Visitors have been coming to California since the first gold rush pioneers. There is just something magical about our state that keeps drawing people here again and again. As we move towards another holiday season many of us will find our homes filled with friends and family who want to spend time with us and spend time in California. While it is lovely to see everyone, it is also sometimes nice to have a list of travel spots to send our guests to enjoy while we finish up our holiday to-do list. The holidays are a great time to explore local holiday festivals, visit a tourist hot spot or two, or have a once in a lifetime experience at a national park.
Enjoy Local Holiday Festivals
One of the best places to start is by looking at the various holiday festivals that occur right here in our backyards. There is an amazing number of seasonal activities we can
choose from. We can take our friends to Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel holiday festivities which include holiday cheer, seasonal cocktails, live entertainment, and culinary creations. We might also consider visiting the Culver City’s holiday tree or trying one of the Santa Monica Brew Works holiday inspired beers. We might even order a Farm-to-Table Holiday Meals from Hotel Casa Del Mar or give back via the CCUSD Sponsor-a-Family December Holiday Program where families are anonymously matched providing struggling families much needed items. There are a wide range of holiday events that are sure to wow any guest that we might have.
Enjoy Tourist Hot Spots.
Sometimes when people come to visit us, they really want to play tourist. In these cases, we can take them to the TCL Chinese Theatre, the star-studded Walk of Fame,
Paramount Pictures, the Hollywood Bowl, or even the Dolby Theatre, home of the Oscars. We might also consider visiting California casino resorts, enjoying Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier, or going to Boney Island. If we are feeling particularly festive, we have lots of kids, or have lots of visitors who are young at heart we can always take everyone to Disneyland. For those who are from out of town, a visit to Disneyland will
really stand out and help make their holiday extra special.
Enjoy Nature
California has a wide range of natural wonders that our holiday guests are sure to enjoy.
If we are willing to brave the traffic, we can take guests to the beach to see the ocean. We might also consider going on a scenic drive and show off all that California has to offer. If we are feeling a bit more adventurous, we can take our visitors on a hike at Griffith Park Trails, Glendale Peak, or Runyon Canyon Park. Taking our friends and family to see these sites is a great way to also remind ourselves of all the natural
wonders that are always available to us. All too often we can forget the wonders
that exist in our own backyards.
Enjoy Natural Parks
Here in Westside we have access to a wide range of natural parks that are within driving distance. This holiday season we might choose to visit Channel Islands National
Park comprising 5 ecologically rich islands off the Southern California coast. Or we might choose to take guests to Joshua Tree National Park characterized by rugged rock formations and stark desert landscapes. In other cases, we might visit Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. No matter which national park we decide to go to, we can create a wonderful trip for our visitors by taking them to see our natural wonders.
When we have friends and family visit from out of town at the holidays there is a wide
range of activities, we can share with them. It does not matter if we have young children who want to go to Disneyland, a teenager who is star struck by Hollywood, or an avid outdoorsman who is excited to go on several hikes there is something for everyone. By sharing this great community that we call home with others, we can create lasting memories that everyone will enjoy for years to come. How are we going to share the wonders of Westside with our guests this Holiday season?
