Natchitoches, LA -- City of Lights

This is our little trip -- a Christmas tradition -- to Natchitoches. Hubby and I have been going since we were dating. When we lived only 45 minutes from there, we would visit anywhere from 3-10 times during the Christmas season, alone! We love this city! With it's original brick streets, refurbished downtown, antebellum homes, Victorian B & B's...... Because it now takes us over 2 hours to get there, we generally only make it once during Christmas -- but we know that we're blessed to even make it once! We left late Sunday afternoon for our latest visit. All but one of the stores were closed (we went in that 1 store and I got the cutest Santa head cookie cutter!) but the rest of our shopping was just window shopping! I just love window shopping -- don't you?!?!?

This stopped me in my tracks in this store window. Want a closer look?
Isn't it just breathtaking?

What it's all about.......

A few colorful, fun displays...

Clothes shopping is right up there with getting a root canal, on my list of "fun" things to do, but this store really had a beautiful window display.See the Fleur-de-Lis on the t-shirt, purse, and Christmas tree? You can't hardly spit around here without "hitting" one - but that's okay, we like them....a lot!
This is the entrance to the riverfront display -- you drive down a steep, steep hill!

Looking back at Main Street before going down to the river front. The lights have changed alot. They used to have the big colored bulbs -- those sweet old-fashioned ones.

Same view, but, in this one, you can see the brick streets!

Can you see that crawfish back there? It's water-skiing with an alligator!

There's nothing wrong with the lighting displays -- it's just me -- trying to catch a non-blurry picture. I'm thinking that's not a real probability.... but the display showing that this is their 82nd anniversary -- both fireworks light up!

This bridge does the same thing. The whole thing lights up. It starts at one end and rapidly moves to the other and starts over again. It seems as though it's moving to the Christmas music that they have playing (loudly, but not too loudly) along the riverfront.

This tree does the same thing as the bridge -- sorry that it's so blurry!

The other side of the bridge -- in mid re-start of the lighting... too fast for me!

Ha! I caught ya.... well, a few anyway!

There were more pictures and displays but I had to delete them because they were sooooo blurry! Wish that I could have shown you. Now to the food.... At this little stand, you can also have your picture taken with a real live alligator, but they had already gone for the day.

There are a few stands, they take turns Sunday-Thursday on which ones will be open, but on Saturday & Sunday ...... every man for himself!We stopped at this one, and as per tradition.... we got funnel cakes! When hubby and I first started going, I think the funnel cakes were 50 or 75 cents. Ummmm, yeah, they've gone up just a bit. Hubby and I laugh and say, "It's just a little flour & water!" They sure are good, though! No, I take that back........ they're delicious!!!

I sure wish that I could show you some of the beautiful Antebellum homes all lit up, but hubby was driving mach speed -- okay, he wasn't, but my camera thought he was and the pictures reflected it.....

Hope that you enjoyed our little trip. I know that it's not much but it's a tradition for us and soooo many others. People even come from all over the world to see it -- we've been blessed enough to meet a few during the years.

I'm off to do Bible studies with the children. Then to get some sugar cookie, gingerbread, and Mexican Wedding cookie doughs to chilling.....

Merry Christmas,

Julie