Last chance for lights tonight and it was worth it!

Since we moved here, people have been so nice giving us suggestions on things to do, places to go, and…, and…, and… And…it’s been great! Thank you! Keep the suggestions coming, we want to do and explore all we can, just like we did in Hawai’i, who knows how long we’ll be here, better get it all in!

The holiday lights come out in November in so many places and sadly, end early January, and as we’ve talked about over the last few days, we got to go and enjoy the Botanical Gardens, the Zoo, and our neighborhood. Since it’s the end of the holiday lights season, sadly, and it’s been a gloomy beginning to the new year, weather-wise, freezing temperatures and little sun, makes for a gloomy day, we needed some joy and lights, millions of ’em!

We decided on Santa’s Magical Kingdom, which is in Eureka, MO. Several people have told us about Eureka, MO for a few reasons, one being Santa’s Magical Kingdom, Six Flags is another [they do their own light spectacular, we have to try that next year!], which is down the road from Jellystone Park, which is what turns into Santa’s Magical Kingdom in the winter.

We loaded up the pups in the back seat and away we went! It’s about a 30 minute drive, Ruby sitting up ready to look at everything, Bee hunkered down in the back seat hoping it’s going to be over soon! As we got on the road, the snow started. Luckily, PSM and I grew up in the Northeast and we both went to college in Western NY, this weather is nothing new to us, but it seems like we’re among the very few who feel and drive that way. We were very much aware of our surroundings.

When we got there, we started driving through the bajillion, or that’s what it seemed, lights, wow! It looked like a light up Mardi Gras! Some of it looked plan, some of it looked like someone, maybe elves, were standing on the ground and throwing strings and strands of lights up into the trees to see what would catch. If that’s what they did, it worked!

There were twinkling tunnels to drive through, dancing reindeer, Hanna-Barbera characters everywhere! The Flintstones, Huckleberry Hound, The Jetsons, you can’t have Jellystone Park without Yogi, Boo-Boo, and Ranger Smith, can you? Santa, Santa believing aliens, fireworks, dancing everything!: trees, elves, snow people penguins, you name it, it lit up and probably danced.

There was traditional holiday music, ‘Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer’, ‘Santa Clause is Comin’ to Town’, ‘Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer, ok, not so traditional, but wildly popular. All of it tied together perfectly.

As we were driving through the park, looking at the cabins all decorated like different lands and places, we thought this place looked great and we would love to stay there some time. But not right now! We can’t wait to go back during the spring/summer, maybe even fall and see what it’s like. I wonder if they let dogs stay…

The entire drive took about 20 minutes, 15 to go through the lights to the general store, you have to have a store after all that! There’s a store with all sorts of Christmasy things, a snack bar for treats and hot chocolate, then another drive about 5 minutes to get out, after we paid, very clever marketing. Drive thru, then pay.

I could hear my mom’s voice come out of my mouth when I said to the dogs “Look girls, do you see all the pretty lights?” “Look, a there’s Rudolf!” “Look, dancing elves!” Yeah, they didn’t answer, didn’t expect them to! Just hoping they weren’t rolling their eyes at me! But it was fun watching them look at the lights as we went through.

All in all, it was a fun experience I look forward to doing it again next year and checking out the other light displays to add to the list! Happy January 2nd! I can’t wait to find out what adventure to share with you next!