Happy Thursday, my friends!
Today I have the most ridiculous Trail of Lights recap for you.
6 kids 3 and under. UT night. First year back to walking the TOL since 2019!!
It was a blast. My friends and I also texted each other after we all got home that night and said, “anyone else feel like you just ran a marathon?” 😉
Trail of Lights 2022
If you’re not in Austin, Trail of Lights is our annual holiday activity that happens at Zilker Park (the BIG park near downtown Austin where ACL fest happens every October). For the last 2 years, due to the pandemic, the trail has been drive-thru only.
Was anyone else soooo very excited when they heard that Trail of Lights was going to be open to pedestrians again? I have to say…driving the TOL was a major bummer to me. My kids couldn’t really see the lights, and so it was just a normal evening of trying to keep a toddler happy in his car seat while we’re sitting there, idling, waiting for our turn to drive. Not super holly jolly.
So this year a group of friends decided to pick a night and all go together! 
We got a bunch of Tacodeli tacos and had a picnic dinner in Zilker Park before entering the Trial of Lights.
Also, we decided that trying to get a big group photo would be easiest before going into the Trail.
^ This is the best one of everyone, so I guess the joke is on us…
The only other photo with Milo in it. He decided he was NOT in the mood to take a group pic.
But then 5 min later he says, “mommy, we should take a picture together!!” and it’s my FAVORITE thing in the world to take a selfie with this cute boy! (The mood swings of a 3-year-old, y’all..)
Running running running to catch up to our group of friends at the entrance.
ZIP passes are the way. to. go.
If you’re still waiting to get tickets for Trail of Lights this year, the ZIP lines were so super short! Like 10% the length of the other ones. It only took us about 5 minutes to get in.
Trying to get a picture of Nate and both boys, and this was the best one. Ha!
My beautiful friends! I had so much fun at the Trail of Lights with Courtney and Kathleen.
Grammy and Papa were there with us! If you look really closely, you can see two little Milo legs in the background. (He was way too busy looking at lights to slow down for a picture.)
With my person.
Another reason to get the ZIP passes – they give you access to a private part of the trail where you get cookies and hot cocoa that you can bring on the walk with you! There are also private trailer bathrooms (so you don’t have to use the porta-potties) and some places to sit for a while.
Hot cocoa and a Dayton boy.
Biiiiig Cookie Monster over here.
Post-sugar hit, and these babies were ready to RUN. I’ve gotta say, it’s really sweet watching Milo interact with his friends. He was a pandemic baby (about 4 months old when COVID hit the states pretty hard) and so much of his early years was spent just with family. And while I know that’s the same for kids who are his same age, I still wonder how much of his relational development has been slowed by those years.
And so watching him playing with his friends, pointing out Santa to them, telling them he wants to play tag with them…it’s just all so sweet to witness.
But his favorite person in the world during the Trail of Lights? His Grammy. 🙂 Milo would stop at different displays and I’d crouch down to his level to see what he had to say about it, and he’s say, “I want GRAMMY to come over here!”
So I’d call Grammy over so he could tell her whatever it is he’s telling her in this picture.
Looking at the Ferris wheel with his Papa (Nate’s dad). These two are so sweet together.
Just over here attempting to get a picture with our Dayton boy.
I’d say it went well.
Best one of Dayton. I look awesome, too.
This was the 58th annual Trail of Lights!! I love a good tradition, and so I’m extra thankful that the foundation has kept this sweet activity going nonstop for so many decades. I also love how they still use the old vintage wooden cutouts on the trail.
^My favorite tree! So so beautiful.Â
Of course, the lights on the trees and the tents and the special displays and the food vendors all keep getting more elaborate, but I truly love the nostalgia of the vintage displays that they use every year around the trail.
I also love when Milo asks to hold my hand. Cue the sweetness overload.
Phew! That was Trail of Lights 2022! We had a blast. I seriously love doing all of the Christmas things with this family of mine.
Can you believe we’re just 10 days out from Christmas?!? Like, for real, where has this month gone? I still have some holiday goodies to bake and more Christmas movies to watch, family to host and a couple more holiday activities to sneak into my season.
Happy Thursday to you! Hope your day is wonderful.
PS: Walkway of Lights in Marble Falls last year, and these adorable igloos you can rent in Austin.
