During the holidays, it’s infinitely important to remember the simple things about the season that make it so special. The subtle smell of the Christmas tree in your family room, the way that a perfectly placed strand of multi-colored holiday lights can frame the outline of a house and make passersby grin, the brisk contrast of the chilly air and the hot coffee in your hand when you bundle up and go for a walk with your dog in the snow, and most importantly, the time spent with family and friends; these are the things that make up the essence of the holidays.
On December 18th, I was so excited to have an article posted on Your Boulder about one of my favorite Christmas traditions, going on a Christmas light drive. As a kid in Buffalo, the checkerboard streets were lined with house after house glowing with multicolored lights, and it was a rarity to find one not lit up and in the holiday spirit. Growing up in Reno, we would seek out neighborhoods where Christmas light contests were going on to find the highest concentration of them and the most Griswold-esque of all. In San Diego living just East of the Pacific Coast Highway, apartment balconies and restaurants lining the 101 were covered in lights and, in New York City, oversized ornaments, gigantic trees, and almost cartoonish light displays lit Park Avenue, the office buildings, Grand Central Station, and even Penn. Walking by a life-sized light-up Santa or a two-story wreath made the commute a little more manageable during the holidays during those two years and change.
Now, living in Boulder, I made myself a Cranberry Vanilla Wonderland Celestial Seasonings tea, put on my “Christmastime!” playlist on Spotify, and set out to look at Christmas light displays around town, and I’m so happy that I got to share that information I gathered through Your Boulder.
For my full article, “A Festive Family Activity: Christmas Light Cruises in Boulder,” click here.