Trip Report: Santa’s Ranch (Videos)

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Driving Through Santa’s Ranch (Videos)

On Grey Thursday, (at least that’s what I think they are calling it now), I was able to get an ION Air Pro helmet cam.  So, today I will provide videos for a trip report to Santa’s Ranch near San Marcos, Texas.  The trip was with BeeGee, Linda, and my parents.  And, I do apologize for the video quality because I am still learning how to use the cam properly.  You should cheek out all our videos or stop by our YouTube Channel.

Santa’s Ranch Background Information

Santa’s Ranch has been spreading holiday cheer for 13 exciting seasons.  Santa’s Ranch is located at 9561 I-35 North New Braunfels, TX 78130.  The site says look for the 50 foot Christmas tree, but you will see a long line of cars long before the tree.  The Ranch is open from November 7th to January 3rd.  From Sunday to Thursday hours are 6pm - 10pm and on Friday & Saturday hours are 6pm - 11pm.
 
50 foot tree and the entrance of Santa's Ranch
50 foot tree and the entrance of Santa's Ranch

The price per car is $28, which is why you need to load up your vehicle up for maximum efficiency.  Plus, there is a season pass available for $56 if you plan on going through multiple times.  However, no vehicles over 8 ft. are allowed, so no packed buses are allowed. 

Finally, there will be snacks available at the entrance of the Ranch (the little hut where you pay).  There is hot coco, kettle corn, and other sweets (like cupcakes) available, but if you don’t get them when you pay, there won’t be another chance. 

The Slow Drive

On November 28, we headed out to Santa’s Ranch.  Once we got close, the first thing we saw from I-35 was the long line.  I guess everyone was out after Black Friday shopping.  We got in the line and waited around 2 hours before finally making it to the entrance.  After the long wait and the help of a Monster energy drink, I needed a bathroom break.  There are only 3 port-o-potties and you aren’t given a lot of time to use them.  While I was using the restroom, they took our money to enter (credit cards are accepted) and asked if we wanted any snacks. 

The trail of lights is about a mile long and took us about 35 minutes to make it all the way through.  The path starts off with lights wrapped around trees to warm you up to all the excitement to come. Check it out in the video below.


Then we moved into many Texas themed lights and decorations.  You can see tumbleweeds and the Alamo, but my favorite was a moving light display of a twister picking up a cow.  Then you move on to the “In the Beginning” section, which starts out with the galaxy and then the planets.  The final part was a ton of Christmas light dinosaurs and I’m sure the kids would love this section. 


Then we moved on to the Bible section.  Santa’s Ranch has made light covered decorations of some of the most famous stories, such as Jonah and the Whale, Moses and the Burning Bush, and Jesus rising.  Our travels through Biblical Egypt is in the video below.


The next portion was Santa themed.  There were a lot of Christmas light Santas, inflatable Santas, and Christmas Trees.  Plus, this part seemed to be the most interesting to BeeGee.  She spent a lot of time sticking her head out Linda’s window (most of the Santas were on her side).  I think she enjoyed all the moving lights. 

Moving on we made it to what I call the random section.  There were stretch hummers made of lights, the space shuttle made of lights, and a monster truck covered in lights.  One of the last parts is the Military support section.  In this segment, there were military trucks, tanks, ships, and jets made from lights. 


We eventually made it through Santa’s Ranch and everyone had a great time.  He headed straight for home after a total time spent of 3ish hours for the experience.  If you live in the area, I would definitely make a trip to Santa’s Ranch for a great Christmas light experience.  I don’t think I’d recommend the trip if you have to travel over 2 hours because I’m sure there is a local trail of lights closer.  

What is your favorite or go to trail of lights? Plus, If you like the blog, go ahead and follow us on Facebook.

Jarrett Morgan

Comments

  1. JenDecember 3, 2014 at 10:11 PM

    That looks like an amazing Christmas light show. I don't know if I'll find myself in that area before the new year.

    The flycatcher was last seen on Nov 30. There's really no way to tell how long he'll stay or if he'll return next winter.

    ReplyDelete
  2. BillieDecember 6, 2014 at 12:00 AM

    I loved all the Christmas lites from your videos. Thank you so much for sharing them with me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Adventures With BeeGeeDecember 6, 2014 at 9:44 AM

      I'm glad you enjoyed it. I promise I'll get better at using the camera in the future.

      Delete

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