Spreading the Christmas spirit in the glow of light

In December students rush to complete their end-of-semester projects, study for upcoming finals and try to spend some final moments with classmates before securing their belongings in dorms and heading home.

However, some take time to relax by packing the car with friends and heading to the Belton Lake Outdoor Recreation Area to view the Nature in Lights Christmas exhibit.

“We all piled into the truck. We ended up getting some blankets, and we had Christmas music playing on the radio as we drove through. It was an atmospheric type thing,” junior computer graphics design major Erin Edenfield said. “They had so many neat scenes. Each place you went was different. Some of them were funny; some were just really pretty. It was great lighting.”

This is the 10th year Ft. Hood’s Moral Welfare and Recreation department has decorated the 800- acre park with animated ornamental displays. More than 130 scenes greet visitors along a fiveand- a-half mile drive.

While the prices of gas and electricity have increased over the past two years, the cost to view BLORA’s display has remained at $7 for regular size cars, pickup trucks and minivans. Cost for maintaining the displays has been offset by sponsorships of local companies and organizations.

Dee Hawthorne, program manager for MWR said, “The majority of the soldiers are coming back from Iraq or going to Iraq. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of things to do around here without a lot of money coming out of your pocket. This is (still) set up to see at a decent price.”

She said the program promotes the relationship between the military and civilian communities.

While many displays have been used throughout the years, such as Santa Claus riding a dinosaur, catching a whale and driving a front-end loader, Hawthorne said they try to change it up by adding new elements for the visitors who come back year after year.

Before reaching the end of the trail, people can stop off at Santa’s Village for cookies and hot chocolate at the snack bar, or shop for some unique Christmas gifts such as handmade accordion photo albums, aroma pouches, jewelry, airbrush painted T-shirts or personalized wax molds of hands.

Santa is there taking last minute requests and posing for pictures with visitors.

The village is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday 6 p.m. - 11 p.m. through Dec. 24.

Junior nursing major Katrina Jackson went to BLORAlast year and plans to go this year as well.

“My favorite part is the tunnels. They have these lights that are solid all the way across like bridges as you are driving through them. It is really neat,” she said. “It was fun to do Christmassy thing with friends and hang. It is a reasonable price, cheap entertainment and a good break from studying.”

The only thing Jackson said she would change is the transportation.

“There were six or eight of us crammed into this tiny little car, but it was fun. This year we decided we are going to find someone with a convertible.”

Nature in Lights will be open daily to the public until Jan.7.

Directions to BLORA from UMHB’s front entrance:

• Turn left on Main Street going toward Wal-mart Supercenter.

• Continue to the second light.

• Turn left on Sparta Rd. Follow Sparta through the stop sign.

• Continue until you come to BLORA on the right.