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Remember piling in the car with your family when you were a kid, then cruising through neighborhoods to look at the Christmas lights? It was always a special, spontaneous event, something simple and shared with each other, costing nothing. “Wow, look at THAT house!” and other bits of enthusiasm were common comments. Since I’ve never really grown up in some ways, I am not ashamed to admit that I still enjoy doing this. After I first moved to South Florida, I was astonished at how many people put up displays on their homes and businesses. Much more here than in Vermont, for example, where I lived before moving to Fort Lauderdale.
It’s always seemed to me that, let’s face it, you have to work at the holidays a little harder in warm climates. Vermont in December looks like a Currier and Ives print. Florida looks like the travel poster you dream about after Christmas. So yes, lights all over the place help create a holiday mood here, colored strings often hung in some fairly original ways. The palm trees lined in lights – those still make me laugh. Santa meets the tropics.
I’ve been doing a bit of light-viewing already and intend to do more before the season ends. An area I recommend is along A1A in Hillsboro Beach. There are some grand homes with lights, but one spot just off the road is lit with an especially impressive display. Most of the nice residential neighborhoods in Broward offer some good holiday light-peeping, whether in Plantation or Deerfield Beach or Hollywood or wherever. If you don’t mind paying to see an extraordinary holiday lightshow from your car, go to Tradewinds Park, with its Holiday Fantasy of Lights. This runs through New Year’s Day, so you still have time. The park has more than 65 holiday displays, elaborate stuff with millions of lights. (It operates from 6-10 pm daily. The cost Monday – Thursday is $7 per vehicle, Friday – Sunday, $10. For more information, call 954-968-3885.) So why not take a relaxed, slow drive with the family and enjoy seeing all the lights together? It’s a good way to make some Christmas memories.
It’s always seemed to me that, let’s face it, you have to work at the holidays a little harder in warm climates. Vermont in December looks like a Currier and Ives print. Florida looks like the travel poster you dream about after Christmas. So yes, lights all over the place help create a holiday mood here, colored strings often hung in some fairly original ways. The palm trees lined in lights – those still make me laugh. Santa meets the tropics.
I’ve been doing a bit of light-viewing already and intend to do more before the season ends. An area I recommend is along A1A in Hillsboro Beach. There are some grand homes with lights, but one spot just off the road is lit with an especially impressive display. Most of the nice residential neighborhoods in Broward offer some good holiday light-peeping, whether in Plantation or Deerfield Beach or Hollywood or wherever. If you don’t mind paying to see an extraordinary holiday lightshow from your car, go to Tradewinds Park, with its Holiday Fantasy of Lights. This runs through New Year’s Day, so you still have time. The park has more than 65 holiday displays, elaborate stuff with millions of lights. (It operates from 6-10 pm daily. The cost Monday – Thursday is $7 per vehicle, Friday – Sunday, $10. For more information, call 954-968-3885.) So why not take a relaxed, slow drive with the family and enjoy seeing all the lights together? It’s a good way to make some Christmas memories.
posted by LauderBLOGGER at 8:59 AM
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