Oglebay Resort

Each year my family and make the trip to Oglebay to see the Festival of Lights. This visit was special because my mother-in-law, who is from Russia, was with us. She has never seen anything like this in her life. We like to visit the last weekend before Christmas because it seems to have more of the holiday spirit as opposed to the beginning of November. We capped off the visit with dinner at the Ihlenfeld Dining Room holiday buffet, which isn't like your ordinary dinner buffet.

Quick Tips:

I recommend either arriving early in the evening (4pm or so) to avoid the traffic or coming late (after 9pm). We arrived after 3pm to see the shops, zoo, and planetarium. Also, we saw the railroad display and laser light show. Then we were able to get in line to see the Festival of Lights twice. Be aware of the many large tour buses. Watch out for people driving RV's.

Best Way To Get Around:

By car is the best.

This was very enjoyable. Reservations are recommended, and I also suggest trying to get the window seats, as the view with the lights is fantastic.

The food is very good, and if you have children that don't get the buffet, our server allowed us to bring her dessert from the dessert buffet at no charge! That was a very nice gesture.