing at over 22 feet high and 23 feet wide and made of thousands of gingerbread bricks it is quite a sight to see. The girls were enchanted by the masses of gingerbread with its, wait for it... two thousand pounds of royal icing and candy. My teeth are aching just thinking about that number!
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| Giant gingerbread house and Christmas tree in the Fairmont Hotel lobby |
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| Gingerbread bricks |
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| Candy details |
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| Candy framed windows |
This year's gingerbread house is pretty similar to last year's with a few exceptions. This year there is a candy cane striped picket fence all the way around the outside. This made it a little tricky to get right up close and pretend to eat the walls for photos! Quite possibly the purpose of the fence. Another addition, which Lola in particular loved, is a model train chuffing its way around one side of the house. It passes through tunnels taking it from inside the house to the outside going through a scenic frosting and candy filled landscape. The train, while not made from gingerbread or candy, carries a load of candy canes. Mmm... Delicious cargo!
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| Lola loved watching the model train go round the candy and gingerbread village |
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| Still watching the train |
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| Lola just wanted to watch the train go round and round and round |
Despite the picket fence running around the outside there were still a few spots from which Ava could get up close to the walls and pretend to take a big bite. While Ava posed and I snapped away with the camera I didn't notice what Lola was up to. It seems that she thought she'd copy her big sister and pretend to eat the walls as well. The only problem is that Lola isn't so good at pretending. I caught her, face right up against a window frame licking the green marshmallows! When caught mid-crime Lola turned around and defensively cried "I just pretending". Hmm... the sticky green mess all over her chin and teeth told otherwise. Busted!
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| Ava pretends to eat the house |
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| A little more pretending |
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| Not so good at pretending! |
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| Please Do Not Eat The Candy - that's a big ask! |
Last year we visited the gingerbread house on a weekday afternoon and seemed to have the lobby of the Fairmont Hotel all to ourselves. Due to Ava's busy schedule of after-school activities this year we visited on a Saturday afternoon. As you can see from the photos the lobby of the hotel is anything but empty! We hadn't anticipated just how busy the hotel would be on a weekend. With the Fairmont's Nutcracker High Tea and Santa visiting in the lobby's North Pole Nook there were families everywhere. While it would have been nice to visit the gingerbread house on a slightly quieter day the girls still had a great time - and Lola got her sugar fill!
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| So much candy! |
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| Lola and Ava with the gingerbread house |
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| All that gingerbread was just too appealing. Lola wouldn't look away from it! |
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| Crazy sugar eyes! |
If you're in the San Francisco area I'd recommend you get yourself to the Fairmont Hotel for a a visit to the gingerbread house. It's definitely worth the walk up the steep hill - just ask Lola!
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| Little Miss Independent walks up the steep hill |
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