Lewis Ginter GardenFest of Lights (December 3, 2017)

 I love going to this every year and it is always something magical to see. The place is located at 1800 Lakeside Avenue, and does charge admission (though there are some free days to visit). It is the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and they make magic during the Spring, Summer and Fall but really outdo themselves during the Winter when they transform the gardens into a winter wonderland. 

 I liked this tree which was really something to see. As well as sights such as these there are places to get something to eat and drink (hot chocolate was popular) and there were other things to see. Conventional Christmas trees were on display as well as a very large and interesting model train set. They also had a wonderful childrens garden for the kids to explore and that was a great deal of fun for older kids such as me.

 It was just an amazingly beautiful explosion of color and tranquility. A good tip if you visit go early as this exhibit gets pretty packed as the night goes on. It will be open from November 24-January 8 though it is closed December 24-25)There are a lot of special events scheduled though the month so checking the web site is a really good idea. Hours of the display are from 5-10 PM

This is the view from the lake. I would also mention that all of these are just a small sample of what the garden has to offer. They even have dog nights (though they dont like the dogs run free). Not sure if the dogs would really enjoy the lights but I do know they would a good walk...and this area is a very good walk indeed. Not sure how many acres but it is a lot and each step is special and magical.