Nights Full Of Lights -- Neighborhoods Are Aglow With Holiday Illuminations

Deck the walls with boughs of lights. Festoon the porches, eaves, rooftops, bushes, trees, garage doors and fences with more lights. If that's not enough, add a floodlighted Santa, his workshop, a sleigh and reindeer on the lawn.

All over the area, families and businesses are lighting and decorating to share the season's good wishes with passers-by.

There are lovely pockets of lights in many neighborhoods, and more spectacularly lighted streets and festive sights in others. Some are just fun to see as you drive by; others are worth a special evening trip.

One of those lovely destinations might be Mill Creek, in Snohomish County north of Bothell, where there's an annual contest to see who has the best-and-most lights.

Last year the neighbors along Sunrose Place were award-winners for the cul-de-sac they call "Candy Cane Lane of the North." This year even more homes are decorated.

At Bob and Patsy Gay's home, 1721 Sunrose Place S.E., a sign in the yard announces "Lighting Dedicated to Clark Griswold" (from the Chevy Chase movie "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation"). A collection pot has a sign that says "Donations to the PUD," though Bob Gay hastens to assure visitors that money collected goes to charity.

However, lighting homes to this extreme is not a cheap proposition, and utility bills can easily top $150 for the month the homes are lighted.

Across from the Gay home, Frank and Moonyeen Barczewski's home has a few more lighted bushes and special effects each year. "I spent no more than $75 this year," he says. "Some years I've spent a lot more, I don't dare imagine . . ."

Over the years the Gays and Barczewskis have added extra electric circuits to their homes to accommodate their several hundred strings of lights and other decorations, and both families say the decorating has to start long before Thanksgiving to get everything up.

"It would be a full-time job for a week if you didn't start early," says Patsy Gay, whose sons Troy, Drew and Andy help. "We were stringing bushes back around Halloween."

If you're looking for lights, it's easiest if you have a good map to find your way.

Sunrose Place is in north Mill Creek. From the Bothell-Everett Highway, turn east on Trillium Boulevard, which is south of 138th Street Southeast. Sunrose Place runs east off Trillium. The area is south of Heatherwood Middle School.

Mill Creek has more brightly decorated homes to see, down its many winding neighborhood streets, and there are holiday displays en route.

Nearby Country Village, 23730 Bothell-Everett Highway in Bothell, is enchanting this season with many shops, cabins and outbuildings edged in white lights. The village is spread across a grassy slope with lighted features including animals and outdoor music.

Two great decorated homes in the area: a wonderland of a home and large yard on Bothell-Everett Highway north of 214th Street Southeast, and a Santa's workshop filled with cartoon characters, giant candy canes, balloons and more at 10617 N.E. 195th St., Bothell.

-- Today we offer holiday-decorated homes to view, as suggested by our readers.

----------------------- Readers' favorite homes -----------------------

----- NORTH -----

Snohomish: Lighted candy canes, snowmen, nativity, trains and cartoon characters at 9002 180th St. S.E.. There's a gazebo of animated Santa and elves, a skating bear, Rudolph on the roof and toy soldiers at 17806 87th Ave. S.E.

Lynnwood: 17221 Spruce Way has more than 150,000 lights, floodlights, tall decorated trees and much more. Near Poplar Way and 206th Street Southwest are many elaborately decorated homes.

Shoreline: At 133 N.E. 147th St. is a fantasy cottage in a forest with lighted snowmen and angels, Santa, reindeers. Another good display at 17310 Palantine Ave. N., and one that grows each year, at Linden Avenue North and North 196th Court.

Silver Lake: On the south side of Everett off Highway 527 are several residential areas with great lights, particularly north and south of 100th Street Southeast.

------- SEATTLE -------

Ballard: Several homes near Northwest 71th Street and 32nd Avenue Northwest have spectacular displays of gingerbread, kitsch and holiday spirit. A fun house at 351 N.W. 52nd St. has a fisherman in a lighted boat, along with more traditional creatures including reindeer and a train on the fence.

Beacon Hill: Several homes lighted on Cheasty Boulevard South, off Beacon Avenue, south of Jefferson Golf Course. There's a decorated gazebo and lots of lights at 5403 Beacon Ave. S.

Hawthorne Hills: A peace theme lights up 5811 Princeton Ave. N.E.

Lake City: Four homes are brilliantly lighted near 22nd Avenue Northeast and Northeast 125th Street.

Leschi and Lakewood marinas have decorated boats and masts. North of Seward Park, many homes are decorated along Lake Washington Boulevard South.

Laurelhurst: A 20-foot-tall antique Santa and thousands of lights at 4511 N.E. 38th St.

Montlake: An enchanted mini-forest on 24th Avenue north of East Newton Street and a lovely lighted house at 23rd Avenue on East Aloha Street.

Queen Anne: More than 100 electric "farolitos" (luminarias) and other lights at 2309 Nob Hill Ave. N.

Northgate: A 60-foot-long Santa's Workshop display with animated characters at 10723 Densmore Ave. N.

Maple Leaf: Unusual orbs, bird lights and stars at 8250 14th Ave. N.E.

Ravenna: Candy Cane Lane has been a holiday tradition in Seattle for decades. Off Northeast Ravenna Boulevard and 21st Avenue Northeast, along tiny Northeast Park Road.

Wallingford: Big display of shooting stars, lights, snowflakes and characters at 3916 Woodlawn Ave. N.

West Seattle: 12,000 lights, more decorations each year, at 10860 35th Ave. S.W. In the Fauntleroy area, there are many homes with lights on Southwest Concord Street between 40th and 41st Avenues Southwest.

---- EAST ----

Bellevue: Lovely display at 15320 S.E. 48th Drive, Horizon Crest community in Eastgate. Another Eastgate home at 14217 S.E. 38th St. has Santa, reindeer on the roof, a nativity, candy canes and lights. In the Cougar Mountain area, many lighted cartoon characters at 16610 S.E. 48th Place.

Issaquah: An amazing 20-foot-tall French chateau, 10 smaller playhouse-size castles, trains, moving characters, a fountain and more at 350 Third Place N.W. Take a right off Front Street onto Dogwood Street. Visitors are welcome to get out and walk through the many displays that Ed Kern has built over the years. Also in Issaquah, the Highland Park area on the Issaquah Plateau has many lights. A home at 4637 227th Place S.E. is elaborately lighted.

Kirkland: In Kingsgate, a pretty display at 4319 123rd Ave. N.E.

Redmond: Homes near Sahalee Golf Course have lots of lights, particularly in the Timberline neighborhood west of 228th Avenue Northeast along Northeast 25th Way. Pretty lights in the Klahanie neighborhoods, off Issaquah-Pine Lake Road. Especially nice, a house at 4732 227th Place S.E. Also, a large display at 2509 227th Place N.E., on the Sammamish Plateau in the Heritage Hills neighborhood.

----- SOUTH -----

Burien: One of the largest displays in the area each year is at 12605 14th Ave. S., where the amazing lights and decorations can be seen by incoming planes.

Des Moines: Pretty lights at 918 S. 202nd St. off Des Moines Way South.

Federal Way: Ice-skating bears, animated talking Santa, elves and lights at 31720 Seventh Ave. S. Nestled in the woods at 36727 Ninth Ave. S.W. is a home with thousands of lights, bears, Santa, reindeer and more.

Normandy Park: Neighbors on Southwest Colewood Lane do lots of decorating each year. To get there from First Avenue South, go west on 186th Avenue Southwest (where there is another lovely home to view), then drive two long blocks to Colewood Lane.

Brown's Point: The Northshore area, southwest of Federal Way, has lots of decorated homes, particularly in areas bordering the Northshore Golf Course.

----------- MORE LIGHTS -----------

Santa Special Christmas Lights Bus Tour leaves at 7 p.m. today for three-hour tour from Second Avenue South and South Main Street, Seattle. ($4-$5) Come early, buses fill fast, 206-633-4590.

Fircrest Christmas Lights Volkssport: A 6.2-mile walk past many decorated homes. Start between 4 and 6 p.m. today from Fircrest Recreation Center, 555 Conta Costa Ave., Fircrest. FREE.

Lake Wilderness Lights Tour: Many lights and displays in Maple Valley's Lake Wilderness Golf and Country Club neighborhood, 6 to 9 p.m. today , off Witte Road, one mile south of Highway 169. Bring donation for Maple Valley Foodbank.