Here are the stops:

1. Christmas lights tour – University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, Minnesota
   • A dazzling light display on the roads inside the arboretum. Beautiful drive! Here’s the link.
2. Red River Valley Fair Campground Christmas display
   • West Fargo, North Dakota
3. Bayfront Festival Park Christmas display on the shores of Lake Superior in Duluth, Minnesota
   • The lighting display covers the Festival Park and nearby Canal Park. Canal Park is a historical/scenic area with food and beverage options.
4. Rudolph, Wisconsin
   • We must have Rudolph WI early in the trip, as he needs to lead the sleigh!
   • Rudolph is in the center of the state near Stevens Point, about 120 miles north of Madison.
5. Joy, Illinois
   • Isn’t it a Joy to be in Joy, IL?
   • Joy is located in the southwestern part of the state near the Mississippi River and about 90 miles northwest of Peoria.
6. Christmas Tree Walk, Clay Township, Michigan
   • This Christmas Tree Walk is north of Detroit, near the Canadian border and Lake St. Clair. In fact, you can go straight south and be in Canada!
7. North Pole, New York
   • There’s also the North Pole, Alaska, near Fairbanks, so you can substitute that one if you are taking Santa’s sleigh!
   • North Pole is, of course, up north! It’s straight north of Albany and near Lake Placid, the site of the Miracle on Ice in 1980!
8. Nazareth, Pennsylvania
   • See Bethlehem (below)
9. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
   • Moravian missionaries named both Bethlehem and Nazareth in 1740 and 1741.
   • Bethlehem is also known as the home of the Andretti autoracing family. Mario Andretti and his brother settled here as Italian immigrants. Mario started auto racing and eventually competed in Formula One and IndyCar. There are three generations of Andrettis in the racing business.
   • What better place to stop on a road trip than on a Fantastic Christmas-themed Road Trip?
10. Mount Holly, North Carolina
    • Deck the Halls with boughs of Holly!
    • Mount Holly is just outside of Charlotte, NC.
11. Christmas, Florida
    • So many Christmas scenes suggest snow and cold, but a Christmas vacation in Florida is probably a great idea!
    • Christmas, FL, is an unincorporated community in the Greater Orlando area. If you go, take the time to see DisneyWorld!
12. Dasher, Georgia
    • You won’t have far to travel from Christmas, FL, to Dasher!
    • Is there a Dancer, and Prancer, etc., near here?
    • It’s another small town just north of the Florida border and near Valdosta.
13. Evergreen, Alabama
    • As we continue our tour of Christmas places in the south, next up is Evergreen.
    • Evergreen is less than 100 miles north of Pensacola, FL. (I spent eight months there while in the US Navy.)
14. Santa Claus, Indiana
    • Alas, we must leave the south and head back to the Midwest. Santa Claus, IN, of course, must be on the list!
    • Santa Claus is in southern Indiana, between Evansville, IN, and Louisville, KY.
15. Bells, Tennessee
    • Ok, let’s take a “dip” south again into Tennessee. Watch (listen for?) Bells Tennessee?
    • Visiting Bells takes us near Memphis and the Mississippi River.
16. Noel, Missouri
    • Noel, MO, is located very near a “tri-point” of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. And not far from Kansas either!
17. Garland, Texas
    • And how could we have Christmas without garland?
    • Garland is in the northeast Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
18. Snowflake, Arizona
    • Snowflake isn’t named after snowflakes or anything snow-related. It’s named after two Mormon missionaries who settled the area in the 1800s. Their names were Mr. Snow and Mr. Flake!
    • Snowflake is located south of Holbrook, AZ, and is about 175 miles northeast of Phoenix. (It’s a slow and scenic route through the Sitgreaves National Forest. I’ve driven the route!)
19. Altadena, California – A street with evergreens is known as Christmas Tree Lane
    • Altadena is in the Los Angeles metropolitan area and near Pasadena.
20. Christmas Valley, Oregon
    • Christmas Valley is in the center of the state and is an unincorporated community of about 1300 people.
    • It’s about 180 miles mostly east and a bit south of Eugene, OR.
21. Santa, Idaho
    • Santa is also very small. It’s large enough to have a post office!
    • It’s in the Idaho Panhandle, about 70 miles south of Coeur d’Alene, ID.
22. Red Lodge, Montana
    • Red is a Christmas color, right? After the mines stopped operating, the town evolved and is now known as a ski and winter-sports town. The population is about 2300.
    • Red Lodge is located about 115 miles northeast of the eastern entrance to Yellowstone National Park.
23. Minden, Nebraska, is known as The Christmas City
    • Minden doesn’t have a name related to Christmas, but it’s known as Nebraska’s Christmas City.
    • Minden is about 25 miles south of Kearney, NE.
24. And back to the Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, Minnesota
    • Now, we’ve completed all of the stops on the list, so let’s go back to our start to finish!
    • Just take I-80 east to Des Moines, IA, and then I-35 north to our start/finish location!

Wrap up

If you are actually going to take this drive (unlikely!), you can start at any point! And end your trip at any place you want to stop. Of course, if you are taking Santa’s sleigh, you will need to schedule that with Santa. His address is: 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888. His phone number is: (605) 313-4000.

(Don’t tell those who believe in Santa, but those aren’t real! The address allows kids to write to Santa about what they want for Christmas, and volunteers read them and send the gifts to the kids as if they actually come from Santa!)

Do you want more “fantasy” trips? Let us know here.

Thanks for following along on this Fantastic Christmas-themed Road Trip!

Classic Rock Recollection

“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee

Rockin’ around the Christmas tree
At the Christmas party hop
Mistletoe hung where you can see
Every couple tries to stop
Rockin’ around the Christmas tree
Let the Christmas spirit ring

Written by: Johnny Marks

#thedrivebytourist #christmasthemedtrip