The Spirit of Christmas Bus Trip - Lights, Trees, Nativity Scenes, Candy Canes, and More

Last evening our parish (All Saints in St. Peters) sponsored a bus tour to several local Christmas light displays. After eating a simple, but filling, meal in the Parish Center, more than 100 brave souls, including my sister Kathleen, some of my friends from my old work, and I hopped on two large tour buses and headed out for Tilles Park in St. Louis County to drive through their Winter Wonderland light display.

Because of rush-hour traffic it took some time to finally get there, but the non-religious displays were bright and sparkly, and so much to see. There was a jumping frog, skaters, trees, carriage rides, Santa, a toy house, a Peace on Earth sign, and lots more.   The driving tour took about a half hour, and is something kids of all ages can enjoy. Admission fees range from $9.00 for a family vehicle to $75 for a bus.

After once again braving rush-hour traffic, we rode across the Mississippi into the Land of Lincoln. Our second stop was the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, IL, for the Way of the Lights display, which runs until Jan 1.

After climbing off our bus we headed inside, where we were greeted by a group of children performing Christmas carols. As Kathleen and I walked down the hallway, we admired the decorated wreaths on the walls. The wreaths were donated for a silent auction. Some were simple, others ornate, but almost all were elegant.

The fun part of the tour was a walk through the Christmas tree display room.

The theme was children's books. What a delight!

The room isn't too large, but it was crowded and took about 15 minutes to walk through. I stopped a few times to snap photos of most of the trees on display.

Trees were decorated like The Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, Toy Story, Cinderalla (my favorite), The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and several others.

The display sponsored by the School Sisters of Notre Dame, called ONE,  included handouts for a 2011 Christmas Tree Blessing.

After leaving the Christmas Tree room, we peeked into the Children's Room, where there were a variety of activities for children, including a puppet show.

We wandered down the hall and visited the gift shop, which also had some lovely displays, most notably was a Nativity scene under the tree at the entrance.

Another highlight of our visit was a portrait of the Blessed Mother carrying the Infant Jesus and being serenaded by three angels.

What's remarkable about this portrait is that it's made out of Legos. Isn't it amazing?

I was told there is another, larger, portrait made out of Legos in the hotel at the center.

The suggested donation for the outside tour varies depending on the size of the vehicle. For a car it would be $10. Our bus paid $50, and with each $10 donation came a cute and cuddly stuffed animal--this one was a goat. Oh, the tour also offers camel and donkey rides. It truly is a sight to behold, and one I highly recommend for children of all ages, and anyone who is looking for displays with a spiritual message of Christmas.

After leaving Illinois we headed back to Missouri and took in a glimpse of downtown St. Louis City Park, then on to a special treat on Murdock Lane called --- Candy Cane Lane in the St. Louis Hills section of St. Louis. John Kuehner, the brother of Patti Niestat, one of our tour organizers, plans and produces this annual event. If neighbors can't afford to decorate, John foots the bill. All the houses on both sides of the street for a few blocks are brightly decorated. Red and white lights circle the bases of large oaks lining the streets, giving it a candy cane appearance. This brief drive was a delight, and a sweet way to finish up our evening before heading back to All Saints.

I hope they have this bus trip again next year, because I definitely want to go!