From dancing Santa Claus in the front window to dancing lights across the rooftop in tune with the festive holiday music, this year’s “Fantasy of Lights” driving tour was spectacular for all to see. As my second season has concluded, I am reminiscing on a few of my favorite sights. Most of my light tours began at the Elks Event Center, “Christmas in the Country” in Santa Maria, as a drive-through experience with light displays created by local businesses and families. We drove through scenes of uber creativity, including candy canes, snowmen, penguins, and colorful holiday lights, to name a few. Scenery themes included Candy Land, Frozen, Nutcrackers, The Polar Express, a live Nativity, and National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. Near the end, we enjoyed falling snow, Santa’s workshop, and a season’s greeting from the man himself, Santa Clause, “Meeerry Christmas, Ho HO Ho!”
Once we finished the drive-through experience, we drove through Orcutt, visiting the Fa La La award-winning homes from Bunfill Drive to Arroyo Court. As we weeded through town in a southern move, we viewed homes decked with boughs, lights, and holiday themes. My favorite scenes were the yards that showed true originalism with their displays. One neighbor surrounded by well-lit homes put up a sign made with lights that read, “we tried.” Each time I drove by with a new set of clients, they laughed nearly the same as the last. The laughter began with a “haha!” But soon followed by another laugh and a more resounding rolling laugh would signify the true feeling of that home decor.
The remarkable decor used lights set to music that blinked on and off to the sound of the music beat, leaving my clients to hear the next song before we traveled through the night. My favorite music light set tuned into a radio station was 105.5 on Old Mill Lane in Foxenwoods. The large TeePee-style Christmas tree is made purely of light strands and resembles a light display one would see in Las Vegas.
One of my evening tours was on a Monday, meaning the Elks Event Center was not available to drive through, so we started our tour at the most Northern end of Santa Maria to work our way South to Orcutt. My favorite home in Santa Maria was on Speed Street, with a dancing Santa Clause in their front window. Santa was so animated we could not tell if he was actual or mechanical. Around the corner on Palm Court was a well-lit tree towering high in the sky with lights amazing my clients with how they do that. The common belief was the use of cranes to decorate trees that high. On Beverly Drive in Orcutt, the detail of Cinderellas Castle and Tinkerbell flying above amazed my guests requiring a second drive by to view all the minute details.
As each evening came to a close, I repeated the same thing, “if you like what you have seen so far, you haven’t seen anything yet; the grand finale will blow your mind. I have saved the best for last!” And as we came down the street, my clients all agreed no other house amazed them as much as the Christmas House on Arroyo Court in Orcutt. As we pulled up to the house, Cynthia Youngern greeted my clients with candy canes and answered their eager questions. Using red, green, and yellow lights creates a warm glow that mesmerizes all who drive by to see.
Last year my Fantasy of Lights tour was aboard a 56-passenger bus viewing lights around the Atascadero lake and visiting Mr. Scrooge’s house on Vine Street. This year I was solely in the Santa Maria/Orcutt area spreading holiday cheer, and I finished the year looking forward to my third season, December 2023. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
Thank you for the Collaboration:
Dear #OprahWinfrey, #GayleKing, #KatieCouric, #JennaBushHager, #SamanthaGuthrie, #MarthaStewart, #LesterHolt, and #EllenDeGeneres, this is a newsworthy segment for holiday cheer next year. Cynthia has decorated for over 30 years and does everything herself, including building her sets by hand.