Cactus Garden Lights {Christmas Tradition}

 Welcome to Day 9 in WeNdYs WiNtEr WoNdErLaNd !!
  
Today I have a bright and twinkly treat just for you {along with CHOCOLATE}!  I mean what more can a girl ask for?!  When you live in an unusual place such as Las Vegas one has the opportunity to enjoy some rather unique Christmas traditions.  One of those for our family is going to tour the Christmas lights in the Ethel M Botanical Cactus Gardens at the Ethel M Chocolate Factory {which is practically in my neighborhood}!  Lucky for us because we can swing by any time we feel like it! WARNING-This is a long little field trip so put your feet up for a few!

Ethel M Chocolates was named after the mother of Forrest Mars {of Mars Inc. - known for Milky Way, Snickers, etc.}  Bored of retirement he set up this business here and incorporated his love for cactus with a botanical cactus garden as well.  They are open every day except Christmas and delight the community with a SPECTACULAR Cactus garden light display every year.  I was told that this year they used over 650,000 lights on the cactus!  On weekends you will find caroling and hot chocolate and Santa, but you can come and visit the lights any evening you please!  We popped over last night and here are some of the dazzling, bright, twinkly, and vivid lights that we saw!

I was wondering if the guy who puts the lights on has to wear steel gloves!

We arrived just as the sun was setting and the lights were turned on.

The deserts of Las Vegas, and cacti in general, are rather bland colors of greenish gray and shades of brown so to see these native plants decorated with all of these colorful and bright lights is such a cheerful treat!

This blue wrapped desert tree trunk was just stunning against the dimming sky!

  The picture doesn't show it well but the tree tops had lights hanging from it that were long tubes, where white lights raced down them every few seconds!  This made sort of a firework effect and was dazzling to watch!

There are a lot of white lights mixed in with the colored ones as well.

Just look at this rainbow colored beauty!

A snowman in a field of colored cacti!  What a funny and unusual sight!

You will also find giant Christmas light bulbs throughout the gardens!

I just love all of the different shapes and textures that a cactus has to offer!  So unique!

This red and green together almost makes it look like a poinsettia flower!

I now spy reindeer in the garden!

Even an odd and deformed cactus has beauty when lit up!

I just loved the many mini barrel cactus all lit up like round balls!

Loved them so much that I had to get a closer view!

The paths go around...

And around!

Some areas have you walk under swagged canopies of lights that look like icicles!

A lit up Christmas soldier on display!

A lit up little gingerbread man and penguin!  What a treat!

And lollipop lights are a MUST for a candy factory!

These vivid and bright colors seem to wow me!

So did this strange shaped tree with a lit up snowflake on the end!

As well as this blue and purple peacock in front of a silver lit cactus!

I was just crazy about this purple colored cactus!

As well as this red glowing one!

We pass right by the angels and down the garden path!

To the garland swagged gazebo where Santa's throne resides!

We pass by more breathtaking and...

beautifully lit cacti and head toward the building where...

The Ethel M Chocolate Factory is waiting for us to enter!

           BEWARE!!!  ENTER IF YOU DARE!!!

Once inside you walk past huge windows and view the chocolate factory itself!  Tonight they were making Pecan Brittle {it was melt in your mouth fabulous too-you get samples}!  Can you see that huge stack of butter on the cart?!

There is Claire continuing down the hallway to the next window!

Where you find more candy being made!

And then I spy an extra pan of Pecan Brittle calling my name!

The next large room had the conveyer belts where the candy is sorted and then the last huge room is where it is packed.

This sign was on top of an office window! 

{Oh the workers are allowed ALL the chocolate they want for free!  How is that for a perk!}

And FINALLY we are inside the Chocolate Store {just in time for our samples}!!

And to read all of their clever signs!

And gaze at the latest Christmas gift box display!

So now I will leave you with my your own "Chocolate Covered Thoughts"!

And one last look at the lights as I Wish You MY Merriest Holiday Greeting today!  

Want to join me for some chocolate?