Christmas Lights

There's something about Christmas activities especially Christmas lights that make me feel like a child no matter how old I get.  This year I checked out ones in South Carolina and Ohio but I thought I'd also share some of the other places I've seen great lights.  Every year I try to check out some kind of new Christmas/holiday display or tradition because they are so many to enjoy!




South Carolina-
Holiday Lights on the River
http://www.icrc.net/events/holiday-lights.aspx
Check out the lights with a drive through a 2 mile loop through the Saluda Shoals Park (near Columbia) The lights are displayed from Nov 23-Dec 31 and costs $10 a car.  My cousin and I added to the experience by sticking our heads out of the mini van sunroof to take pictures and sing a Christmas carol or two.  Before Christmas the event includes all kinds of family Christmas events and activities as well.


Georgia-
Callaway Gardens - It's been a couple of years but I still remember how much I enjoyed this experience. We rode all bundled up on a shuttle with benches.  The lights were synchonized with music and it was a truly magical experience.


Walk Through Bethlehem is located in Warner Robins at Crossroads Baptist Church.  Visitors come from hours away every year to take a walk through the Christmas Story.  The "walk" involves traveling with a group of other visitors through a 22,000 sq foot city filled with twenty-three shops, four hundred costumed characters, and over 100 live animals, including two camels. The event is free and includes hot drinks and sweets after the journey.  Be sure to arrive early though since the crowds grow more and more every year.  Definately a great thing to remind you of the true meaning of Christmas.


Texas-
If you're near San Antonio anytime between Thanksgiving and January you should swing by the River Walk to see all the lights. You can take a river boat cruise or just walk along the river to enjoy the atmosphere.

There's also two neighborhood areas in San Antonio that are worth driving through.  One is called Windcrest and the neighbors have contests every year.  The other is called Shavano Park which you have to see to believe.  The houses themselves are BEAUTIFUL but the lighting displays are over the top (in good way).  Our family still talks about one of the houses we saw that had manicans dressed up in Victorian Village dress with a horse drawn carriage in the circular driveway. Another had a iceskating village in their flower beds and of course the iceskaters were actually moving!


Ohio
Clifton Mill- The mill built in 1802 has kept a tradition over the last 20 years of celebrating Christmas through the display of 3.5 million lights illuminating the mill, the gorge, the riverbanks, trees and bridges on site. The experience includes a detailed village, Santa Claus museum (over 3000 of all shapes and sizes) and synchronized light and music show.  Admission is $10 for all individuals over the age of 6. (http://www.cliftonmill.com/)


Downtown Dayton loves to celebrate Christmas. If you want to burn some calories from all that great holiday food, iceskating at Riverscape is a must.  Under the covered pavillion for only $5 individuals can ice skate outdoors right alongside the river.  Christmas lights, warmers, and hot drinks are also part of the experience. Throughout the winter there is different scheduled theme music to add to the atmosphere as well.


I saw two things this year for the first time that are quick free festive things to look at if you're in the area. 
The first was the Wintergarden Wonderland.  At the Schuster Center, several window displays from the old Rike department store are on display. For many decades these displays were a required holiday stop for families in the area.  Some of the restored figures on display are more than 50 years old. These window displays don't take long to look at it but are apart of Dayton history. 


My grandma and parents enjoyed looking at them for their nostalgic feel.  Just down the street in the Kettering Tower we happened upon a Santa Fe model train window display.  The train moves across the track through the miniature village and can be seen from the lobby. Neither of these two things took long to see but were quaint holiday traditions to see.

Although Christmas is now over and people are taking their lights and decorations down if they haven't already, I'm excited for next year and what new decoration displays I'll see!