After a nice 2 hour drive, meet at the walk start point at Holiday Inn Express, to register for the walk. Carpool to enjoy lunch at Pizza Ranch then start your walk, stopping at the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Shop and Ice Cream Museum. Visit the Plymouth County Museum to see over 400 manger scenes and 100 Christmas village scenes. After your walk visit Christmas Village at the County Fairgrounds with old time stores, great entertainment, sandwiches and roasted marshmallows, beautiful Christmas trees, horse drawn sleigh rides and a round barn decorated in a Christmas scene. All free! Then back to the downtown area to enjoy the lighted, animated floats in the Christmas Parade. Continue in the Christmas spirit by visiting Christmas Acres 7 miles from Le Mars where there are 1200 displays and inflatables and an estimated 100,000 lights. This huge display is hosted by the Scheitler family at no charge. Monetary donations are accepted for the Christian Needs Center Food Bank in Le Mars.
Carpool Details
Saturday, December 7th at 10 a.m. – Meet @ Council Bluffs Walmart, 3201 Manawa Centre. Email Sandy care of netrailblazers@gmail.com if interested in riding or driving in carpool either for the day and returning that evening or staying overnight. If you plan to spend the night special rate good till Nov. 6:
Reservations on your own — Holiday Inn Express, $129 AVA rate, 712-546-1700.
Return to Council Bluffs about 1 p.m. Sunday or drive back Saturday night.
Walk Registration
December 7th at noon – Meet at Holiday Inn Express, 1285 Sleepy Eye Dr., Le Mars, Iowa to register for walk and stamp books. $3 Walk fee.
Lunch
12:30 p.m. -Pizza Ranch, 22 Central Ave. SW in Le Mars. Let Sandy know if you plan to eat lunch so she can notify Pizza Ranch of numbers.
Walk
1:30 p.m. -5:30 p.m. – Seasonal Walk from Pizza Ranch 5 or 10k Rated 1A – route has been reconfigured to take us from Pizza Ranch to Plymouth County Museum for Christmas Manger display. Take your time and enjoy all four floors of this great museum. (Distance included in IVV walk)
Christmas Village-at Plymouth County Fairgrounds – within walking distance of downtown (.7 miles). (Distance included in IVV walk. Open 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Parade
6 p.m. Lighted parade downtown along Central Avenue
Christmas Acres
If you still have energy after this fun day, visit Christmas Acres, 18481 Impala Ave, Struble, IA, about 7 miles from Le Mars. To get there, take U.S. Hwy. 75 in Le Mars southwest to IA Hwy. 3, west to Impala Ave, left to Christmas Acres on the right. Open 5-10 p.m. There is another lights display along IA Hwy. 3 before you get to Christmas Acres that you can park and walk through.
