Pittsburgh even dresses up their bridges for the holidays! Here’s the view from a downtown parking garage rooftop. Happy day, friends.
Bridges In Lights
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Tag Archives: Christmas Lights
Magical Lights Of Gallipolis
There’s nothing more magical than standing beneath a canopy of Christmas lights. That’s why I always look forward to the beautiful lights in the Gallipolis city park.
Festive characters, thousands of twinkling lights, and holiday music are a perfect setting to get into the holiday spirit.
It worked for me anyway.
Want to go? The address to use is 300 Second Street, Gallipolis, Ohio. It’s free and the lights will be on through January 1. After you walk through the park, be sure to walk or drive down to the riverfront parking lot to see more trees.
Deck The Hall at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens
If you’re looking for some festive fun in Ohio this year and are near Akron, consider Deck The Hall at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens. This historic mansion is open for tours year round but is decorated to the hilt for a special Christmas event that runs through December.
I went for the first time last year and enjoyed it immensely.
The home was built by F. A. Seiberling, co-founder of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. He and his wife Gertrude built the home which was completed in 1915. The Tudor revival manor house is 64,500 square feet and has 65 rooms. The estate has five historic buildings and ten restored historic gardens across seventy acres. It is massive and gorgeous.
I arrived well before dusk so I could tour the manor house before it got too busy. The self guided tour at that point was already well populated so I was glad I didn’t wait. In fact, there were places where it felt like guests were expected to just keep moving in an endless line rather than stop and study the surroundings. I would like to redo that house tour on a less busy day.
All the same, I enjoyed the experience with the gorgeous decorations and Christmas music to set the mood.
Outside, Christmas lights of all colors glowed bright against the dark December sky. There’s a conservatory to explore as well as a good gift shop and places to enjoy snacks. I had a cup of hot chocolate and a delicious cookie that night as I walked the property and stopped here and there to enjoy some of the more unusual displays. Santa visited with children and there were other holiday things to see and do that night.
This event does sell out so it’s important to get your tickets in advance. One more thing. It was impressive to see how ready Stan Hywet was for the crowd. Every employee and volunteer seemed extremely well trained, courteous, friendly and excited for every guest to have a good experience. In a world where customer service is lacking in some areas, it was delightful to experience such good service. I think it’s important to give credit to these folks for a job well done.
Want to go? Click here to visit their website. Also, visit Make the Journey Fun on Facebook for more pictures!
Franklin Park Conservatory Aglow
Friday night found me shivering in the cold outside at Franklin Park Conservatory. I was there with friends to look at the pretty Christmas lights.
It’s called Conservatory Aglow and features thousands of lights throughout the property. You enter through the wonderful rainbow tunnel above.
Then you can meander through lights, through a giant model railroad and even step inside a gingerbread house.
This tree is made with hand blown glass balls.
There is one area inside that’s nicely decorated too. I really wish they did more inside but this was all lovely.
You can warm up by walking through a gingerbread competition and enjoy the rest of the Conservatory which is filled with interesting plants and Dale Chihuly glass art.
It was freezing cold and there were snow flurries in the air, making it even more festive. It was a great night to be out with friends! This spot was my favorite both because it’s pretty and because they play classical music here. It’s like an oasis where you just might meet the man in the moon.
Want to see more pictures? Check out the Make The Journey Fun Facebook page! Plus, it’s not too late to visit this year! Click here to visit the Conservatory online.
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
Italian American workers quietly began a New York City tradition on Christmas Eve 1931 when they decorated a tree on the construction site of Rockefeller Center. The twenty foot tall balsam fir was adorned with strings of cranberries and paper garlands made by their families. It was here on a cold Depression era night that they lined up to collect their paychecks.
Little did they know that this act of cheer would inspire generations of travelers like myself to make the pilgrimage to the city for a glimpse of what is now a landmark.
The first official tree went up two years later and an ice skating rink opened in 1936. This year’s tree is an 82 foot tall Norway Spruce from Queensbury, New York. It positively glows under 50,000 LED lights and a Swarovski crystal tree topper.
The trees are always handpicked and come from all over the country. Trucks, cranes and scaffolding are required to transport, place and decorate the annual tree which is dedicated with an official lighting ceremony the Wednesday after Thanksgiving.
Seeing the holiday decorations was the main point of going to New York at Christmas and this iconic tree didn’t disappoint. However, I would note that going on a Saturday in December wasn’t ideal because there was an absolute crush of people in all directions through the touristy areas like Rockefeller Center.
I’m not a big fan of crowds but this was one of those “when in Rome” moments where I tried to just appreciate the experience for what it was. We would have loved a closer view but it really didn’t seem worth fighting the crowds for a different angle.
They estimate that 125 million people visit each year and it felt like about 25 million of them were there Saturday night.
I wondered later what it would be like really late at night or just before sunrise. Is it just as bad? I can’t help but wonder what it would be like in Rockefeller Center at daybreak.
Perhaps another time.
Meanwhile, I’ll be grateful to those construction workers some 91 years ago for thinking to brighten their worksite with a beacon of hope and holiday cheer.
Reflections In Lights And Death
A man I know passed away last week after bravely battling a terrible illness. I met Tom in 2020 when I joined the local Educational Service Center board and we became colleagues.
He was always quick with a joke, eager to put a newcomer at ease, and a smart man who was respectful of others. He liked to travel and learn. His wife Fannie also attends our meetings and is a kind soul. The two seemed perfectly matched.
But that’s the end of what I knew about Tom till I read his obituary and learned things that made me wish I had asked more questions while he was living.
Tom was a fan of lifelong learning, a Scout leader and a Sunday school teacher. He was a longtime Civil War reenactor and lifelong history buff. He enjoyed the outdoors, gardening and yard sales. Tom was an inventor who made an ice cream machine that operated by pedaling a bicycle. He even built a 1965 Plymouth from the frame up.
I always liked Tom but had no idea he was such a character. Old photos in a slideshow projected on the wall played while we waited in line. If I didn’t know it by then, it was clear that Tom packed as much living into his life as he possibly could.
I had a newfound appreciation for Tom’s zest for life.
It made me a little sad to think of all the great learning I missed out on because I knew none of this. Of course, when getting to know someone, you don’t know what you don’t know and have to rely on them to give you some clues. I suppose that’s why we often learn so much about people from their obituaries.
As I looked at Tom’s wife and son, their family and so many friends lined up to say farewell, I started thinking about how Tom left a mark on us all. Every person there knew Tom for a different reason and everyone had different stories to share. Every one of us is richer for knowing him.
Later in the evening I strolled through the holiday lights at the Gallipolis City Park and stopped to visit the war memorial. I’m typically so taken with the statue above me that I fail to notice much else.
But on this night I saw the face of the soldier reflected in the marble wall of names below. It made me pause.
It occurred to me that something of Tom is reflected in everyone fortunate to know him. It’s nice to think that humans can live on through the influences we have on others. I won’t soon forget Tom or the lessons learned during the brief time we knew each other.
One of those lessons is to do a better job listening and paying attention so I can learn something I never knew I wanted to know.