Spending Christmas in Southern California

While the year 2020 saw many of our favorite holiday events cancelled, like the Moonlight Forest at L.A. County Arboretum or the L. A. Zoo Lights, we were still able to find a little Christmas spirit. In our hometown of Los Angeles, this included shops adorned in holiday spirit along the Redondo Beach Riviera and in Manhattan Beach, lights on Manhattan Beach Pier, the fantastic displays at The Grove in downtown and 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, and festive light displays in the neighborhood of Sleepy Hollow in Torrance.

In San Diego, we found the spirit of the holidays at the Hotel del Coronado, Seaport Village, the Gaslamp Quarter, Balboa Park, and Old Town. Special thanks to Jubilee & Co for the picnic footage!

See my San Diego, CA travel blog entry for more details

Big Bear, California, was our alpine escape. At an elevation of 6,700 feet, it rests high in the San Bernardino mountains. Snow tubing at Big Bear Snow Play and a horse-drawn carriage ride with Big Bear Carriages were some of the highlights of our time there. We also love the shops and restaurants at Big Bear Lake Village.

While we always enjoy the time spent in our home state of California, this wasn't the Christmas we had hoped for or planned. We were originally supposed to spend the season in Europe, exploring the Christmas markets of Germany, Austria and Prague. The year 2020 wasn't what any of us had planned. And yet we're still here and healthy. We have plenty of patience and time, and the future looks brighter for us all!