Each year, during December, I love to drive around and take a look at the Christmas lights that people put up outside.

However, after a drive up Highway 65 at night, I had a pondering thought. Wouldn't it be amazing to see The Bothwell Lodge with Christmas lights. It is very well lit up with white lights, showing all of the lodge. In my almost thirty years of living around here, I never really had this thought. I have gone through the Lodge to see it in Christmas spirit inside, but what about seeing it at night from the outside.

Maybe they could make a whole theme of it. Each summer, there is kite flying, Bijou and so much more. Wouldn't it be awesome to see a throwback to the Dickens. Have horse carriage rides going along the path, with old lamps lit up at night to guide the way.

It would be fascinating to see maybe a living display even inside. With our great actors in the area, maybe they could be the Bothwell family and talk with the guests that come through the doors and show the Bothwell's Christmas spirit. Maybe kids could create Christmas gifts, the way children of the early 1900s would make or receive them.

You could have a night of smores with the family or maybe something a little more modern. Maybe an example of that would be Christmas in the Park, such as what's done in Longview Lake in Lee's Summit. If you're unfamiliar with that, they have over 300,000 animated lights and 175 animated figures that dazzle kids of all ages. I wouldn't expect something that big, but wouldn't it be amazing?

I remember Sedalia Parks & Rec used to have a small version of Christmas in the Park, but I always enjoyed it and sadly miss it. Although, they do have some light displays up from the Santa and the Reindeer to the Happy Holiday's sign, but it sure would be awesome and get people in the Holiday spirit a little more.

Look at how people gather each Thanksgiving now to see the Hotel Bothwell and Downtown Sedalia lighting. The festive spirit seems to continue to grow.

I say all this, while looking at a photo of my kids who posed for a Dicken's Christmas Photograph from Schlomer Photography. It is timeless and special to me. I'd love to see some of the old traditions come to life and it would be amazing to see the Bothwell Lodge as part of that centerpiece. Kids could see Christmas in Sedalia with living history and could be a tourist attraction too.

I seem to recall attending a Bothwell Lodge meeting years ago and somebody mentioned the possibility, but said one of the drawbacks to doing something like this is that when the Lodge was built, it wasn't built with the current electricity codes, so that may be why it has never been done.

I guess the main question would be, if it was lit up at Christmas, would you be more apt to visit the Bothwell Lodge? It amazes me how many in this area have not visited it and I think this would give people more reasons to visit. I for one challenge you to visit the Bothwell Lodge.

What do you think?

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