Bentleyville 2025

We decided to take a one-day trip to Duluth, Minnesota, to see Bentleyville, the country's largest free Christmas light display. Since we had some Christmas packages arriving, we waited until they were delivered before leaving. At 2:00 PM, one package arrived, so we decided to go, thinking the second might not come today. The first package was a cute ornament from Leslie! 

About 10 minutes into the drive, I got a text message saying the second package had been delivered. We turned around and picked up the mail. It was 2:35 PM, and we were back on the road heading toward Duluth. We encountered a few traffic jams on the south side of Saint Paul, but otherwise, the traffic was smooth and easy to navigate. We arrived in Duluth just after 5:00 PM and checked into the hotel. Arriving in the room, Shelley was excited. The room was a suite, with a bedroom, a fireplace, a separate living room, and a small kitchen. When exploring the bathroom, she found a large soaking tub separate from the shower.

Since we had the executive privileges, we went upstairs to the concierge lounge. They were serving egg rolls, wontons, deviled eggs, and mini chocolate pies for dessert. This was adequate for the night's dinner. 

One frustration was forgetting my CPAP machine's power cord. Luckily, I picked one up at Ace Hardware, only half a mile away. Shelley would not have been happy with me if I hadn’t gotten the cord! It was about 6:30 PM when we finally arrived at Bentleyville.

It wasn't very crowded, and it made for a nice walk. Shelley was amazed by all the lights, and I'm happy she enjoyed them. I enjoyed them with Jordan about 7 years ago, and they are still great, just not as impressive as the first time. They provide free hot chocolate, chocolate-chip cookies, popcorn, and marshmallows to roast over the fires. For a free event, this is outstanding—better than some events that require an entry fee.

I tried to take many pictures, and some are shown below. During a photo attempt, I was clumsy, toppled one of the displays, and landed flat on my face. Fortunately, I was OK, and all I cared about was the camera. I was happy I didn't appear to have broken anything. I tested the camera to make sure it was OK. I hurt all over and wondered how I would feel tomorrow. Images are below.

  

It was about 8:15 PM when we got back to the hotel. We relaxed and enjoyed the excellent room until we had to leave the next day. 

I had a decent night's sleep, but Shelley slept little at all. I was up at 8:00 AM and went to the concierge lounge for breakfast. Shelley joined me at 9:00 AM as we planned the day. We decided a short shopping trip would be nice before heading home. Due to the weather, we wanted to get home before rush hour.

At 1:45 AM, we were heading to Canal Park for a quick shopping trip. At Duluth Pack Company, I found a good outdoor fire poker. At other stores, Shelley found some gifts for the grandkids. We also discovered a great chocolate shop where we couldn't resist a variety of quality treats.

At 1:30 PM, we were heading home. The drive was easy, and we arrived home just before 4:00 PM, ahead of rush hour traffic. We were tired, so we unloaded, ate, relaxed, and turned in early.

Carry on my friends, Carry On!