Definitely decorated
Here are the addresses of some of the more-decked out homes in the Chattanooga area. But remember, be polite if you go. Drive slowly. Turn off your lights if they’re making it hard for other sightseers to check out the decorations. Don’t hoot, honk or holler. Just soak it all in.› 11632 Jenkins Road, Soddy-Daisy› 4310 St. Elmo Ave., St. Elmo› 7327 McCormack Drive, Hixson› 1702 Strawberry Lane, Hixson› 2418 Daugherty Lane, Ooltewah (several homes in this neighborhood are decorated)› 1014 Westwood Ave., North Chattanooga› 4406 Louise Drive, East Ridge› 7279 Autumn Lake Trail, Hixson› Ashwood subdivision, off Shallowford Road near Hamilton Place
Driving down the street, the night sky is clear and full of stars. Fuzzy auras of lamps shine through the windows of the homes you pass. Cars and trucks are neatly tucked into carports. Everything as it should be.
So as you approach the Soddy-Daisy house near the end of the street, nothing seems all that out of the ordinary. Just a home decorated with Christmas lights, little wire Christmas trees lining the roadside, lights around the windows and front door, a couple of big electric stars. Seen it before.
Stop.
No, literally. You have to stop.
On a sign that scrolls across the roofline, it says: “Tune to 107.3 FM” Do it. Then wait.
Whammo!!! As the holiday music plays, suddenly the entire house erupts in a blast of lights. They’re scrolling, blinking, flashing. A rainbow pours down from the roof and a fairy princess (you guess that’s what it is) emerges from the colors to smite things with a laser sword. Four smiling/singing Christmas trees stare down at you from the roof and lights scorch across the lawn.
It’s so over-the-top it achieves transcendent awesomeness. Check out the video clip attached to this story online to get just an idea of what it’s like.
The home at 11632 Jenkins Road may be the most decorated one in the Chattanooga area. With thousands of lights synchronized to the music, it elicits laughter and hand claps and gasps as it runs through its multiple routines.
But, to be sure, this is just one of hundreds of homes around the area that go all out for Christmas. We asked readers of the Times Free Press to tell us about the houses they’ve seen that are highly decorated, plus we found some of our own.
These are the big boomers; the ones that not only have lots and lots (and lots) of lights, but also have inflatable Santas, reindeer, Snoopy, snow globes, you name it. Their lights may flash in a pattern or, if they’re really into it, be synchronized to music.
These folks take it in stride that their December electric bill is going to skyrocket. They don’t care. They just love the holidays.
But this is by no means a complete list, so if you know of houses that ought not be missed, go to the Times Free Press Facebook page and list them in the comments for this story. Share the glory.
Contact Shawn Ryan at sryan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6327.