The lights at night

On Sunday, we enjoyed a wonderful bit of family time taking a drive around Chatham and checking out Christmas lights and decorations outside houses.

We were at times awed.

I took a look at the Nights of Light website to get an idea where some of the highlighted homes of interest were located. I must say, Coun. Marjorie Crew and the steering committee behind the website deserve huge pats on the back here. The site is a great starting point for anyone heading out on a holiday trek to check out Christmas spirit on display.

We snaked our way through north Chatham, going through neighbourhoods such as The Maples and Prestancia, along roads such as Taylor Trail and King Street West.

We thought we’d see the best displays in the most affluent neighbourhoods, but that didn’t always prove true. If you check out the Nights of Light website, you’ll notice no home in The Maples is highlighted, although there are some wonderfully decorated homes. Ditto for Paxton Drive and Prestancia. Again, some well-decorated homes, but not one that makes you pull over to gawk.

Our first such home actually came on Willowdale, just off Oxley. A thin strip of yard is home to a beautiful display of colour and the shrubs and trees come alive with lights. You’ll know it when you see it.

It was our top-rated home until we went up Delaware, where two homes had progressing light displays and music playing. We parked for a few minutes there just to enjoy the flashing colours and “Seasons Greetings” hologram on one home’s wall.

A house on Glenwood at Wiltshire delivered a sweet and bright display of lights.

Another great display is on King Street West, on a corner. I’m believe it’s at Robertson, but it is a guess, as the name of the cross street eludes me. It’s one home that’s not on the Nights of Light website, but should be. There are even oversized, brightly lit ornaments hanging on a tree in the backyard.

When we arrived on Merrit, we looked north and saw some interesting lights in the distance, so we had to investigate. But our eyes had deceived us, for as we approached the Active Lifestyle Centre, it became obvious the neon lights of A&W across the river beckoned.

Ooops.

For some reason, it wasn’t long after that we decided to end our quest for light and grab a bite to eat.

Despite all the excellent displays we saw, it was easy to tell some streets lacked a Vic Frohmeyer. He’s the character played by Dan Aykroyd in “Christmas with the Kranks” who whipped up the neighbourhood into insane levels of Christmas zeal and participation.

But to each their own.

And to all the folks who took the time to string up the lights and set up the displays, we thank you. It was a fun family excursion.