HUDSONVILLE, Mich. — They say there's a Clark Griswold in every neighborhood, the lovable dad from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation who tirelessly tries to have the best Christmas lights in town.
In one corner of Hudsonville, Craig Bykerk might be the Clark on his street. His creative take on Christmas trees can be seen from a nearby highway at night. That is, if you know where to look.
"If I can touch one person's heart, I did my job," says Bykerk, a retired construction worker who, for the past five or so years, has put up his Christmas lights with a fishing pole, the same one he uses to catch walleye, he says.
"One thing led to the next," Bykerk said. "Now, all of a sudden, I'm way overboard."
During the holiday season, Bykerk ties a metal nut to a length of fishing line and casts it overtop the trees in his backyard — forming a pulley system. He then uses the line to string up ropes and lights, which he arranges into the triangle shapes of several Christmas trees.
"Not only do you have to be a fisherman, you sort of have to be a cowboy, too," Bykerk said.
Towering fifty to sixty feet in the air, the lights from Bykerk's backyard display can be seen from more than a mile away. Those traveling on I-196 between the Hudsonville exit and the M-6 interchange can also catch a glimpse of the glowing trees at night.
While there may be bigger and brighter Christmas displays in West Michigan, Bykerk believes his means something regardless.
"We're celebrating Christ's birthday," he said. "That's why you got the Christmas trees up, to let everybody know that we're getting ready to do that."
