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San Antonio and Austin, both less than an hour's drive from the Hill Country, go whole hog during the holidays. Along San Antonio's famed River Walk (800/252-6607; www.sanantoniovisit.com), colored lights drip from the cypress trees, looking like electrified Mardi Gras beads, and luminarias line the pathways. The power goes on the weekend after Thanksgiving with a nighttime parade of illuminated floats along the river.
The Austin Parks & Recreation Department sponsors the 11/2-mile-long Trail of Lights (512/974-6700; www.ci.austin.tx.us/tol), with 38 festive tableaux and, in Zilker Park, what is purportedly the country's largest man-made Christmas tree. Capturing Austin's ersatz hippie spirit are the lights on 37th Street (www.crossroads.net/lights), just north of the University of Texas campus. High-wattage volcanoes, spiderwebs, goddesses, and rockets could pass as installation art.
Kids who don't get enough of Chris Van Allsburg's The Polar Express in the movie version of the classic children's story (out in November), can relive it all again aboard a 1916 train (512/477-8468; www.austinsteamtrain.org). During the two-hour ride hot chocolate is served and Santa puts in an appearance. PJ's optional.
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