Sunday, January 10, 2016

SOME MIGHTY TRICKY LIGHTS TO STRING - ETHEL M'S CACTUS GARDEN

One final look back at Christmas past, before heading on to a new year, you might remember my Springtime posts of the Ethel M Cactus Garden, here in Las Vegas.  Well, after they lose their Spring color, they are just cactus with long, spiny thorns - everything in here has a thorn of some kind on it (hence the name CACTUS Garden).  Long, dangerous thorns.  Hell, there is even a cactus they have marked to avoid getting close to, as they say the spines JUMP.  Yeah, I don't believe that either.
Each Christmas, for the past 22 years, Ethel M's clever Christmas Light "Stringers" gingerly string over 500,000 lights throughout the 3-acre CACTUS garden.  Hard to tell at night, but I took these WITH a flash, to illuminate some of the spiny hazards these stringers faced.  Also the UN-stringers!  
They've been doing this as long as we've lived here, but this was our first venture through - how dumb have I been?  This display is sure to give anyone "Christmas Light Envy".  Tiny laser lights were even shining down from the tip-tops of the large trees - glad he didn't get blinded!
A pretty fabulous end to our Christmas/New Year week.  This display is open around the first month of November, through New Year's Day, until 10:00 at night.  The garden and candy factory self-guided tours are always free (the factory tour and gift shop were actually open that evening, as well). 

Directions to this joyous sight and smell extravaganza can be found by clicking HERE!
A wish for a spectacular 2016, from my house to yours - XOXO

7 comments:

Laurie said...

Beautiful! They aren't called city of lights for nothing, huh?

Salty Pumpkin Studio said...

WOW! Ethel's is magical! Thank you for the photos

Its amazing to think how careful they are stringing the lights.
As for cactus warnings...I take it seriously. A tiny cactus very close to the ground went right through my shoe, and probably to the bone the pain was that awful.

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

It looks pretty amazing! And who doesn't love Christmas lights? You got some nice pictures. I always find it hard to get any kind of night shot.

Mary Ann Potter said...

Oh, this is beautiful. Here in NC, of course, we don't see cacti like this. Loved seeing your photos!

Colleen Mcgraw said...

It's been years since I have gone there at Christmas, maybe I will make it next year. Great pictures

Dorthe said...

Amazing dear Tanya, and SO MANY LIGHTS- oh my, I can`t imagine what it would be seeing it in real.But here it looks truly gorgeous.
Thank you for showing.
Hugs from me to you !!

My Garden Diaries said...

Gosh Tanya!!!! This is just spectacular!!! The entire garden looks like a jewelry box with shiny jewels!! I would love to see this in person! Miss you friend...I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your family. Wishing you many awesome adventures this year!!! Hugs buddy!!! Xoxoxo Nicole