The Christmas House: Lights Galore

The weather turns a bit cooler, the leaves

(here in San Diego) finally change to brilliant reds, yellows & oranges before

sporatic rain and wind storms sweep them away. Suddenly

I begin craving stews, hot drinks and

christmas lights.

I love everything about Christmas lights . . . even untangling them holds a certain charm for me (for about 20 minutes, after which I commit myself to finally buying a storage wheel), but not everyone in my family is so enthusiastic.

To satisfy my need for christmas lights, and my hubby's need for less clutter and stress, we do an annual family tour of local christmas lights.

Del Mar Racetrack hosts the annual festival of lights, which costs between $10-20 per car, depending on the amount of passengers. For this price you can tune the radio to christmas music and drive around a specially tiled path on the racetrack as many times as you want, and you get to see a huge array of lights - most of which appear to be animated. We usually make it two times around, maybe three if we let the kids unbuckle and run loose in the car and their excited screams haven't given us adults blinding headaches.

After the first time around, we usually each pick our favorite display and join in singing a few christmas songs. If you've never seen a massive display of lights all in one place, or if you just need a one-stop-shopping-type of light experience this will probably do it for you. It just doesn't quite do it for me though. The lights are all very distant so it's not a very interactive experience and it really does take a couple of times around to really see everything since there is so much going on.

What: The Festival / Holiday of Lights

Where: Del Mar, California (the nearest main intersection is Via De La Valle exit off the I-15 & Jimmy Durante Blvd); Follow the signs through the main parking lot entrance of the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Cost: between $14-20 per car, depending on the number of passengers; $10 per person for a hayride experience.

When: November to January 3rd, 2009, evenings

My Take: Lots of great lights, family friendly, high class, not interactive, costly.

See www.sdfair.com/holidayoflights for more info.

Okay, so driving around to see the lights is not typically interactive, but for those of you in search for that uplifting holiday cheer with a bit of interactive fun for the kids, you need to stop by Southern California's best christmas light experience.

(Full disclosure: Okay, so I don't know if it's actually the most amazing display of lights on a private residence in Southern California . . . but it is awesome).

The owners of this house, a.k.a. The Christmas House, have really outdone themselves this year. Where to start? It has lights, lights, lights, music, a nativity, patriotism, fake snow, miniature train sets, and very welcoming hosts. Here, the worries of the world get put on hold, and the joy and magic of Christmas come alive.

Although most of the year you would probably pass this typically modest home without notice, during the month of December you'll have no problem finding this house before you actually see the address. When you do see it, drive past it slowly and then park alongside the road. Get everyone out of the car and walk to the house. To get the best view of the lights, stand directly across from the house on the opposite sidewalk (and don't you dare park here and block everyone's view!)

The lights are sychronized to music and you'll need to stay for a couple of songs to realize the full range of coordination and decoration. Then cross the street for a closer look at penguins, santas, trains and candycanes. With every part of the house decorated in lights, and the lawns covered in white batting, it feels like a trip to a California North Pole.

Mr. [owner's name] is a jolly old soul and will be sure to wish you a Merry Christmas and hand you a mini candycane. Pass under the lighted arches and watch the kids dancing with upturned faces in the falling fake snow. The front door will be open and Mrs. [owner's name] will say hello and invite you to watch the large table of model trains racing around a snow-covered mountainside. Christmas decorations and ornaments decorate every space, and even a glimpse of the backyard will give you an eyeful of christmas lights. A singing dog and a snow angel will entertain you on the way out . . . and if you enjoy your visit, be sure to help the [owner's names] continue their Christmas House tradition with whatever donation you can. Trying to pay for this amount of lights and decorations costs quite a lot, and they can use all the help they can get. The donation box sits right near the garage door.

What: The Christmas House (an unofficial name for a private residence)

Where: Murrieta, California (the nearest main intersection is Los Alamos exit off the I-215 and Whitewood Rd). Actual address is 39682 Avenida Miguel Oeste.

Cost: FREE (donation appreciated, but optional)

When: After Thanksgiving break to New Years Day; most evenings

My Take: interactive experience, family-friendly, inexpensive

Although the square footage of this Christmas House experience isn't nearly as big as Del Mar's Festival of Lights, the interactive quality and festive good cheer make this my all-time favorite Christmas light experience.

If you know of more great light sights, I'd love to hear about them!