During the Christmas Break, Mr. and I went to the States to check out some holiday light displays. We drove through various neighbourhoods in the Seattle area and were amazed by how the houses came together to put on some fabulous displays.
The highlight of our trip was visiting the Lights of Christmas in Stanwood, at the Warm Beach Camp. With more than one million Christmas lights spread over 15 acres, this is known to be the largest holiday light display in the Pacific Northwest. I’m always fascinated by lights, the more the merrier, so I wasn’t going to miss it.
And it didn’t disappoint. There were 6 themed areas, each with its own unique lights. Some of my favourites include the light tunnels, a light maze (although not as elaborate as what Enchant offered here in Vancouver), the Fireball Tree (that looks like fireworks itself), the Cascade mountains, Christmas Tree Island, the angels, the snow-capped mountain, and the waterfall.
In addition, there was the Polar Express Train Rides – a 5-minute train ride around the site, without a track! The line up was quite long so I would suggest checking it out towards the end of your visit. In fact, we went towards the end of day so we were literally on the second last train of the day, and the wait was much more manageable (about 30 minutes).
For families with kids, there was also pony rides, storytelling, face painting, petting farm, and more. And food vendors were throughout the site to offer you a warm bite and (non-alcoholic) sip. Sorry, no furry kids/friends allowed.
The Lights of Christmas has been entertaining guests far and near since 1997. It is less than two hours away from Vancouver, and just under an hour north of Seattle, you can easily make it into an overnight trip to hit up everything in between (perhaps some shopping too?). There is also on-site accommodations available, turning this into a cabin experience.
Travel Tips
- Bundle up – it could get quite cold out there, especially on a dry evening.
- Wear mud-friendly boots – don’t forget this is a camp site so it could get quite muddy after some rain or snow.
- Plan your trip – we downloaded the event map ahead of time to plan our route. Plan for at least two hours for your visit.
- Pick the right day – there is a regular admission fee, but on certain days they charge a “pay what you can” rate.
- Bring a flashlight – I know, counter-intuitive right, since there are so many lights. As you walk back to your car it could actually get quite dark (especially towards end of day when most cars have left the site). This will be super helpful. Oh, and please remember where you park your car.
Here are a few more photos from my visit. The Lights of Christmas may be over this season but it’ll be back soon enough and I think you should definitely add this to your list for next Christmas!
The Lights of Christmas
20800 Marine Drive, Stanwood, WA 98292
thelightsofchristmas.com
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