Gardens Aglow 2024 (1)

/

We walked through the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden’s Gardens Aglow the Monday before Thanksgiving. It was the member’s only night and we arrived just at it opened at 5. They were handing out mugs of hot chocolate! We were bundled up but feeling the chill of the first really cold days so the hot chocolate was appreciated.

There was still light in the sky but as we walked around the light displays it got fully dark. I missed last year’s show because I was in Dallas the whole time…so it was a treat to see it again. Every year it is a bit different.

I always enjoy the Japanese lanterns even though they are not draped in lights. My favorite this year was the one with newly fallen ginkgo leaves around its base.

Two big trees were probably my favorites: a rainbow tree and a bald cypress with spots shining upward into its branches.

It really is a great place to spend on hour of our evening. I will be volunteering on 2 nights in December…and we’ll probably go again to see it on another evening.

Finley Park Light Display

/

My daughter recommended the drive-through light display at Ozark, MO’s Finley River Park. She had gone with a friend and then had dinner at the Ozark Mill Restaurant on the other side of the river.

The park was not crowded when we got there, and we enjoyed a leisurely drive through the lights – many of them animated.

Ozark is a suburban community south of Springfield…population of about 22,000. Kudos to the community for providing this display!

Our short drive from our home and the park was a good experience too – on curvy two-lane roads in the dark. It provided the ‘over the river and through the woods’ vibe for the evening!