One of the Very Best Christmas Lights Displays in America is in Idaho

If you're that type of person who just couldn't wait for 12:01 a.m. on November 1 to arrive so you could start decking the halls, then this is most definitely something you want to add to your Christmas bucket list! 

The Treasure Valley has some phenomenal Christmas light displays. Every year, the City of Caldwell's Streets Department blows us away with the dazzling display they string up along Indian Creek. The Idaho Botanical Garden's Winter Garden aGlow has been a tradition for over 25 years. And when it comes to home displays, we're thankful for the folks for putting hours into building the Boise Christmas Lights map.

While all of those displays are incredible, they're not the one that USA Today's "10 Best" recognized as the 7th Best Public Holiday Lights display in 2019. That honor belongs to the displays that make Lake Coeur D'Alene's "Journey to the North Pole" cruise so magical.

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Each year, more than 1.5 million Christmas lights twinkle across 250 light displays around the lake. Lake Coeur D'Alene Cruises invites families to board their festive fleet and set sail for a 40-minute cruise where you get to marvel at all the gorgeous lights.

You can grab a hot chocolate and see the lights from the upper deck or cozy up in the indoor lower level of the ship. Each cruise whisks guests off to see Santa and his elves at his waterfront toy workshop when he reads off the names of all the kids on the boat when double-checking his Nice list. (So parents, pro-tip: Include your child's name if you buy tickets!

Right now, CDA Cruises is getting ready to kick off their "Santa's Sneak Peek Week Cruises" on November 15 which lets you preview the lights ahead of the official opening weekend at a discounted price. The official Journey to the North Pole Cruises run three times a day from Thanksgiving-January 2.

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If you're looking for a cool idea for your office's Christmas party, they also offer private packages that include bottomless hot cocoa, cookies and an optional full-hosted bar for up to 25! We're fairly sure that if you treat your employees to this unforgettable lake cruise, they won't tell their friends how "lame the office party was" like they do every other year!

Below is a little preview of what you can expect if you make the trip to check out one of the cruises.

Editor's Note: If you can't make it during the holidays, they do a fantastic Hot Cocoa Cruise after the holiday season. You can read about our experience here. It wasn't just fun and relaxing, it was educational too!