San Francisco’s Beach Blanket Babylon is a humourous holiday event
Just before Thanksgiving each year, I realize I must move onto the next year’s happenings. Why? I post a thousand tree lightings, carriage rides, Christmas parades, Nutcracker ballets, Santas in suits, boat parades, gift ideas and more. Why? I am sentimental for the holidays. The special touches that people inject into their cities and communities, the time they take to give to others, and the colorful decorations and events that happen only once per year, are things I like to experience and share. There’s just soooooo much going on in California, it wears me down just finding it and reporting about it. I’m exhausted.
Here are a few unique or interesting items that came to my attention in my search for the perfect Christmas:
1. Surfing Santa in Capitola
2. The Dickens Fair at San Francisco’s Cow Palace (a bit naughty & nice)
3. Free horse-drawn carriage rides in Escondido
4. Outdoor ice skating rinks in over 8 spots that include sunny beaches where skaters come in swimsuits.
5. The Bracebridge Dinners that are now pushing around $350 per dinner show. It’s an amazing event in beautiful Yosemite.
6. Nutcracker ballets in nearly every city large & small. Who could imagine there are over 100 ballet companies performing this?
7. Tree lightings that range from lighting a Lego-brick tree, to the world’s largest tree, to the largest living tree in the U.S., to the Albino Tree in Humboldt County. From towns that let the people bring and decorate their own trees for public display, to the places where people hover around a silly little tinsel creation, the variations of one theme all seem to share a commonality. The tree lighting seems to spark a flame of community passion. Did you know there are companies that make fake packages for oversized trees shown in public malls? Interesting occupation!
8. One of our favorite events is the tree burning in Solvang. Bring your old tree by a certain date, then watch the pile of trees get torched.
So as you can see, I’m a bit burned out by the flood of activities I’ve discovered in California this holiday season.
Among my list of what I would like to see & do most:
1. The Great Russian Nutcracker with the Moscow Ballet
2. The skating rink at Pershing Square in downtown L.A.
3. The lighted tractor parade in Fendale
4. The sing-along Messiah in the East Bay
5. The Gold Country Christmas in Columbia State Historic Park
6. The Christmas train ride through the Santa Cruz redwoods
7. The beautiful village below from the slopes of Big Bear Lake’s Mountain High
Here’s hoping your season is bright. If you feel lonely, just get out and join in a holiday event with your community.
Rolling Safari Tours Aboard Segways at the San Diego Zoo Wild Animal Park offer close-up views of animals. That’s new! Visitors can ride Segways at the Wild Animal Park for $75 per person, plus park admission.