Billings Christmas Light Tour 2011

In all the 15 years that I’ve lived in Billings, I’ve never driven around to look at the famously illuminated neighborhoods.  For years I’ve been hearing about Candy Cane Lane and Christmas Wreath Lane, but when it came to driving around and looking at Christmas lights, I always lamed out and just drove around my own neighborhood.  Well, not this year.

Last night the kids and I hopped in my son’s sleigh (his red Honda Accord) and kicked our tour off with Christmas Tree Trail (Crater Lake Ave).  It was sort of magical (as Fat Bastard would say) to just sit at the end of the street and soak it all in.  The sum total of a neighborhood completely illuminated looks pretty spectacular.

Taking the sights in one home at a time, the kids and I observed many Christmas trees (as you would imagine) and discovered that Billings’ very own Clark Griswold is alive and well on Crater Lake Ave (please see photo).  We hoped we would catch a glimpse of Rusty and Audrey, but they must have been inside playing with Cousin Eddie’s dog, Snots.  Christmas Tree Lane won our award for “House most resembling Clark Griswold’s.”

We rounded the corner and saw a cut-out of a lion with a spotlight on it. As each of us grasped to ascertain the holiday significance of a lion in a cape, my daughter spotted a sign and said, “Look Mom.  Misfit Toy Lane.”  Ah-ha!  Now all the huge cut-outs that seemed random and out of place made sense.  Oddly enough, it was in this neighborhood that we saw the most memorable nativity scene.  Misfit Toy Lane won our award for “Coolest Nativity Scene.”

Next we were off to Candy Cane Lane (3000 and 3100 blocks of Avenue E).  It took us awhile to find this because my son got a case of “Captain Better Idea” and zigged when I told him to zag, but we eventually found it.  As Michael Buble (who my daughter said she is going to marry someday) cranked out Christmas tunes in the background, we poked around Candy Cane Lane.  Like the other neighborhoods, these homes were decked out in all varieties of exterior illumination, from the awe-inspiring to the downright distasteful.  Okay, so maybe distasteful is harsh.  Some yards looked amazing, and some looked like a Christmas light monster stood in the yard and threw up everywhere (this was true of all the neighborhoods, not just Candy Cane Lane.  But we still appreciated the energy and enthusiasm of all the yards regardless of appearance).  This neighborhood stood out because of all the American flags.  Candy Cane Lane got our award for “Most Patriotic Neighborhood.”

Last, but certainly not least, was Whoville (located at Josephine Crossing- the intersection of Mullowney Lane and Elysian Road).  This was by far the coolest neighborhood.  Okay, so I live here.  But still.  It is super cool.  There are huge story-boards from How the Grinch Stole Christmas as you drive in, Front Street has lights strung back and forth between all the street lamps, and lots of houses are decorated with Whos and Grinches.  One home has a radio station tuned to play music from How the Grinch Stole Christmas that you can listen to while you watch the Grinch pop up in the upstairs window!  This neighborhood won our award for “Most Cohesive Decorating and Coolest Because We Live Here” award.

In all seriousness, all these neighborhoods were so much fun to check out.  If you haven’t already, make driving around to these places a holiday tradition.

---

blog comments powered by Disqus