Clifton, Ohio

I can think of countless ways to usher in the Holiday Season, but none better than a Christmas Lighting Extravaganza.  Couple over 3.5 million lights with the gorgeous backdrop of Clifton Gorge and the Little Miami River at Clifton Mill and your Holiday Season can officially be declared as having begun.  Clifton Mill has been celebrating the Christmas season for almost 20 years with an extraordinary lighting display that takes a crew of six roughly 3 months to set up.

The Mill is located at 75 Water St. in Clifton, Ohio just 9 miles south of Springfield.  Follow OH-72 south (Exit 54) off of Interstate 70 and you can’t miss the Mill on your right.  Parking is free.  Gates open daily at 5pm.  Admission is $8 (children 6 and younger are free).

The weekends are definitely the busiest time, so you may want to keep that in mind when visiting.  Loosely translated, you will have a much more relaxed and leisurely visit if you can swing a trip during the week.  This is really important when you travel, as I do, with a horde of small children.  The area is accessible to strollers but they are not allowed in some of the buildings.

Clifton Mill Lighted for Christmas

The lights go on at 6:00 pm with the flip of a single switch.  It’s absolutely amazing to see the darkened gorge and mill come to life with the brilliant lights.  A definite, “Ooh” and “Ahhh” moment.  My kids often prefer to just scream, “WOW!!!”  There’s even a synchronized light show set to music.  Each hour the lights go out leaving visitors standing in the darkness and slowly they dance back to life as music echoes through the gorge.  It’s captivating, really!

While at the Mill you’ll want to check out the Santa Claus museum, home to over 3000 Santas and Santa memorabilia, the Miniature Village and the spectacular views from the Covered Bridge which spans the gorge and river below.  Concession style meals are served (soups, hot dogs, hot chocolate, cookies) during the evening.

Hours of operation for the lighting display are from 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm.  The display starts the day after Thanksgiving and runs every night until January 1st, closing at 8pm on Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Years Eve.

The Waterfall at Clifton Mill

I suggest, though, that a trip to Clifton Mill should encompass the whole day.  The Millrace Restaurant located inside of the Mill is open for breakfast and lunch 9:00 am until 2:00 pm.  There’s no better way to start your day than with a stack of fresh pancakes.  The flour, of course, was milled fresh on the premises probably just hours earlier. (Normally closing at 4:00 pm, 5:00 pm on weekends, the restaurant observes abbreviated hours during the Christmas lighting season.)  Afterward, you may wish to tour the mill, which boasts itself as the largest water powered grist mill still in operation in America, for a firsthand look at one of America’s earliest industries.

You’ll have plenty of time in the afternoon to do some antiquing at Weber’s Antique Mall in Clifton or maybe just a leisurely hike at nearby Clifton Gorge Nature Preserve.  It offers incredible views of the gorge from several bridges and platforms.  If you’re looking for a truly unique gift idea or collectible check out The Fish Decoy Company on the corner of Dayton St. and OH-72.

Clifton Mill Overlooking the Gorge

After having explored Clifton’s charm you’ll have plenty of time to make it back to the Mill, grab a cup of hot chocolate and welcome the Christmas Season with the Legendary Lights at Clifton Mill.

Photos courtesy of Clifton Mill website and Bret Arnett (creative commons).

Collecting scares with Mike and Sully

Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California is the pinnacle of family vacation spots (at least on the west coast).  In addition to the original Disneyland there is a second gate, Disney’s California Adventure (DCA).  It is a relatively new theme park, and it has its critics.  In fact, it has so many critics that Disney’s California Adventure is being overhauled with a budget bigger than the one that financed its creation.  There is hope and change in the air.

The entrance to DCA is just a matter of feet from that of Disneyland but the two parks couldn’t be further apart, figuratively.  While Disneyland is the classic standard and the maker of the magic, the theme of the newer park is slightly less so: California.  This is the beginning of the end for those that just drove hours through the actual state of California to get there.  My family likes to look at it differently.

These are the jokes, folks.

Sure, the idea of additions and renovations is exciting to us (We’re big fans of the newest attraction Toy Story Mania which thrills my wife just as much as it does my 2-year-old.  If this is a sign of things to come then sign us up!), but we really enjoy the park in its current state as well (hey, that’s like a pun!).

Disney’s California Adventure offers family activities from the very young to adult.  There are shows, rides and interactive areas geared at the Playhouse Disney set, the adventure seeking school-aged kids and the thrill-loving teens.  There is also a full bar, a winery and a beer cart for the grown-ups.

DCA hosts an annual food and wine festival, a half-marathon (runs through park and other parts of the resort), a very fun Halloween celebration (Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat Party runs on various nights during the month.  A separate admission is required.) and a rowdy but safe New Year’s Eve bash.

Basically, the entire Disneyland Resort, which includes Downtown Disney and three hotels, can be as family-friendly or as romantic as you want it to be.  We go for both.

The park hours are shorter than those of Disneyland and vary by season as well as day of the week.  Services within the park include lockers, strollers, wheelchairs, first aid, ATM and communication assistance.

I recommend purchasing a ticket that allows you to enter both parks in the same day.  It cost a little more, but the options that it allows you with regard to planning your activities is well worth it.

All Photos: W & T Honea