Photos: Creations made by Naples (Long Beach) resident Bill Williams include designs from TV Land Christmas in 2011 (left & middle pictures) and the 2013 Vintage Christmas scene on right. Most displays stay up through New Year's Day.

Romantic Naples Island comes alive at Christmas with gondola rides and holiday strolls to see the Christmas lights. It's really quite a show! Residents who compete in a holiday home decorating contest each year are assigned a theme and invited to use their imagination & creativity to make it come to life. Several homes on Appian Way (at the corner of Angelo) display exceptional talents, but one that grabs our attention year after year is created by Bill Williams (in photo below).

Each year he transforms his two-story home into a scene filled with artistic displays that amaze thousands of delighted visitors to the island. Last it was a REAL challenge to put something interesting together with an Olympic theme according to Williams (and we can't even find our photos to prove it.) We found & dug out our pictures from 2011 when the theme was  TV Land and also took photos of this year's  Vintage Christmas display. Guests are invited to sit in a cozy cabin built for the display and take it all in. Here's what the sign says:

"IMAGINE: It's Christmas time on Big Bear Mountain in the year 1952. Woody has just cut down his first Christmas tree and he's excitedly returning to the family cabin. Happy Vintage Christmas!