I'll let you into a secret.....the month of November finds me with a huge case of ENVY.....I am SO envious of our American cousins, who get to have pre-Christmas decorating spree- namely THANKSGIVING!
Since watching 'MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET', another of my 'bucket list' items was seeing the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, so imagine my delight when we decided to go to NYC for Kirsty's 19th birthday...and her Birthday just happens to be at the end of November...three days after Thanksgiving that year!
We arrived a few days before Thanksgiving itself and much as I enjoyed the shopping and sightseeing, the highlight of the visit was THE Parade. The apartment we were staying in was very close to the start of the parade route and we headed out early on the freezing cold morning to secure our spot.Even though we had arrived early (well we thought we had!) the crowd was about ten deep in front of us...and I was sure we weren't going to be able to see anything of the parade. While we waited among the humungous crowd, we talked with people who had been coming from all over New York state, to the same spot for over twenty years to see the parade!
I have to confess that while we waited, Craig and Kirsty were ready to give up and go back to the apartment to watch it on TV, but I was determined to wait it out!
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Poor Kirsty had about five layers of clothes under this huge hoody!!!
The excitement grew with every minute and eventually the sound of musical instruments heralded the start of the parade! Admittedly, we couldn't see the marching bands but I was amazed at how HUGE the floats were - they towered as high as some of the apartment blocks...it was well worth the wait! We were absolutely freezing by the end of it, but another box had been ticked!
This layout was made in 2010
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Thanks for dropping by!
Take care of you
Alison xx
Oh how fun - I remember watching the parades on tv as a kid and once getting to see one (don't even remember where I was) and being absolutely astonished at how tall those floats were.
ReplyDeleteI think Thanksgiving is such a lovely holiday - I often wish we had something similar down here. That parade would have been quite the spectacle I am sure!
ReplyDeleteSounds like great fun,Alison.
ReplyDeleteGood for you sticking it out, it's always more fun being in the crowd even if you could have seen more of the actual parade on the TV
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, I had no idea the floats were so tall! Great story ...
ReplyDeleteLike you, I love Thanksgiving and am so glad to have American friends who have shared it with me. That is a wonderful photograph of Kirsty; what a fantastic memory of Macy's Parade.
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful story Alison - as soon as you said Miracle on 34th Street I got that picture in my head and then your perfect description of the excitement and the cold enhanced it so well. It sounds brilliant. You've got me wishing I could see it some day too, now - that has to be the sign of a great story :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Alison
Great story and so glad you got to see it, I just watched a film in which the parade with that snoopy is on in the background.
ReplyDeleteThat is so awesome Alison! We've never seen it live either. Great story and I love your layout! Good for you!
ReplyDeleteHow exciting! I don't think I've ever even seen one on TV, but you have me wanting to see it for myself now.... :)
ReplyDeleteI'm another one who wishes we had a thanksgiving holiday. I'm so glad you got to see the parade.
ReplyDeleteGlad you got to see the parade. I live less than 3 hours from NYC, but I'll take watching it from the warmth of my living room any day! So glad it wasn't a dark stormy night...
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing spectacle. Well worth persevering in the cold.
ReplyDeleteFiona xx
What a great story and experience, love your fab page and cool photos!
ReplyDeleteWe had a similar experience at the Queen's jubilee and just had to think at least we could say we were there and that we could feel the exciting atmosphere! Then watch the highlights on telly later!
ReplyDeleteI would absolutely LOVE to see that parade (Management bought the film after seeing your post about Christmas films last year!) but I get bored waiting for the lights to be turned on in town so I would be useless in a crowd like that, especially as I don't like to be cold!
ReplyDeleteSo pleased you got to see the parade - Kirsty does look very muffled up!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story! I've never seen that parade, but I do love the Rose Parade on New Year's Day in southern California. For the Giants World Series Championship parades,we bring small step stools or milk cartons to stand on so we can see over those in front of us.
ReplyDeleteRinda
Oh the Macy's parade is one of those things I would very much like to do too - and it's so much closer for me. But I'm neither patient or fond of the cold, so it's not been accomplished. Great story, and great page, Alison.
ReplyDeleteAllison, thanks for sharing your Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade story. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday...and the parade is one reason why. I've never seen it live but I wouldn't miss it on TV. In fact, it's so important to us that it has it's own prescribed menu...hot chocolate and bubble bread (homemade sweet dough in inch-size balls dipped in brown sugar and cinnamon with perhaps some raisins and nuts too). All of that is baked...perfumes the house and makes us all hungry...and then enjoyed while we watch the parade.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Miracle on 34st!!! One day I want to see the Thanksgiving Day parade, it has been on my list since I was a kid. I haven't been around much and am only just catching up now. I have missed popping by :-)
ReplyDeleteI would love to see those parades and I am also a fan of miracle on 34th Street! Lucky you seeing all those huge balloon thingies! Wow!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourite Christmas movies - so muchso that I had to buy it so I wouldn't miss it. Don't think I'd be standing out in the cold to watch any parade. We used to do that for the Toronto Santa Claus parade when I was little but watching it on tv with hot chocolate won out. :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome - glad you got to see something over the heads. Super phoos on your page.
ReplyDeleteYou know thanks for reminding me how cool Thanksgiving is!!!! New York City is truly magical even when it's chilly!!!!
ReplyDeleteNYC is on my list of things to do.......at some point. i can just imagine the parade x
ReplyDeleteWhat a great memory! We saw the parade in 2007 - the year with the best weather in many many years. We didn't even need our coats. It was definitely a great thing to check off the bucket list.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun thing to witness for sure!!
ReplyDeleteGreat layout with lovely photos, I would love to see the parade x
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