This was the biggest crowd my dear wife Karen and I ever encountered during our now traditional walks along Lights on the Lake.

We knew it from about a mile down the road from A Bitty Better in the Liverpool neighborhood of Galeville on Monday night, after she tooted her horn in the driveway to pick me up and head toward the holiday extravaganza now, oh, less than two miles from our new home.

We stayed in the right lane and headed for the big finish at Willow Bay instead of the extremely crowded entrance at Onondaga Lake Parkway. And still the traffic directors waved us past that west park entrance, and over the one-lane bridge. Karen pulled on the grassy left shoulder to join a line of cars parked there, short of another official lot on the other side of Long Branch Road.

Onward to the parade of light displays we walked with hundreds, to join what seemed like thousands.

We cared not that we were covering the trail from back to start. We’d go as far as we’d dare and then be going in the proper direction as we returned toward the car.

The finale was ours at least. In previous years we’d never made it that far after beginning at the east end, the first time on the Stroll by ourselves and the second time on Dog Walk night with Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle. The collection of lights at the Willow Bay part of the park was pretty cool, indeed. (Once we walked past the lights put up on the bye-bye stretch of the road by the paying sponsors, that it.)

Karen pointed out the flowers near the end, so I made sure to grab that shot.

We both appreciated the city of Syracuse skyline off in the distance, so I made sure to catch that.

I brought Flat Stanley along to grab shots for my job at the Liverpool Public Library, and Karen was good enough to help the little guy pose by a boat display.

It truly is marvelous what the light planners can do with their well-positioned rays.

I couldn’t get the Supermoon because of clouds in the sky, but I could get bluebirds.

And my iPhone 6 even captured a video of an animated peacock.

Yes, this was a walk of wealth.

Hover over a gallery photo for a description. Click on an image for an enlarged slide show.

We figured we’d walked more than halfway, and saw displays we’d seen when we started from the proper side. Nice night it was, temperatures in the 50s, no rain. Or snow. A good time was had by us.

You can find out more about Lights on the Lake, in its 27th year, at its official site.

Which side would you start, the beginning or the end? Do you think you’d have more fun walking Lights on the Lake one of the first two nights or driving it in your vehicle, as most folks will today through Jan. 8, 2017? Which is your favorite photo, and why?