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Monday, December 29, 2014

Hampden Hon! Talk about lights!! What a town!

One of my readers reminded me that Hampden in Baltimore has lots of flaminos and lights. After a visit to the Walters Museum of Art we decided to go find the street I've heard about for years. We've lived here 20 years and this is our first visit and we LIKEE! The house on the left has a lighted scrolling sign that says they have been doing the lights thing here for 47 years! Strings of lights cross the street to the houses on the other side. Each house has it's own agenda...
Now, this house, 2nd on the row, invites visitors to go up the stairs to see the wonder of moving trains on the porch and since the door is open to the residents watching tv, one can look into their living room and see the  train moving around their ceiling circling their personal tree! This one is AWESOME up close.
Keep going and see the vinyl records house! A tree of records and a Creche of records. Look closely. Joseph, Mary and Jesus
Or would you prefer a tree made of hubcaps?

or a tree next door made by a working artist who uses food containers to create his creatures... such as Bohemian Beer cans, Old Bay Spice boxes and wrenches, bike gears, whatever.
He had a holder with his business cards next to his yard.






uh oh!!

A pile up on -83!

Hate a traffic snarl, don't you?

Guess this guy saw the worst of it, or it's a bear skin rug after Christmas proper. We visited a few days after Christmas so not all homes were in top flash.

Nancy says inflatables are kind of cheating...

But check out gumby Santa making an arch over this stairway!! This yard just was FULL of inflatables.

So much hot air it reminded one we live near the home of politics! Except this is Baltimore, home of weird fun!
We weren't alone this night, even in the rain, families were posing with their favorite house, kids and adults under umbrellas.


Hey, no back biting!!


SPCA pet love house is coming up!

Love the balcony! And the pictures of real pets waiting for their forever homes!
This street is awesome but there were lots of cool lights around the 'hood and we plan to return in the Spring to have a bite at an outdoor cafe and walk around looking at a cool town. 
Want to see more lights?? Laugh a bit more at the silliness?? Keep scrolling down to the week of posts y'all!
Love LeeAnna
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13 comments:

  1. MariaDecember 29, 2014 at 8:35 PM

    We visited there a few years ago... It looks like they have added some more and some more!!!! It's like walking down Baltimore memory lane , so many symbolizing decorations.
    Thanks for sharing.. I feel like I went again this year.. Lol

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  2. JoanneDecember 30, 2014 at 12:33 AM

    How Cool is that! What a fun street! Hi LeeAnna! It's great to be able to still find something new, creative and exciting after living in the same area for a while!
    yes! A great idea to go back to that outdoor cafe in Spring time!
    Take care,
    Joanne

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  3. Glen QuiltSwissyDecember 30, 2014 at 9:28 AM

    Great photos! thanks for the tour! love the pet love house!

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  4. bearbusterDecember 30, 2014 at 1:41 PM

    When we first moved down this way a neighbor who was from Baltimore introduced us to Hampden at Christmas. Very fun and neighborly. Our old NY area was home this year to the record holder for most lights. You can read about them and see them here http://www.erdajt.com. I was so pleased to read also that they raised $10,000 for the families of he NYC officers who were killed. They did that all in one night! Pat

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  5. annDecember 30, 2014 at 2:10 PM

    THANKS! This really looks like a FUN place.

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  6. CherDecember 31, 2014 at 5:42 AM

    enjoyed your photos! thanks for taking the time to post and share

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  7. Lorna McMahonDecember 31, 2014 at 8:54 PM

    Thanks for taking us along on your tour, LeeAnna! Happy New Year!

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  8. AnnJanuary 1, 2015 at 7:33 AM

    What a fun post! We have some communities in Texas that decorate extravagantly but you have to drive to and through them. Hard to look at lights and drive. Now I don't go as frequently. Your post inspires me to go again. Did you take transit and then walk or did you drive to Hampden?

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    1. LA PaylorJanuary 1, 2015 at 9:10 AM

      we're about 30 min from Hampden so we drove over from the Walters Art gallery while in Baltimore. We were lucky enough to park right on the street and walk around in the rain to enjoy the event.
      LeeAnna

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  9. Martha GinnJanuary 1, 2015 at 8:44 AM

    LeeAnna, thanks for sharing these unique decorations with us! I have a friend who recently moved here from Baltimore (and still has family there so she visits) and I am sending the link to her. In case she lived there years like you without seeing these, she certainly needs to know. Happy 2015!
    Your faithfulness to blogging is an inspiration to many of us--keep up the good work.

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    1. LA PaylorJanuary 1, 2015 at 9:12 AM

      thanks Martha!!
      Tell your friend I have two other lights posts on Baltimore (little Italy) and Annapolis following this one! She'll feel right at home
      LeeAnna

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  10. sonjaJanuary 1, 2015 at 3:56 PM

    "Your faithfulness to blogging is an inspiration to many of us--keep up the good work."
    i will also ad your friendly witty take on quilting arts makes me think and giggle sometimes . i also appreciate your observing and reporting and how animals inform your work! my Aunt Hattie had a standard poodle who also thought herwas a person ! be well and continue to see well, sonja

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  11. AnonymousJanuary 2, 2015 at 5:41 AM

    WOW!!!! I am heading here next year before I start my Christmas Photo a Day for 2015! Leeana, I think that I am not getting all emails from QA, bc I saw this at the page, and not in my email....I would love to do CONNECT with you! My blog is linked here, I hope via my name... aliaslaceygreen.com HAPPY new year!

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