Dec 17, 2009 8:13 - By: Rosalind Cummings-Yeates
Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier
The weather outside might be frightful but Navy Pier supplies indoor winter fun with the Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier. A Chicago holiday tradition for 10 years, the festival runs daily through January 3rd and supplies a snow-covered, action-filled day for the whole family. A diverse range of activities include a rope obstacle course, inflatable games and create-a-cookie. Amusement rides guarantee excitement with favorites like the 50-foot indoor Ferris wheel, the Winter Wind Glider and the Reindeer Express Train.
Dec 15, 2009 17:32 - By: Laura Charon
The Grand Canyon Railway
There is just something about the combination of Christmas and trains that speaks to my nostalgic side. When I was little my grandmother had a really old, really authentic train set that was made out of, like, iron or something. She’d set it up under the Christmas tree every year and it would weave its way around the stacks of presents (I was spoiled), making its distinctive “clack clack clack” sound that became the background sound of just about every Christmas of my childhood.
Years (ahem, an undisclosed number of them) passed.
Then, the movie “The Polar Express” came out back in 2004, and revitalized the obsession with Christmas trains in small children everywhere. To the excitement and joy of Arizona children, the Grand Canyon Railway established their own Christmas tradition with their version of The Polar Express.
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Dec 14, 2009 15:55 - By: Rosalind Cummings-Yeates
Holiday bon bons at French Market vendor, Canady Le Chocolatier
The newly opened Chicago French Market in the trendy West Loop neighborhood, supplies a dose of style and fresh ingredients to the Chicago shopping scene. This indoor, one-stop, market features 30 specialty vendors including gourmet cheese, wine, chocolate and pastries. Modeled after outdoor European markets and operated by the Bensidoun family, who are the largest developers of Paris markets, the Chicago French Market supports local farmers and artisans in a year-round venue. Even though most of the market’s offerings are food related, I found an array of special gifts on my recent visit.
Dec 14, 2009 5:29 - By: Ed Lamaze
Joy to the World
“It’s for a good cause.” The phrase played in my head on a continual loop as we wound our way slowly through the streets, the glowing lights from the Christmas display our only illumination. “Think of the kids.” I have passed the sign for years but never had the time to stop. There was always something a bit more pressing. Halfway through the lighted display at Alum Creek Fantasy of Lights I was longing again for something more pressing.
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Dec 13, 2009 12:42 - By: Laura Charon
A cactus strung with Christmas lights in Arizona.
Hop in the car, take a drive around town, and see businesses and neighborhoods who have gone all-out to bring holiday cheer in the form of elaborate Christmas light displays.
The McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale, Arizona, hosts train rides among more than 100,000 lights and displays. Nightly from 6:30 to 9:00 running from December 11th through January 2nd, excluding December 24th, 25th, and 31st. Train rides are $2.00 and carousel rides are $1.00 each with children under three riding free with a paying adult.
The Red Rock Fantasy in Sedona, Arizona, is entering its nineteenth year. The festival is open each evening (weather permitting) from November 19th through January 2nd, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $3 for children aged 5-12 and free for children 4 and under. Dozens of southwest-themed displays and millions (yes, millions!) of lights make this one of the premier Christmas light festivals in Arizona. The route begins at the Los Abrigados Resort & Spa lobby under the lighted Red Rock Fantasy arch, and is clearly marked with reflective strips. It takes approximately 60 minutes to complete the tour by foot, and assistance is offered by the resort staff for those who are physically challenged.
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Dec 10, 2009 16:53 - By: Laura Charon
The entrance to L.L. Bean in Freeport, Maine
A visit to L.L. Bean is practically mandatory when visiting Maine. The famed outdoor gear and clothing company was established in 1912 and has been a fixture in the coastal town of Freeport since its inception. The very first product – leather uppers for workmens’ boots – evolved into the Maine Hunting Shoe, and launched the beginning of a product enterprise that has grown to include the vast catalog of clothing and gear that L.L. Bean offers today. The company’s attention to product detail and truly exceptional customer service are a consistent example of “the way life should be”.
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Dec 09, 2009 8:01 - By: Laura Charon
Baby Oranutan at the Phoenix Zoo
The Phoenix Zoo, which has been voted among the “Top Five Zoos for Kids”, once again hosts its annual Zoolights Christmas light display. From now until January 10th, from 6:00-10:00 p.m. nightly, patrons of the Phoenix Zoo are regaled with 2.5 million Christmas lights strung among the pathways and exhibits, with music coordinated to enhance the 500 two- and three-dimensional light features.
Lighting techniques include rope lights, LED lights, light strands, black light, fiber optics, lasers, gobos, strobes, lights programmed to music, and net lighting in trees or shrubbery. The entire combined effect is breathtaking as visitor stroll among the network of pathways throughout the Zoo property.
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Dec 08, 2009 9:58 - By: Rosalind Cummings-Yeates
Girls sing during the Andersonville St. Lucia Festival of Lights
Skip the glitz of the Magnificent Mile and head to Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood for the quaint, culturally rich yuletide excursion of the St. Lucia Festival of Lights. You’ll hear greetings of en riktig god jul (a very merry christmas) echo the area’s deep Swedish roots, of which the St. Lucia festival is the most dramatic. December 13 marks St. Lucia Day, the most significant celebration of the Swedish holiday season. Traditionally, Swedish Christmas officially begins on Sankta Lucia, the shortest day of the year. The eldest daughter of the household, dressed in a white robe with crimson sash and a crown of lighted candles, sings the Santa Lucia song and carries a tray of coffee and special saffron buns. The entire Andersonville neighborhood turns out to watch the glittering procession of white clad girls carrying candles through the darkened streets. Read More »
