Holiday lights in San Francisco

You might be thinking to yourself that Halloween is not even over, why would I want to think about Christmas holiday events now? Well, in San Francisco, the good tickets go fast, and with the start of December just 4.5 weeks away, it is time to get into gear if you plan to attend some of the more popular family shows in San Francisco. Here are three of my favorites:

Last year we took our kids to see the Velveteen Rabbit at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. This beautiful story, performed by the talented dancers of ODC, is suitable for any age child, as long as they can sit still! My two enjoyed the programs, which doubled as coloring books, and even though our seats were toward the back, we had no problem seeing the stage and the dancers. Afterwards, we played around in Yerba Buena Gardens before heading home.

This year, because my kids have longer attention spans, I plan to take them to the San Francisco Ballet Nutcracker, almost a holiday institution in the City. My friend who goes every year with her daughters tells me it is a wonderful show, with beautiful scenery and costumes. The tickets are pricey, but if you are thinking about a family entertainment splurge, you definitely get your money’s worth!

If dance is not your thing, the San Francisco Symphony offers many options this holiday season, including the SFS Choral Christmas Spectacular, Peter and the Wolf (narrated by none other than Leonard Nimoy!) and the Soul Children of Chicago in a Gospel Christmas.

Whatever your plans, San Francisco is a magical city during the holidays, enjoyable for all ages!

Photo courtesy of Tinou Bao.

Halloween can mean different things to different people.  Some of us enjoy dressing up in costumes, some enjoy the yummy candy, and some enjoy a good scare.  Haunted houses are all the rage these days, if you don’t mind screaming and jumping three feet high in the dark.  Yes, I thought you might be one of those.  If that’s the case, then this is the post for you.  According to Haunt World, the top thirteen haunted Halloween attractions in the U.S. this season are:

1. 13th Gate in Baton Rouge, Louisiana–“#1 in the USA,”–I wonder what the judging process is? Do they have to go to all of them?

2. The Darkness in St. Louis, Missouri–”St. Louis Biggest and Best”–Cuz we all know biggest isn’t always best unless you are in Texas (see below.)

Netherworld, Atlanta, Georgia

3. Netherworld in Atlanta, Georgia–”walk-through dark attraction filled with terrifying live actors, amazing special effects, and incredible monsters”–Now that is a description I can relate too. Many live actors are terrifying.

Haunted Overload

4. Haunted Overload in New Hampshire–”your worst nightmare lurks”–Not going there, no way.

Scarehouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

5. Scarehouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania–5th Best Haunted House in America–Nothing more needs to be said.

House of Torment

6. House of Torment in Austin, Texas–20,000 square feet of horror and they are recruiting!

Bates Motel, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

7. Bates Motel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania–“America’s Most Horrifying Hotel”– Ready to book a room? Yep.

Haunted Scarecrows and more

8. Headless Horseman in Ulster, New York–Headless Horsemen Hayrides and Haunted Houses, sounds tepid in comparison, I think.

Dead Acres in Columbus, Ohio

9. Dead Acres in Columbus, Ohio–”working hard to make you sick”–No, I am not interested. Be forewarned the download is way slow, hope the ghosts move faster…

Spookywoods in Kersey, North Carolina

10. Spookywoods in Kersey, North Carolina–”Celebrating 23 years of fear”–Now that needs champagne, don’t cha think?

House of Shock in New Orleans

11.  House of Shock in New Orleans, Louisiana–”Horror Show”–Simple and to the point, if that is what you want.

Erebus in Detroit, Michigan

12. Erebus in Detroit, Michigan–”I show no mercy”–Not going there even if it does have four stories.

Cutting Edge in Dallas, Texas

13. Cutting Edge in Dallas, Texas–”Huge Haunted House”–of course,  this is the Texan claim to fame

If you live near any of these haunted houses, then go visit them…I DARE you.  Bwaaaahahahaha or at least write your own tagline for the next one you visit.

Beaches are some of our favorite destinations – depending on the weather, my family enjoys throwing footballs, running in and out of the surf and building sand monuments. Harbor Beach in Santa Cruz is a great, local beach, offering a good sand beach with many local amenities.

The Harbor Beach is the starting point for the Santa Cruz Outrigger Canoe Club (Akau Hana), which welcomes newcomers to join them on Sunday mornings at 9am. Many catamarans line the beach, as well as volleyball courts and outdoor dining.

On Saturdays between 10 and 12noon, and Wednesday nights at 5:30pm, the Sons of the Beach Ukulele Band gets together for a jam session. Setting themselves up on the beach, in front of the Kind Grind Coffee Shop, the band goes through their song book, playing such favorites as Somewhere Over the Rainbow and You are my Sunshine. Flowery Hawaiian shirts and festive hats complete the picture. Stop by and visit, sing along if the music moves you!

Several restaurants are within walking distance, including Café El Palomar (inexpensive café), Crow’s Nest (upscale and casual seafood) and Aldo’s (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Or bring a picnic, and camp out on the beach for the day!

Additional resources:

Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz
Ukulele Lady

Spooky Tree by slimmer_jimmer

by Linda (minnemom) of Travels with Children

Looking for a spooky time?  Check out these thirteen U.S. locations with Halloween-themed names.

1. Scary, West Virginia
2. Witch Lake, Michigan
3. Bat Cave, North Carolina
4. Skull Valley, Arizona
5. Slaughter, Delaware
6. Transylvania, Louisiana
7. Hell, Michigan
8. Skull Creek, Nebraska
9. Frankenstein, Missouri
10. Spiderweb, South Carolina
11. Tombstone, Arizona
12. Devil Town, Ohio
13. Spook City, Colorado