’Tis the season to load Grandma and Grandpa, the kids and maybe the dog into the old family buggy to tour the City of St. Albert in search of the lights and decorations that garner the most “oohs”, “aahs” and “oh looks” from the back-seat crowd.
It’s impossible to name the best of the best because so many families and even whole streets have gone all out this year.
Nonetheless there are standouts. Here are a few of our favourite places:
• Elliot Place: This street is so co-ordinated and so lovely that we’ve had calls to the Gazette newsroom about it. Every home is decorated and neighbours have gotten together to create an arched effect that links the crescent of houses. Many trees are decorated with grapefruit –sized coloured balls. Best of all is the house (I think it’s No. 16) that has lights running along the eaves trough. The lights are made to look as if they are golden droplets of water. This street has everything from glitz to glory and it’s worth a look. Bring a donation to the food bank.
• Decorations at No. 6 Embassy Place are so bright you could probably see well enough to land an airplane on the driveway. Best of all are the lights in the upstairs window.
• No. 61 Lindbergh Crescent is a night-brightener, too. The old-fashioned plywood cutout figures of Mr. and Mrs. Claus and sleigh add extra charm.
• Forest Drive is brighter than usual this year. Look for the reindeer perched on top of the tree, which looks as if it is waiting patiently for Santa. Down the road, check out the yard full of gigantic bouncy inflatable figures that appear to float and drift about in the yard at No. 92.
• There are many prettily decorated homes on Woodlands Road. The one that appears to have the smallest front yard but the most decorations is No. 33 Woodlands. But then again, it may just appear small because every inch is covered with something fun and Christmasy. The Grinch didn’t steal Christmas at No. 33. Instead he brought it with him and then stood and posed with some huge big wreaths and some of the biggest inflated snowmen in St. Albert.
Our family almost always ends the tour in Kingswood, not just because of the beauty of the outdoor decorations but because it’s nice to see the elegant stature of the homes themselves. We also make jokes because all words that normally start with Cs have been changed to Ks, including the very Christmasy sounding Kandlewick Close.
• Kingsford Crescent homes are spectacular whether it’s Christmas or not. No. 58 has bells and holly along the roofline, two gigantic candy canes over the door and a stone angel near the garden. No. 44 has a forest of white trees and silver wreaths tucked in among its three driveways.
• No. 14 Kingswood Blvd. features an arch-shaped candy cane over the door. Matching peppermint-looking stripes add colour in a front-yard tree along with big red balls.
• Look for the stars and wreath on the garage at No. 10 Kirkwood Drive.
• Kluthe Court is also a treat, especially No. 8, which has some log-reindeer that appear to have been made with great love and humour. The creatures’ legs are splayed in the snow and each reindeer has a goofy expression on its face.
• The one tree in St. Albert that makes me smile is the gracious, blue-lit and star- topped spruce that is best seen from Sir Winston Churchill Avenue, across from Paul Kane School. The tree is actually located in the back yard of a Swallow Crescent home.
