Holiday Entertainment For Your Out-of-Town Visitors
The best part about the holidays is taking a little time for yourselves and those you love. Many of us will have out of town visitors that need to do more than just Netflix and Chill. Here are some ideas that are sure to please you and your guests. Just remember to ask them to tag you on Insta for full cred.
Holiday Light Displays
A great holiday tradition that spans all interests and ages is a driving tour of holiday light displays. The concept is simple, fill some travel mugs with hot cocoa, set the radio to the endless stream of holiday music on KOSt FM (103.5) and pile everyone into the family truckster and head out for the neighborhoods that have endless houses decorated in holiday themes.
#1 Choice Upper Hastings Ranch & Christmas Tree Lane -Pasadena area
The granddaddy of holiday light display neighborhoods s Upper Hastings Ranch in Sierra Madre. Hundreds of homes on a bunch of streets in this one neighborhood go all out for the holidays. Everyone comes to cruise the neighborhood and each display is more impressive than the other. So common, the few homes that don’t decorate stand out. Sierra Madre Blvd and Hastings Ranch Dr Pasadena.
You can easily add Altadena’s legendary Christmas tree lane to the start or end of your Hastings Ranch run. This mile long road of towering cedars that have old-school holiday lights strung through them harkens back to an era of simplistic fun. Don’t miss it. Santa Rosa Ave between Woodbury and Altadena Dr.
There are lists of more holiday light displays from various news outlets. Including: TimeOut, RedTricycle and LA Magazine. Tops is this one in Orange County that takes digital display to a whole new level.
IceSkating Downtown
The annual ice skating rink at Pershing Square opens this month. With so much going on in DTLA these days, you can make a real big city outing of it. Getting to Pershing Square is easy. You can drive and park under the actual park or take the Metro to the Pershing Square Station (note transfer required if coming from Pasadena).
Once at Pershing Square, you have a bunch of options to flank your skating session. On the West side of the park on Olive is Pitchoun Bakery. Their amazing homemade hot chocolate and a pastries are ideal starters for a cool evening of skating. After skating your hearts content, you can grab a quick cocktail or a bite to eat at either the lobby of the historic Biltmore Hotel (check out their amazing holiday tree) or get rooftop views over at Perch on the North east corner of the park (be wary of lines that form after 9pm on weekends). There is also an ice rink at LA Live (opens Nov. 10th) but I don’t think that one is half as cool as the full Downtown experience.
Enchanted La Canada
Descanso Gardens is a botanical garden that transforms into an awe-inspiring evening light display for the holidays called Enchanted. An amazing date night and also a blast for kids of all ages, the winding path through the park leads you to interactive light displays blended into the fauna. Coffee and cocoa for all and beer and wine for the adults makes this a running tradition that is sure to wow the crowd.
Holiday Motor Excursion Dec 30th
This is a rolling “Cars & Coffee” meet up of only pre-1933 classic automobiles, this event is great for the car-guy or girl you know. The 63rd Annual Holiday Motor Excursion is limited to vehicles of this era but fans can see them all take off from 3100 New York Drive in Altadena. Event starts at 7:30am and ends at 9:30am
New Year’s Eve Events Big and Small
In our minds, New Year’s Eve is seen as the biggest event of the year. Many of us have grown to realize it is often way more hassle than it is worth. However, there are a couple events in LA that are simple in design and ease of access. Personally I am torn on NYE events and most often take the simple route and spend the evening with a small group of close friends. Those seeking to make a bigger night of it should look into Prohibition at Union Station, EVE at Universal Studios and NYELA at Grand Park. The easy access via public transport takes some of the sting out of getting to and from on NYE.
Pasadena Architectural Legacy Tours
Pasadena has a rich architectural history and there are historic buildings around every corner. The champions of historic preservation at Pasadena Heritage do an amazing job of organized walking tours helmed by docents that really know their stuff. Take your out-of-ton visitors on a walk into Pasadena’s history on the Dec 30th with one of the organized tours that take place this day. This tour will cover the Civic Center District including our amazing City Hall (very instagram friendly) and the Hillcrest Neighborhood. Hillcrest is a gorgeous neighborhood featuring epic Craftsman homes, Victorians and other styles. See a list of upcoming tours here. Don’t forget to wear your walking shoes and bring a bottle of water.
Rose Bowl Parade
Pasadena locals swear by the attending the Rose Bowl Parade. Sure the spectacle of . the floats and the prowess of the bands is top-notch, you also have to get up at 5am on a cold January morning to get a decent spot. Parking is a nightmare and there will be literally a million people trying to do the same thing. Parade starts at 8am on January 1st. If you are so dedicated to embark on this, This article will help you immensely.
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Michael Robleto
REALTOR®-Compass Real Estate
213-595-4720
Michael Robleto is a Pasadena based REALTOR®. His analytical and open approach to sales and representation have served his clients well in his twenty years of sales experience. Michael is a staunch homeowner advocate that blends compassion with a highly advanced technology-driven approach to the buying and selling of real estate in and around Los Angeles. His client accolades of insight, integrity and hard work support the fact that he is not your average agent.
Michael leverages his personal passion for historic architecture to provide his clients the unknown insight on the pros and cons of older homes. Michael, a California native, grew up in an older Bungalow home and has spent 23 years in Southern California admiring the unique architecture of the region. He often writes on homeownership strategy, historic residential architecture and Pasadena related topics which can be found on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram under the common profile name of his blog; BungalowAgent or at www.BunaglowAgent.com/blog.
Michael is a committee member and frequent volunteer for the preservation efforts of Pasadena Heritage as well as a supporter of the Five Acres center for children.