It's time to see the lights. And what better place than Boca Raton, where over-the-top is a year-round way of life? So if you feel like checking out the best in bright, blinking bulbs, we offer four recommendations:
Claude Cummings
To reach 1799 Isabel Rd. Oeste, take I-95 to Palmetto Park Road, head east to SW 12th Avenue, south to SW 18th Street, then east to the second street on the left. From there 1300 SW 12th Ave. is five blocks north. To reach 22081 SW 58th Ave. from I-95, head west on Palmetto Park Road to Lyons Road (SW 57th Avenue), then go south to SW First Street and turn left onto SW 58th Avenue. To get to 9534 Tavernier Dr., from Palm Park Road head north on U.S. Highway 441, turn east on Lakeridge Boulevard (one block north of Yamato Road), then south on Aegean Drive; the house is at the corner of Tavernier and Aegean drives.
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This is the time of the year when people start referring to the house on the corner of SW 18th Street and Isabel Road Oeste as, "The Miracle on 18th Street." And with good reason. If Walt Disney were alive, this is how he would decorate his house, right down to the lights that dangle from every tropical tree. The real treat of this display is its magnitude, made possible because the house sits on three lots. The owners take great pleasure in standing outside to greet gawkers and answering questions like, "How much are your monthly electricity bills?" (Answer: $300.)
The stuff that passes the better part of the year cluttering up most of the attic, half of the garage, and all of one of the closets at 1300 SW 12th Ave. is now out in the yard. A half-dozen lighted figures adorn the roof alone, and 25 strands of lights cover just one tree. Make sure you walk around to the 13th Street side of the house to get a good view of the decorated back yard and pool area. According to the owners' estimate, the whole display includes between 20,000 and 30,000 lights. No wonder it takes them almost two weeks to get the place all decked out.
You'll find a major manger scene in the front yard of 22081 SW 58th Ave. There's also a plastic choir, a North Pole scene, and gifts in an impressive sleigh. (Do not open till Christmas.) Drive through this meandering neighborhood for other eye-candy canes, including the exterior décor of 22205 SW 61st Ave., with more Santas, angels, and lights than you may have thought possible.
Before pulling up to 9534 Tavernier Dr., assure your kids that, despite what they're about to see, there will be a Christmas this year. Like many other scenes, this one features Santa and his reindeer, but with a slightly wicked twist. Rudolph has crashed into one palm tree, leaving his fellow reindeer strung out between that tree and another; Santa himself is just about to plow into a third tree. A sign near Santa offers an explanation: "Damn rum." Guess that explains the red nose -- and the sobering sign on the lawn: "Drive safely."
