Lighting your way

After the tryptophan haze begins to wear off, many Christmas revelers find themselves itching to go outside. Some go to the movies, but many choose to explore their neighborhood for the best holiday light displays.

Looking to drive around Newport Beach? A great place to start would be this year’s Ring of Lights winners. The choice homes of the Commodores Club, each of these homes has a wonderful neighborhood of lights around them to peruse as well. Many island properties are represented, as well as many on the peninsula and the mainland. Their addresses include:

  40 Linda Isle and the rest of the Linda Isle crescent

  409 Edgewater Ave., 1000 E. Balboa Blvd. and the rest of the peninsular bay front

  1407 Bayside Drive and the rest of the inner bayfront road

  36 Harbor Island Drive and the rest of Harbor Island and Beacon Bay

  327 Sapphire Ave. and the Balboa Island perimeter, especially:

  111 E. Bayfront

  351 E. Bayfront

  140 S. Bayfront

  526 S. Bayfront

  538 S. Bayfront

  710 S. Bayfront

  802 S. Bayfront

  832 Via Lido Nord (and the rest of Via Lido Nord and Soud)

  The Castaways neighborhood, and Ocean Boulevard in Corona del Mar

Over in Costa Mesa, the classic Eastside Christmas stop for the past four decades has been what locals call the “Peanuts House” at 2249 Santa Ana Ave. Handmade, wooden Peanuts characters like Linus, Lucy, Snoopy and Charlie Brown bedeck the front of this mid-century home. Afterward, the entire swath from Newport Boulevard to Irvine Avenue is a prime candidate for a stroll or drive.

Especially nice are the homes between 17th and 22nd streets.

Over near Paularino Park, the home at 3013 Grant Ave. draws crowds for its scads of inflatables, like Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus. The adjoining neighborhood is another great option for a stroll and a cup of cocoa.

But for those seeking to fulfill their ocular cravings in one stop, it gets no more flashy than the Trinity Broadcasting Network’s Christian City International building fronting the 405 Freeway at 3150 Bear St.

Aside from tens of thousands of white lights, the building has a Virtual Reality Theater, studio buildings, gardens, fountains and (wait for it) the Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh Gift and Book Shop. For more information, call (714) 708-5405 or visit tbn.org/about-us/southern- california.