MODESTO – What’s better than piling the family into the car, turning up the heater, and driving around to see which houses have gone all-out in their decorations for Christmas?
If you’re tired of seeing the same-old displays on the same-old houses, a short drive to Modesto could end up giving you a fresh perspective and rekindling that Christmas spirit just in time for everybody’s favorite holiday.
Whether it’s the tasteful traditional display that you’re craving or something new and over-the-top, Modesto’s neighborhoods are full of both.
Here are some houses worth checking out if you’re going to be in the neighborhood:
u3124 Esta Ave. – With modern displays often including elaborate and expensive switches, LED boards and even music that’s broadcasted into vehicles, this two-story home sticks with a traditional approach of lining every inch of the home’s structure with a strand of bright lights. It’s not fancy, but sometimes that’s exactly what you need when you’re remembering your days of helping your dad hang the strands of bulbs before the rain came.
u3401 Coffee Road – Remember those over-the-top displays that I mentioned? This is one of them. Kind of. While it doesn’t have the extreme technology that most are used to when seeing the insane displays that win modern awards, this tastefully-decorated home features huge poinsettia plants made of lights, beautiful lawn ornaments that accent the huge display and even wooden cutouts that are lined with lights.
u1721 Lauralee Court – With a light display that’s set to music that you can pick-up in your vehicle, this is the epitome of what Christmas displays have become thanks to modern technology – fun. With driveway arches and interactive Christmas trees, you can’t go wrong by venturing out to see what these holiday fans have done to show their spirit and their creativity to their neighbors.
u4004 Thornhill Way – No those aren’t fireworks that are going off in that front yard. They’re just elaborately staged lights that look exactly like fireworks – a unique spin on the classic light displays that are becoming a thing of the past. A computer controlled Christmas light show that runs for nearly 90 minutes makes good use of 50,000 LED lights, 688 strobe lights, a 27-foot mega tree and two 32-foot simulated fireworks displays. If you don’t make it anywhere else in Modesto for a light show, make sure you make it to this one.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.