Make Your Way to the Famous 'Nature in Lights' in Belton, Tx This Christmas

Nature in Lights is a must see when staying in Belton, Tx. With over a hundred Christmas light displays, spanning just over 5 miles, this event is fast becoming a family favorite. Some light displays are as much as 40 ft. high, with various themes throughout.

Located in BLORA(Belton Lake Outdoor Recreation Area), on Sparta Rd., Nature in Lights is open to the public from just before Thanksgiving each year, and generally continues until after the New Year. This year it will open November 7, 2006, and closes January 7, 2007. Hours are from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. nightly. Depending on traffic, the drive-through can take anywhere from a quick one hour trip, to up to three hours. Expect some delays as Christmas nears.

Nature in Lights has become a family favorite for all ages in the Belton, Temple, and Killeen area. As you drive the short drive on Sparta Rd., kids will be delighted at the big lighted area as you near the BLORA entrance. Certain times and dates may cause a rather long wait, but generally the further from the actual holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas you go, the better your chances of getting to the ticket area, and starting your journey.

You will stay in your car and follow the other vehicles through the maze of light displays. However, Santa's Village has a plethora of crafts and assorted items for sale from local vendors, as well as hot cocoa, and a few other treats are available. You can also get your picture taken with Santa. The pictures are 5 dollars for a small Polaroid picture, that they will put inside a sleeve to protect it for you.

You can also tune your radio to listen to Christmas Carols and other Christmas music favorites while driving through the trail. The displays can also have their own music, so at times that can get pretty distracting. Don't be surprised if some nights in Belton are so warm that you can roll down the windows, and feel a mild breeze.

Some favorite displays are the 12 Days of Christmas, Beach Christmas, and lots of other light displays that are too numerous to mention. They add a few new ones each year, so it has become a lot of fun to try to figure out which displays were added from the previous year .

My children's favorites include singing "The 12 Days of Christmas" while going through those particular displays, and pointing out each 'pied piper' and 'ladies leaping', and inevitably messing the whole thing up. Eventually we wind up laughing about the song, and correcting each other about just exactly how the song really goes. The only part we agree on is the 'Five Gold Rings' part.

Another favorite of ours is the Beach themed displays. You can enjoy watching an animated display of Reindeers at the pool, or Santa playing volleybal with Rudolph. Some of the displays are absolutely hilarious, and at the more popular displays, traffic noticably slows way down, so be sure to have your foot on the brake, or at least at the ready. And as a courtesy to other driver's, it is always nice to have those bright lights off, with only the parking brake on.

The final display is a personal favorite of mine, and we call it the 'tunnel'. Without giving it away, it is appropriately the last and best display in this writer's opinion. Kids and adults alike will really enjoy the final display.

This year's prices are as follows:

$ 7.00 - personal vehicle
$20.00 - 15 passenger van/limo
$30.00 - 24 passenger bus
$50.00 - 47 passenger bus
$2 discount nightly per vehicle up until Thanksgiving

10 Nov 2006 - 7 Jan 2007
From 5:30 pm to 11 pm nightly.

Seven dollars is more than reasonable for the amount of joy and excitement you will get at Nature in Lights. They will even give you a detailed map at the beginning of the route when you pay. It also helps when you want to see what has been added since the last visit. I have kept my maps since we began taking the annual trips, about eight years now.

Restrooms are plentiful along the route, and after some delicious cocoa and cookies at Santa's Village, the kids (and adults)may just need one. They are placed just off the path, and are generally not crowded at all, even during the busier part of the season.

Enjoy the lights during this holiday season, at Nature in LIghts. It's worth every penny, and great memories are sure to be made.