Christmas isn’t strictly about gift buying and giving. It’s about getting out and experiencing community. During the holiday season, there are many worthy organizations hosting events to help nonprofit groups, and help small businesses make a go of it.
Some events we have come across include boat parades, and the Fillmore Street Stroll, Jazz and Lights that are soothing blue, energy-efficient LED lights bringing sparkle to this San Francisco neighborhood. Universal Studios Hollywood is offering free admission for fire, paramedics, police, Red Cross and 911 service personnel through December 24, 2007.
How can you slow down when there’s so much going on this holiday season? Don’t fight it. Just pick the top events and go. Some new events posted include the Solvang Lighted Tree Ceremony and Christmas Revels in Oakland. There’s more on the way.
Are you looking for things to this holiday on the California coast? We are too. Don’t look far, because the activities are right outside your door. Starting in San Diego, take up Skating by the Sea at the Hotel del Coronado. This is but one of many outdoor skating rinks open for the season. Next, take a drive north to Huntington Beach to see the festive snowflake lights on the HB pier and take in a gondola ride during the Harbour Homes lighted decoration season that lasts through the New Year normally. There are boat parades, light parades, nutcrackers dances and much to see and do. Be good to yourself and have some fun. Don’t work too hard. Get out and see the beach.
I was packing my bags tonight, saying my “goodbyes” and logging onto the Internet for the first time in days. I just finished watching a football game from my home state team (Missouri U) and college team (Kansas U). Kansas lost, but either way, I came out unscathed. Eager to re-connect with the web, the news flash caught my eyes: “Fires in Malibu”. It had to be an old news story from October, I surmised. But I couldn’t ignore it. I’m heading back to L.A. and I often drive Highway 1 through Malibu for a more scenic route. Sadly, it is yet, another fire. Regardless of the threat of those winds blowing again, and the firefighters lined up ready to fight (I’d seem them on Thursday in Calabasas, parking a truck where they normally do for a lunch break not far from Malibu.) The story says the dozens of houses were destroyed, but the readiness of the firefighters helped save many more.
The news is sad…yet not totally unexpected. And what’s so amazing where I sit (Pismo Beach,) is that half of us visiting are here from Los Angeles area, totally enjoying the weather and the gorgeous day. We’re totally unaware that there are fires down south 150 miles or so from here. It is amazing that it only takes two hours of driving to transport your mind and soul into a completely different atmosphere and climate. I’m leaving early in the morning to beat the Sunday rush back to Southern California after the weekend. It has to be huge, because the crowds in Pismo, Avila, Morro, Santa Maria, Nipomo, etc., were as busy as any summer day in these beach towns. Mo’s BBQ was lined up outside the door, as was Splash Cafe luncheon crowd. Central Coast was packed with refuges from the major cities. For those seeking beach escapes in California, our California Travel Guide offers this advice: travel in the fall for some of the greatest weather and vacations to be had. Just don’t go on Thanksgiving weekend. One hotel in Avila Beach (La Fonda), quoted $300 per night, and they aren’t even on the beach!
Where to go, what to do on Turkey Day? Are you packing up and going somewhere today? According to our local news, the top visited destinations for Californians this holiday are: 1. Las Vegas 2. San Diego 3. Grand Canyon 4. San Francisco and 5. Hawaii. Wherever you go, whatever you do, here’s wishin’ you happy trails!
Christmas is upon us and the holiday boat parades are being orchestrated…especially one dedicated to music, Cruise of Lights. Cruise of Lights in Huntington Harbour (Huntington Beach, Calif.) is over 40 years young. It is an annual tradition dedicated to raising funds for kids to have access to music programs in schools. Few grade schools in California now offer a regular music curriculum.
So a group of volunteers each year round up the boats and plan the narration, orchestration and ticket sales for a tour of the lighted homes in the harbor that surround half a dozen manmade islands built as residential communities. Money is raised from the purchase of tickets sold for the narrated tour that lasts just less than an hour. Homeowners in the Harbour are given a musical theme each year and are offered the challenge to become a winner in decorating their waterfront to that theme. Some houses have music, some have animated characters that move to the lights, and some are simply magnificent for their displays of color.
When you seek a special holiday treat, this is but one of many California waterfront activities.
In addition to boat cruises, why not enjoy snowflakes and ice skates at Skating by the Sea at Coronado’s Hotel del Coronado.
From holiday boats to skates, tree lightings to caroling, California comes alive for the holiday season. After the Christmas hurrah ends, there’s the New Year’s celebrating with the Tournament of Roses annual Rose Parade, polar swims, parties and ballroom dancing at Catalina Island. It doesn’t require a fortune to celebrate the season. Just drive around to look at the holiday lights. Many of the city events such as downtown tree lightings, parades and open houses are a way to enjoy the local vibes, and they are usually free of charge.
When the Ballet San Jose “The Nutcracker” performance press event submission came across my desk, it was one of many I’ve received during this holiday season. But looking closer (I like to study the choreographers, talent, and stage presentations), I discovered that this will rank among my top to see this season. It looks like I now need to plan a trip to San Jose to enjoy this event.
I am not a ballet nut or even a Nutcracker, but I’ve been swept into this world, probably from watching too many PBS specials on ballroom dance competitions. Some of the top ballroom dancers come from a ballet or gymnastics background apparently.
Reading about the Ballet San Jose, I got to know the name Dennis Nahat, co-founder of the Cleveland Ballet (I think this is where an Oxnard CVB PR contact’s daughter attends school.) Regardless, Nahat appears to be not only a huge talent in dance, but also in choreographer. My money is on this event and several other Nutcracker Ballet’s this year. I can only do about five, so I have to optimize. Get into the nuts, but if your attention span is short, pick the best Nutcrackers.
“Here comes the sun,” a Beatles song, was a mellow harmony about the sun coming. It summarizes how we feel about the sunsets at the piers in California. I live near the beach. So some days I can peak outside just an hour before the sun goes down and decide if I want to take some pictures. Nothing can prepare you for the eventual, one-of-a-kind show you’ll see. Sometimes it is a total bust, but usually you can tell if it’s going to be nice.
The most frustrating sunsets are those that peak behind the buildings and drop fast. You want to rush to the beach to catch them, but get stuck at a traffic light only to miss them by fractions of seconds. We don’t have all the answers on how to capture the perfect sunset. But we do offer a bit of advice about some images we’ve captured. One of the best places to stay on a vacation are California beaches with piers. Piers are a source of entertainment, if for nothing more than the picture-taking opportunities they provide.
Some of my favorite pier sunsets include: Crystal Pier in San Diego; San Clemente Pier; Huntington Beach Pier; and Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara.
It’s getting busy. California will soon have over 1 million tree lightings. Every mall, town, city and home that celebrates Christmas will string the lights on a tree and turn it on. We watched them put the fake tree together the other day at Knotts Berry Farm. It was funny! From the boat cruises to the nativity drive-thrus, California beaches are decked out in sandy splendor to enjoy a great December. Some of the highlights: Surfing Santa in Capitola and Holly the Heifer greets the kids in Ferndale.
We’re just a few people pounding out our own ideas of what’s cool, things to do and see at California beaches. What do you recommend? Got any thoughts on how to have fun? Some of my favorites include: Standing and looking at the waves. How easy is that?
Catching a Pebble Beach sunset. There’s one place in California that you can’t fail taking a beach sunset picture. If you can’t get it right on the 17 Mile Drive, especially near the Lone Cypress, then baby, get a new camera! Other great vantage points for sunsets include Laguna Beach in Orange County and Pismo Beach on the Central Coast.
Sunbathing when the crowds are mellow. Top sunbathing beaches in California include Santa Monica, Venice, Redondo Beach, Hermosa & Manhattan Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, San Clemente and San Diego. If sunbathing is your thing, you can pretty much do it all year long in Southern California.
Going to the clubs in Long Beach with friends for an evening of music and fun. Clubs have become better in recent years. Wine bars, top entertainment, comedy and dining are inter-twined and the club decor is really nice. You can find great music, dining and cocktails in even the smaller cities such as Eureka, Napa (one of the best) and one of the coolest up-and-comers in recent years is Ventura. For pure fun, Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach is just plain get-up-and-dance action.
Getting a spa treatment at a nice hotel. How can we count the spas? There are now thousands of spas in California. Thousands! Hotels are the priciest spots, but boy, do they offer ambience! Get a massage out by the ocean. Is that not cool! Montage Resort in Laguna Beach is one of the smoothest, and one of our friends’ husbands does massage there. He wins awards for his massage treatments. They are professional, pricey, but worth it.
Checking out art galleries, museums and cultural activities. If you took all the fine arts galleries in California and tried to see them on a vacation, you couldn’t do it. It would take some time to hammer away at the amazing list of artwork collections, sculptures and gardens. The biggest is The Getty. And it is free. If you have to pick one, pick Getty.
Shop Rodeo Drive. Whether you’re rich or not, there are some quality shops that sell a variety of things…not just couture clothing. There are literally hundreds of major malls in California. Discount shopping abounds at Prime, Westfield and malls such as the shopping destination, South Coast Plaza. Women love shopping especially. You won’t be bored.
California events…If you like the community gatherings, the holidays offers things in nearly every town or city, every weekend. Seasonal events and holidays bring fairs, food festivals and community tree lightings and parades, or 4th of July Fireworks. It is just amazing how many activies you can enjoy, and many of them are free.
California has the north and the south. And never the two shall meet. At least that’s the way it goes most of the time when you discuss lifestyle, water resources and weather in California. I have tried them both…the north and the south, that is. I started at the Southern California beaches when first moving to California from cold, windy Chicago. I thought the weather back there would kill me in my work outdoors as a photojournalist. To put it mildly, it was brutal. So I began my journey west and settled at the warmest, friendliest spot I could find, the Southern California beaches. After lots of driving around, I began to gravitate to a real city center where you can work and take public transportation at California’s northern beach city, San Francisco. Known more for its bays than its beaches, there was a definite lifestyle adjustment to make. City life had its advantages, but there were always the meltdowns. People were less warm and welcoming, I believed. So I went back and forth between the north and south. I couldn’t figure it out. Today I’m in the south. It’s November and it’s warm. Mid-70’s to 80’s at the beach. They say we may get another Santa Ana wind (it fueled all the fires in October). It is in this time of year that my friends and I become stir crazy. We’re ecstactic over the warm weather, yet wish we could experience just a day of cold temperatures like they have in the north. Vacationers are caught off guard when they visit the south. Always bring a sweater or jacket regardless of the month. In the south, it will usually be enough. In the north when it’s winter (Dec.-Mar.) you may need more clothing such as sweaters. But what about the water? In the south we live in semi-desert. My town uses groundwater so we’re doing OK. But not all cities do, and they rely on water from the north, which makes people in the north sort of angry when rationing becomes a threat. Water is one of the biggest issues of contention. In the tech fields we ebb and flow, work north and south. California airports such as San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, LA, Burbank, Long Beach, Orange County, Ontario and San Diego keep us connected.
We see our friends and associates in the morning in the north (or south), and return to our beloved beaches or bays by the end of the day. When visiting from out-of-state, you’ll discover that driving between the two takes a full day. By air, you are there in about an hour (plus the airport wait.) Which one should you pick when visiting? I say do them both, absolutely. You can’t beat the heat of a sandy beach when it’s snowing back home and you need to feel the sun. But then again, you can’t miss seeing the fog creep up on the Golden Gate Bridge as the glorious sun fades from the perfect day,and the cable car clangs its bell during your ride up one hill and down the next.
We just had a press release come across our desk that Fashion Outlets of Las Vegas Will Open Doors on Thanksgiving Day in Primm, Nevada. Now some of us know that KMart has been opening their doors on Thanksgiving Day for years . So where’s the beef? Fashion Outlets of Las Vegas, located 35 miles south of Las Vegas on Interstate 15 at Exit 1 in Primm, with its 100 designer outlet stores will be open on Thanksgiving Day from 10am to 6pm, because Las Vegas is always open, so they say. Fashion Outlets popular shopping shuttle will also run on Thanksgiving Day, departing from the MGM Grand Hotel starting at 9:15am, and Planet Hollywood starting at 10 am. The cost is only $15 per person round trip and includes a savings book worth up to $800 in coupons. Tickets for the MGM shuttles are available at the ticket desk located on the lower level of the Star Lane Shops. Tickets for the shuttle at Planet Hollywood are available at the ticket desk located across from the Z Gallerie Furniture store. Shuttles return to the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino regularly starting at 1p.m. daily. This is great news for shoppers who hate to fight crowds, and really aren’t into watching football on Thanksgiving Day. It may offer one more reason for people to head to Las Vegas for Thanksgiving (pretty smart!) Finally, someone has gotten wise and has considered catering to the cooking crowd–ladies who need breaks on Thanksgiving Day. Why not keep stores open on Christmas Day, as well? There will be a rush of shoppers wanting to return things, but also those who are looking to spend the cash someone gave them to purchase “after Christmas” gifts on sale.
Online leisure business travel market surpasses $94 billion this year. According to PhoCusWright’s new release, U.S. Online Travel Overview Seventh Edition, the business travel market is growing at a pace that exceeds the overall travel market growth rate. Online leisure and unmanaged business travel comprises more than one-third of the total travel market. While growth has slowed compared to recent years, especially for online travel agencies with packages, suppliers are gaining share in most segments…air, car and hotel. The consumer desire to shift among online and offline channels is forcing suppliers to execute unique strategies for each channel based on their yield and value. Euromonitor International reported that the United States business arrivals are forecast to rise 3.5 percent, amounting to 8.7 million people in 2007. The previous year’s 10 percent decline attributed to West Europe has slowed. West Europe’s 2007 rise of around 2.6 percent is signficantly less than 2006 rates of 8 percent. Considered the “unfriendliest” port of welcome in the world, the U.S. has gained ground primarily because of the falling value of the dollar. Nevertheless, Australia, United States, Great Britain, France and Italy are the top five nations in the Country Brand Index, according to a FutureBrand survey. Look in the next five years to Croatia, China and the United Arab Emirates as the rising stars of tourism brand.
Is there anything that hasn’t gone up in price lately? UPS new pricing to take effect on Dec. 31, includes an average 4.9 percent increase for UPS Ground and Ground Hundredweight shipments and a net average increase of 4.9 percent on all air express and U.S. origin International shipments in 2008. The increase for air express and international shipments is based on a 6.9 percent increase in the base rate, less a 2 percent reduction in the current fuel surcharge. 5% increase in a $1000 shipment will raise the price by $50. According to the US Department of Labor, that $1000 you spent in 2006 for food, clothing or normal expenses, now costs an additional $34.17 in 2007, for an inflation rate of around 3.4% overall. Have job salaries kept pace? If you have been promised a 3% pay raise annually, that will not meet inflation and rising fuel expenses. When negotiating for pay raises, get the promises in writing. Make sure the details of performance reviews and specifications of salary increases are clearly specified on a signed paper. In today’s market, a few percentage points of salary lost by a boss who backs out of a promise can cost an employee his or her house. If you have lost your job or home, then consider this: add 9 percent to your earnings potential if you are bilingual; add 10 percent if you hold a Microsoft Office Specialist certification. Techies with knowledge of business fundamentals such as accounting, finance and general operations can realize six figure incomes if they shop around.
Thursday, November 15 is The Great American Smokeout. Among California’s ethnic communities, nicotine addiction affects one in five African-Americans and one in three Native Americans–twice the California average. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among Latinos in the United States. Smoking rates are stalled at 21 percent but are on the rise for youth. The decades-long decline in smoking by Americans has stalled for three years, the first time smoking rates have leveled off for that long since the federal government began collecting statistics nearly half a century ago. Smoking rates for high school students have hit a plateau in the past few years but are beginning to increase. When visiting California beaches, be sure to check for signs about smoking on the beach. A number of California beaches have enacted anti-smoking policies. Though it is unlikely you will be fined, you may receive glares, or be notified that you can’t smoke there.
Latin Grammy Awards Broadcast was the biggest broadcast ever in the history of the award show among the highly coveted adult 18-34 demographic, according to Nielsen Media Research’s Fast NTI Ratings. While Las Vegas (California’s other city) got the hosting prize, Univision media giant saw stars for the highest ratings. In Los Angeles, the program was #1 for the time period in the key demos of Adults 18-34, 18-49, and Teens 12-17, beating all other stations in the market. Held for the very first time in Las Vegas, Latin music fans lined the Green Carpet arrival area at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. The completely sold-out, capacity crowd erupted with cheers and danced in the aisles with the show’s electrifying opening act of superstar Ricky Martin (winner for Best Male Pop Vocal Album and Best Long Form Music Video) and one of Vegas’ most popular acts, Blue Man Group. The 8th Annual Latin GRAMMY® Awards was co-hosted by internationally acclaimed actress/singer Lucero and Mexican comedian Eugenio Derbez.
Ultimate Luxury Lifestyle Management Consultancy for Men, a consortium of Arab sheikhs, mainly of Kuwaiti nationality, have agreed to back London based luxury lifestyle management company ULTIMATE, dressing the likes of Daniel Craig, arranging parties for Justin Timberlake, or providing a Ferrari Enzo or Pagani Zonda at a member’s request. With access to 8,000 jets around the world, Matthew Razzak’s team has everything to equip men with the Ultimate ‘James Bond’ lifestyle.
It’s no secret that the Chinese hold a huge portion of our national debt. The clothes we wear, food we eat and cultures we absorb are not to be ignored. When you drive over the bridge from San Pedro to Long Beach past the Port of Los Angeles, just look to the West in the shipyards below to see that the majority of the containerized cargo is from China. In fact, you have to wear blinders to not know how much of our foods and products come from this “favored nation”. So if you are not ready for a trip to China to discover the smoke season and pollution that Los Angeles and other U.S. cities have battled for years, and you don’t have tickets for the Olympic Games in Beijing, why not be entertained by the Chinese New Years Spectacular show that travels the U.S. in January? In addition to appearances in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Boston, Denver and Phoenix, two California cities will host this extravaganza. San Diego and Los Angeles will both enjoy some of the finest entertainment to be had all year. The costumes, lighting and sound effects combine to make one of the best stage shows you’ll find. There will be plenty of Chinese and Asian cultural celebrations throughout California during the season, such as the San Francisco Chinese Parade (biggest in U.S.) I was at the California Travel Industry Association’s California Travel Market, staying at Hotel Nikko, and just happened on this huge festival a few blocks from my hotel. All I can say is WOW! Chinese celebrations include colorful costumes combined with dance, music, drum beats, story lines and lots of pageantry. Details of the upcoming Chinese New Years Spectacular TBA.
We packed up the Halloween costumes or returned them to the rental shop, are finishing up that bowl of chocolates that the kids did not knock on our door to get, and are locking in our Thanksgiving day plans and moving onto the parties, receptions, buying opportunities, community gatherings, tree lightings and parades for the grand finale holidays - California Christmas Events. This year I visited Cleveland and discovered that “The Christmas Story” was filmed there. I keep trying to get up the courage to return during the winter snow, because it really is a beautiful city. But back here at the beach, I can report that at least three places are trucking in snow for the kids to play in, some are bringing reindeer for children (and adults) to see, and by the way…you can get the real deal in our California mountains–San Bernardino or Sierras, to name a few. Nutty Nutcracker Ballets, Santa arriving by surfboard in Capitola (Santa Cruz), Messiah sing-alongs, Holly Heifer Cow in Ferndale (home to the largest living Christmas tree in the US), and some boat parades full of fun are a tiny sampling of the annual celebrations held in towns and cities throughout California. We’ve been digging deep in our pockets during this year’s economic downturn and looked for ways to wow our friends with less. Here are some shopping tips.
Are you looking for a California Vacation Guide chock full of information. In addition to this great website, beachcalifornia.com, there’s a State of California guide published annually that includes lots of information, maps, ads, coupons, etc. You can order one at: Order by phone by calling (877) California. The Find Yourself Here California Visitors Guide is the ultimate, free magazine. It is produced by Sunset special publishing division (a holding of Time, Inc.). We always look for the pretty pictures in the magazine, and read some of the content. It is a throwaway product because of the large number of ads and difficulty in finding editorial content amongst them. That is just my honest assessment. But for a decent map, phone numbers to call, trip planning ideas and many resources, it is the ultimate, up-to-date vacation guide. The new issue comes out annually in January.