The Gaylord -- where the Bee is held -- is a huge hotel and conference center. In addition to the hundreds of spellers, there's a big lobby, a giant atrium and plenty of restaurants and shops.
So it's not hard to have fun.
Manav Thadani (Speller 253), wearing a D.C. Peeps jacket, mentioned that he is especially fond of the Peeps store. The U.S. Virgin Islands seventh grader bought 25 marshmallow Peeps to bring home to his friends.
They may not all make it.
Manav ate three last night, and two more this morning for "pre-breakfast." The sugar may help explain the other thing he's enjoying about the hotel, so far.
"Every day, I go up and down the escalators," he said. "A guy had to tell me to stop going up and down."
Instead, Manav will spend the rest of his free time at the pool, or maybe the mall. Though it's Manav's first time at the spelling bee, he already has some friends here -- from Mathcounts, which he also competed in.
He hopes to see them all again next year.
"Unless I win, of course," Manav said.
