I had tickets to go to the Winter Light Spectacular at the Lehigh Valley Zoo on opening weekend and it was just my luck to have the temperature drop to the 30s for the first time since last year.
It was cold but the night was clear and a waning moon, still chubby and bright, hovered overhead.
It’s a walk-around adventure, not something seen through the windshield. We had bundled up – and it truly was spectacular, a delight for children and the child within us all.
First, let me say that I love animals and the Lehigh Valley Zoo, although small, is amazing. The best part is its approach, a long, winding, hilly drive through the Trexler Game Preserve where a herd of grazing bison makes you think you’re in the Dakotas.
You won’t see that at night, of course, and you won’t see the zoo animals either but you will be greeted at the entrance by light-trimmed trees so stunning we both hopped out of our car to take pictures.
But that scene was nothing compared with what awaited us inside where we entered and were surrounded by a huge magical landscape of twinkling lights – 1.2 million of them, climbing trees and forming outlines of animals, a tractor, a motorcycle, Cinderella’s coach, a gazebo and classic holiday scenes with Santa, ornaments and a giant gift box.
The reflection of lights outlining the enormous display of the antlered head of a buck danced in the water surrounding the island where a few months ago I had watched a pair of endangered lemurs from Madagascar jumping from branch to branch.
It all seemed so incredible to me, and it felt good to know revenue from the event supports the zoo’s animal conservation projects and programs.
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