Living Las Vegas

At Home in the City of Lights

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If you ever had the thought that a city in the desert lacks the ability to look suitably Christamas-y, all you have to do is head to the Ethel M Cactus Garden to find out that you’re very, very wrong. For the eleventh year running, the destination best known for delectable chocolate (another thing you don’t expect to find in a desert) has flipped the switch on a quarter of a million Christmas lights that transform the garden’s 350 species of desert plants into a Western winter wonderland.

From now until January 3, 2005, the garden will be illuminated from sunset until 10 p.m., seven days a week, and it’s definitely worth the journey to Henderson to check it out. On the weekends, strolling entertainers add to the holiday effect, and Santa Claus holds court on a gold throne in the garden’s gazebo.

If you head out to 2 Cactus Drive (Sunset Road and Mountain Vista) during the day, you can tour the Ethel M Chocolate factory and check out the newly redecorated gifts shops. In the main store, Ethel M chocolates come in a nice array of holiday packages, or you can choose exactly what you want from over fifty different varieties and get them hand-packed in a silver box. The smaller shop is now completely dedicated to M & Ms and products inspired by them, including hats, shirts, desk dispensers, and key chains.

I never need an excuse to visit Ethel M. The factory tour, beautiful garden, unusual water recycling plant, and truly fabulous chocolate make it a rewarding place to visit any day of the year. Even if you’ve been there before, take an evening to check it out before the end of the year. There’s nothing like an avenue of bright pink Joshua trees to put you into a holiday spirit.

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