Local Man Shares Love For Christmas, Clark Griswold With Chicago Area

MCHENRY, IL — It started big, and it's only gotten bigger. But, isn't that how Clark Griswold would do it?

Ted Ray, 33, of McHenry, has definitely taken his love for the beloved holiday classic "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" to the next level. It's a movie adored by many but only truly embodied by a few special Christmas aficionados like Ray.

Ray has been lighting up his neighborhood with his Griswold-inspired holiday lights at 2201 Country Lane, McHenry, for the past five years. It started with 500 lights and increased to 4,750 lights last holiday season.

Last December, his electric bill was $850. This year, he swapped out the incandescent lights for LED and added 600 more total lights, Ray said Tuesday.

In 2022, he took it a step further and acquired the most Griswold-like station wagon he could find.

Initially, he planned to just use the vehicle as a prop in his driveway.

But after spending months updating the 1990 Ford Taurus GL, which is the exact make and model of the station wagon in "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation;" putting vanity plates on it that read "Griswold" and then securing a tree, roots and all, to the roof, he decided to take it for a little spin.

From there, things have just gotten bigger and better for Ray.

The station wagon has been a huge hit, drawing crowds who want a picture of it or a selfie with it. He's been pulled over by police officers who just want to talk to Ray about the car and get a picture with it.

In recent weeks, when he drove to downtown Chicago to attend an event, he had crowds surrounding it while stopped at lights on Michigan Avenue, Ray said.

But this past Saturday, while running errands, the station wagon didn't start back up.

A friend towed it home, and it's been sidelined since. Ray is getting a new starter this week and is hoping that is all it needs to be repaired.

"I am hoping to take it apart tonight and take a look at it so I can stop freaking out about it," said Ray, who added that a starter would be easy to fix but if it's more, he may not be able to drive it around anymore this holiday season.

But if it's just the starter, he knows what he will do next.

"I think I may just up the engine size. Right now, it has a medium-sized engine, but it could have a larger engine," he said.

The bigger engine, he said, will help keep the car running. And will also help handle the bigger tree Ray opted for the year, which is 20 feet long and"three times heavier than last year's tree."

"it's kind of like a wind-sail when driving," Ray said, who added that he mainly only drives the car locally for that reason. He'd already "beefed up" the suspension to deal with the bigger tree.

"The car has been a huge hit this season, mainly because of how ridiculous the new and bigger tree is," said Ray, who has been drawing crowds to the car anywhere he's parked.

How It Began

Ray first watched "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" when he was in second grade. He was already a huge fan of Christmas.

He knew when he had a house, he'd light it up like Griswold. While his wife does not love this, she "deals with it," Ray said.

• Suburban Man's Griswold Station Wagon A Hit This Holiday Season
  

She also does not love the movie as much as Ray, so he tries to watch it "every couple days" during the holidays when "she's not there." She also does not love that he sometimes tells people they named two of their children, Audrey and Russell, after Griswold's children, also named Audrey and Russell.

But, that happened to just be a fun happenstance, Ray said.

His wife always wanted to name their daughter, if they had a girl, after Audrey Hepburn. So their oldest child, a girl, has been named Audrey. She is 2.5 years old.

Ray has always wanted to name their boy, if they one, Russell.

This past summer, the couple had twins: a boy and a girl. The twins, who are now 4 months old, were named Russell and Addison, Ray said.

So far, the whole family has not gotten to go for a ride in the Griswold-inspired vehicle, but he's hoping it happens before the holidays. Audrey did get to ride along with Ray in the holiday parade in Fox Lake.

Once his station wagon is repaired, Ray hopes to keep driving it every day. So, for those hoping to spot it or get your picture with it, keep your eyes peeled.

His holiday lights will be on nightly for those hoping to drive by.

And the station wagon will also be stationed outside the Outdoor Theater, 1510 Chapel Hill Road in McHenry, on Dec. 20 and 21 when "Christmas Vacation" will be playing.