I spent the night at The Christmas Story House
When I think back to Christmas past, I always go back to 1983. It was my favorite one; it was the year I received my Cabbage Patch Kid, Cornelia Caroline (they had the strangest names). This past weekend, my Nana recounted how she managed to track down the holy grail of gifts that year. Keep in mind, this was back in the day of rotary phones, Yellow Pages and operator assistance. She eventually located them in Indiana, PA which was about an hour drive from our home. This find was a really an impressive feat given she was up against, well, pretty much all of humanity in the hunt. To put it into context, this Cabbage Patch Kid was my Red Ryder, Carbine Action, 200- shot, range model air rifle.
A few weeks ago, I received a flurry of Facebook posts and texts from friends and family sending me this link: http://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/Stay/. It was a dream come true for folks, like me, who can't easily plunk down the $5,000+ it takes to win the annual Ebay charity auction for the overnight stay at the house on Christmas. Naturally, being the mega-fan that I am, I called and requested more info. The next day, I saw a contest announcement on the Christmas Story House Facebook page. They were looking for a guinea pig to try it out before it opens to the public- the winner and their guests get to spend the night FOR FREE (I can afford free)! All I had to do was post a comment, so I did and attached a picture from the race this past year ("yes, clearly, a little bribe never hurt"). A couple hours later when I went back to the site, I saw it didn't post. Doggoneit! Pulverized! I hit resend and NOW I was entered. I didn't realize the significance of this delayed entry and irritation until the following week.
A few weeks ago, I received a flurry of Facebook posts and texts from friends and family sending me this link: http://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/Stay/. It was a dream come true for folks, like me, who can't easily plunk down the $5,000+ it takes to win the annual Ebay charity auction for the overnight stay at the house on Christmas. Naturally, being the mega-fan that I am, I called and requested more info. The next day, I saw a contest announcement on the Christmas Story House Facebook page. They were looking for a guinea pig to try it out before it opens to the public- the winner and their guests get to spend the night FOR FREE (I can afford free)! All I had to do was post a comment, so I did and attached a picture from the race this past year ("yes, clearly, a little bribe never hurt"). A couple hours later when I went back to the site, I saw it didn't post. Doggoneit! Pulverized! I hit resend and NOW I was entered. I didn't realize the significance of this delayed entry and irritation until the following week.
On May 10, I received the following message from A Christmas Story House: "Hi Laura! It Looks like you could be our big winner!". And that's how I ended up winning this "major award" and got to live out my dream! So, that irritation I experienced earlier when my original entry post didn't go through...it turns out, had it not been delayed, I would not have won. I was told to choose a winner, they had picked the number 1983, the year A Christmas Story was released, and counted through the posts to find the winner. My post was, you guessed it, post number 1,983 from their start point. Funny how the universe lines up.
Our gaggle of dedicated "Ralphie's" who made this voyage included my sister, cousin, and my boyfriend (the guy who wriggled into my heart on our first date by sharing he had a leg lamp too as well as the Christmas Story village). We arrived at the Christmas Story House the day before Memorial Day and could not believe the crowd! The line to get in stretched all the way back to Terre Haute! We went into the gift shop to check in (JUST TAKE MY MONEY! TAKE IT- I WANT IT ALL!). We located a new book, The Leg Lamp in the Window, and took a gander through it only to find a picture of my sister on page 96. She won the costume contest at the Christmas Story convention in 2013 and was featured in the book. Of course, this was a fabulous surprise and required another purchase of said book (TAKE MY MONEY!). As a sidebar, it also required a larger vehicle so she could fit her head in the rest of the trip.
Upon check in, Lee and Michelle greeted us and gave us a big round of congratulations and kudos for arriving in costume (yes, we did). They gave us our all access Ralphie passes (my pass was number 1983. I really need to play the lottery). We got our keys and they took us over to the house for a walk through which included instructions on use of the security alarm, location of items, layout, temp control, accessing the house afterhours and checkout procedures. Because of the holiday, the house would be closed for tours the next day which meant we had full access to the ENTIRE house from 5pm until check out at 11:00a.m. I understand if you are not staying on a holiday, your access to the house, but not the loft, will be shortened a couple hours. Michelle was kind enough to remind us there are cameras rolling in some parts of the house, but not in the bedrooms (ahem...).
We accessed the loft from a side entrance (note: you will be going up stairs) and entered into a modern entryway with pictures of Cleveland flanking the wall beside more stairs going up to the living area. To the left was a large window overlooking the backyard, the shed, beautiful landscaping and the factory in the distance- you'll recognize the view from the movie right away. We had no sightings of Black Bart though. To the right of the stairs was a large dining table which seated 6 and a full kitchen which helped us make our meatloaf meal a reality! It was stocked nicely with Christmas Story-themed glasses and leg lamp mugs (again-just take my money. Sigh.).
We hung out in the loft as tours came through the house and noted it was pretty sound proof. The doorknob jangled often, but it was locked and secure. Shortly after 5, Michelle knocked to let us know that the beds in Ralphie and Randy's room had been made up and the house was ours! We promptly pushed her over (just kidding...it was just a little nudge) and ran into the house. We spent the remainder of the evening recreating our favorite scenes, complete with costumes (read: recreating EVERY scene). My sister is a creative force, whose attention to detail blows my mind. She thought of, and prepared, pretty much everything for our festivities, which had us starting out by showing mommy how the piggies eat (yeah, we all dove face first into a meatloaf double-beatloaf and mashed potato meal). We hid under the sink in the kitchen because "Daddy's gonna kill Raphie!". There was an appearance by Cowboy Ralphie who saved the day and, of course, the pink nightmare. We posed with the BB gun and tree, played with the props all while we streamed Christmas music and it stormed like the dickens outside. I have to say, the details in the house are awesome. Under the tree, there was a bowling ball and a can of Simoniz. There's special surprise for you as you look in the corner behind the desk. Look out for the outlet, there's just one too many! We explored for hours, making memories to last a lifetime in a room illuminated by the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window....
Eventually, the sky went from purple to black, the hours ticked away and it was time to retire upstairs to watch A Christmas Story- in the Christmas Story House! I cannot even begin to describe how surreal it was to be sitting in the third floor of the house as that first scene of Cleveland Street panned across the screen. Dream come true sounds cliché but it hits the mark. My boyfriend and I ended up in Randy and Ralphie's bedroom. The twin beds were quite comfy- I giggled as his feet hung over the end of the twin bed. My sister and cousin hunkered down in the loft and said that was super comfy too. Gradually, we would drift off to sleep, pranging ducks on the wing and getting off spectacular hip shots.
When we awoke, it was Christmas morning! My sister had purchased us the best gifts one could find at the Dollar Tree 15 minutes before it closed (when she had the great idea). Meanwhile, we had a growing audience watching us from the front porch who also seemed to enjoy the show. I suppose people who were in town stopped by to see the house and get pictures and might not have realized it was closed. By 10:00, there were knocks on the door and a line of folks waiting to get in.
We took time to get outside pics and Steven checked us out. As we posed for final pictures, a couple came up and asked us, "is it worth the money?". YES! Go! NOW! I am a fan of investing in experiences rather than "things." The emotions stick. Things wear out. Staying here was a gift and I look forward to returning and making more memories. It is just that good. And the pictures you take will supply enough Christmas card fodder to last a lifetime!
Rating: A++++++++++++
Book your stay at A Christmas Story House
Our gaggle of dedicated "Ralphie's" who made this voyage included my sister, cousin, and my boyfriend (the guy who wriggled into my heart on our first date by sharing he had a leg lamp too as well as the Christmas Story village). We arrived at the Christmas Story House the day before Memorial Day and could not believe the crowd! The line to get in stretched all the way back to Terre Haute! We went into the gift shop to check in (JUST TAKE MY MONEY! TAKE IT- I WANT IT ALL!). We located a new book, The Leg Lamp in the Window, and took a gander through it only to find a picture of my sister on page 96. She won the costume contest at the Christmas Story convention in 2013 and was featured in the book. Of course, this was a fabulous surprise and required another purchase of said book (TAKE MY MONEY!). As a sidebar, it also required a larger vehicle so she could fit her head in the rest of the trip.
Upon check in, Lee and Michelle greeted us and gave us a big round of congratulations and kudos for arriving in costume (yes, we did). They gave us our all access Ralphie passes (my pass was number 1983. I really need to play the lottery). We got our keys and they took us over to the house for a walk through which included instructions on use of the security alarm, location of items, layout, temp control, accessing the house afterhours and checkout procedures. Because of the holiday, the house would be closed for tours the next day which meant we had full access to the ENTIRE house from 5pm until check out at 11:00a.m. I understand if you are not staying on a holiday, your access to the house, but not the loft, will be shortened a couple hours. Michelle was kind enough to remind us there are cameras rolling in some parts of the house, but not in the bedrooms (ahem...).
We accessed the loft from a side entrance (note: you will be going up stairs) and entered into a modern entryway with pictures of Cleveland flanking the wall beside more stairs going up to the living area. To the left was a large window overlooking the backyard, the shed, beautiful landscaping and the factory in the distance- you'll recognize the view from the movie right away. We had no sightings of Black Bart though. To the right of the stairs was a large dining table which seated 6 and a full kitchen which helped us make our meatloaf meal a reality! It was stocked nicely with Christmas Story-themed glasses and leg lamp mugs (again-just take my money. Sigh.).
We hung out in the loft as tours came through the house and noted it was pretty sound proof. The doorknob jangled often, but it was locked and secure. Shortly after 5, Michelle knocked to let us know that the beds in Ralphie and Randy's room had been made up and the house was ours! We promptly pushed her over (just kidding...it was just a little nudge) and ran into the house. We spent the remainder of the evening recreating our favorite scenes, complete with costumes (read: recreating EVERY scene). My sister is a creative force, whose attention to detail blows my mind. She thought of, and prepared, pretty much everything for our festivities, which had us starting out by showing mommy how the piggies eat (yeah, we all dove face first into a meatloaf double-beatloaf and mashed potato meal). We hid under the sink in the kitchen because "Daddy's gonna kill Raphie!". There was an appearance by Cowboy Ralphie who saved the day and, of course, the pink nightmare. We posed with the BB gun and tree, played with the props all while we streamed Christmas music and it stormed like the dickens outside. I have to say, the details in the house are awesome. Under the tree, there was a bowling ball and a can of Simoniz. There's special surprise for you as you look in the corner behind the desk. Look out for the outlet, there's just one too many! We explored for hours, making memories to last a lifetime in a room illuminated by the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window....
Eventually, the sky went from purple to black, the hours ticked away and it was time to retire upstairs to watch A Christmas Story- in the Christmas Story House! I cannot even begin to describe how surreal it was to be sitting in the third floor of the house as that first scene of Cleveland Street panned across the screen. Dream come true sounds cliché but it hits the mark. My boyfriend and I ended up in Randy and Ralphie's bedroom. The twin beds were quite comfy- I giggled as his feet hung over the end of the twin bed. My sister and cousin hunkered down in the loft and said that was super comfy too. Gradually, we would drift off to sleep, pranging ducks on the wing and getting off spectacular hip shots.
When we awoke, it was Christmas morning! My sister had purchased us the best gifts one could find at the Dollar Tree 15 minutes before it closed (when she had the great idea). Meanwhile, we had a growing audience watching us from the front porch who also seemed to enjoy the show. I suppose people who were in town stopped by to see the house and get pictures and might not have realized it was closed. By 10:00, there were knocks on the door and a line of folks waiting to get in.
We took time to get outside pics and Steven checked us out. As we posed for final pictures, a couple came up and asked us, "is it worth the money?". YES! Go! NOW! I am a fan of investing in experiences rather than "things." The emotions stick. Things wear out. Staying here was a gift and I look forward to returning and making more memories. It is just that good. And the pictures you take will supply enough Christmas card fodder to last a lifetime!
Rating: A++++++++++++
Book your stay at A Christmas Story House
* Rowley Inn across the street had amazing perogies and local kielbasa (or as I called it as a kid: cowboy socks) and a great beer selection!
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