Yesterday marked the start of Chinese New Year, a 15 day festival celebrating family, new beginnings and the start of the lunar new year. My family lived in China for a short period of time, so celebrating the Chinese New Year feels a bit like home. This year celebrates the year of the Dragon; if you or your little ones are turning 12, 24, 36, (etc…) this year—throw something on that is red in color (wear it the whole year!) and get ready for a year full of luck & happiness!
Without further delay, here is your Trekaroo guide to everything Chinese New Year:
Festivals & Parades
The highlight of the festivities, especially for the kids, is the chance to attend a Chinese New Year Festival or Parade. If you live anywhere near a metro area, chances are there is some sort of event going on to celebrate the holiday. Los Angeles is the closest metro area to my family, and we were hosted for a pre-New Year LA tour by the Omni hotel. The Omni at California Plaza exudes family-friendliness from backpacks stuffed with kid activities given at check-in, to complimentary milk & cookies before bed for all the little ones. In addition to being full of fa
mily friendly amenities, the hotel is conveniently located near Chinatown; take the hotel car for a quick 3-minute ride and you are there!
Read my full review of the fabulous Omni Hotel.
LA’s Chinatown will be hosting their 113th annual Chinese New Year parade on January 28th at 1pm. Families with older kids can sign up for The Great Chinatown Hunt, an Amazing Race style scavenger hunt in Chinatown also on the 28th—I must admit that I am waiting with anticipating for my girls to get older so we can enjoy this event. Cities across the US are holding parades and festivals in honor of the year of the Dragon. Get out there and get your roar on!
Photo by: Flickr/Global Jet
Chinese New Year Activities & Festivals in your city:
Los Angeles | San Diego | San Francisco |San Francisco ( Fortune Cookie Tours) | Sacramento| Portland | Seattle | Phoenix/Tucson | Denver | Chicago | Atlanta | Washington DC| New York | Connecticut Cities | Florida Cities | Massachusetts Cities |
Food
A major part of Chinese New Year, and Chinese culture in general, is eating authentic food- and by authentic, I don’t mean Panda Express! Sharing meals together is a major part of Asian culture, so important in fact that the common street greeting in Chinese is ”Ni Chi Le Ma?” (你吃了吗 , Knee Chur Luh Muh)–have you eaten?? Most of the amazing memories I have while living in China take place around a giant table full of delicious food! The West Coast & other major US cities abound with amazing authentic Chinese and Asian food opportunities; although the rest of the country is hit or miss, some awesome, flavorful restaurant spots are tucked into to unique corners across the US.
Jiaozi (饺子, geeOW-zuh) , more commonly known as dumplings, receive special New Year Spring Festival recognition as one of the main dishes to be served at a Chinese New Year feast. My family gathers together yearly to continue this dumpling making tradition—although there is a bit of work, even the kids can (and should) join in the preparations for these tasty bites, and the reward is a lot of family time together with a delicious ending. If you aren’t up for the labor intensive version, be sure to head out to your city’s favorite Chinese restaurant this new year.
Photo by: Flickr/johnsember
Find authentic food in your neighborhood:
Los Angeles |San Diego | Seattle | San Francisco | Portland | Chicago | Denver| New York City | DC |
Family
The major theme of the Lunar New Year is family. Similar to our Christmas holiday, millions of people across the world take a break from work, fly home to be with mom and dad, and attempt to spend quality time with their family over food, fun and festivities. If you live in a rural area or just don’t have the money or time to head to a Chinese festival or event, make it a staycation. Grab those closest to you and spend time making a memory this Chinese New Year- give red envelopes full of small trinkets or change to children, make dragons out of recycled egg cartons, wear a ton of red and decorate your house with home-made paper lanterns, or even attempt your hand at making your own Chinese New Year feast!
Stay-at-home Chinese New Year Resources:
Chinese New Year Overview | Chinese New Year Crafts | Jiaozi Recipe | Chinese New Year Games
Have a game, craft, recipe or any other Chinese New Year Staycation idea? Share it here.
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Katie Bodell is Trekaroo’s Assistant Editor, a wife, & a mom to three sweet California girls.
Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas here in Southern California! There may not be snow on the ground, and the shining sun may make it feel like the perfect 75 degrees, but decorations are popping up at every corner and special holiday events are being held almost daily. There are so many special activities to enjoy with your family that we’ve tried to pare down the list to just 10. If you live or vacation in Southern California this December, we hope you enjoy one of these events! If you call another part of the country “home”, check out the lists of local activities below. Enjoy the season, and Merry Christmas!
Boat Parades
Photo by: Flickr/YoTuT
Millions of twinkling lights covering cleverly decorated boats float through harbors and canals up and down the Pacific Coast of Southern California. Families who don’t mind bundling up their kids in the cool marine air will enjoy sitting and watching this quintessential SoCal event. Check out the harbor city near you for specific dates and times. Be sure to find out where the parade starts so that you know the approximate time of when it will float by your location.
Choose from the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights, Huntington Harbor Boat Parade, Dana Point Boat Parade of Lights, Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade, Long Beach’s Parade of 1000 Lights, Channel Island’s Harbor Parade of Lights in Oxnard, Ventura Harbor Parade of Lights and Winter Wonderland, and the Marina Del Rey Holiday Boat Parade.
The Nutcracker
Photo by: Flicker/kelsey_lovefusionphoto
Dancing Sugar Plum Fairies and sword battles with monkey kings will delight many children, but really only those who can sit still for long periods of time. If you have young boys like me who like to blurt outloud, “those tight pants look funny” in a quiet theater, you may enjoy one of these special Nutcracker performances for kids. The 45 minute narrated ballet with an audience of young children is a great way to enjoy this delightful holiday tradition. The Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa will be performing the Nutcracker for kids on Dec 10. The San Diego Civic Youth Ballet presents a kid friendly performance of the Nutcracker at the historic Casa Del Prado Theatre in Balboa Park. Check websites for ticket and show times.
Special Teas
A good friend of mine loves taking her daughters with their grandma to a special Christmas tea every year. My active little 3-year-old girl may perhaps be ready in a couple of years to sit pretty with me at one of these special events. Pelican Hill Resort of Newport Beach is hosting a Nutcracker Tea Holiday Party on December 17 from 12-3:30 pm for parents and children. The Langham Huntington, Pasadena will hold their annual Teddy Bear Tea on December 10, 11, 17-23 at 10 am for a story time, photos with Santa and a marionette puppet show. The Grand Del Mar in San Diego celebrates the holidays with a Nutcracker Holiday Tea with an abridged performance of the ballet and child-friendly tea service. The Park Hyatt Aviara Resort in Carlsbad is hosting a Teddy Bear Tea from December 2 – 19 on Friday – Sunday at 1 pm. All tea events require reservations. Please see details on resort website for ticket prices and reservations.
Amusement Park Fun
Photo by: Flicker/Thom Watson
Southern California is known for it’s many amusement parks. Each one celebrates the holidays in grand style with extensive decorations and special events. Visiting these parks during the Christmas season can be twice as fun, extra special, and provide decorative backgrounds for really great photos of your kids! Knott’s Merry Farm celebrates a “Charlie Brown Christmas” with parades, carolers and a special Christmas shopping village. The Disneyland Resort makes memories magical during the holidays. Trekaroo has even created a list just for Disneyland to help you find all the great holiday events. SeaWorld San Diego, the San Diego Zoo, LegoLand, and Universal Studios Hollywood all celebrate the holidays with special events, decorations, parades, and are tons of fun.
Outdoor Ice Skating
Photo by: Flickr/SonnyandSandy
Gliding over the ice, or rather, inching along with your clinging son at your side, can be a great event that creates memories through laughter and exercise. Skating outside is twice as fun with sparkling holiday lights and music. Check websites for details on times and ticket prices for the following outdoor ice rinks. Ice at Santa Monica, Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles, Holiday on Ice a the Irvine Spectrum, The Strand at Huntington Beach, Horton Plaza, and the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego.
Special Light Displays
Photo by: Mission Inn
All during December I hear my little 3 and 5 year olds shouting in the back seat of the car, “Christmas Lights!!!” at the top of their lungs, just to make sure I see any and all of the twinkling lights that delight them. We often enjoy driving around neighborhoods with hot chocolate or walking the streets with sticky candy canes to enjoy the lights of the season. Here are some extra special places to visit this year. The Festival of Lights is held at the Mission Inn Hotel and Spa in Riverside and is open to the public to enjoy thousands of lights and decorations, visits to Santa, carolers, horse-drawn carriage rides and live reindeer. The San Diego Botanical Gardens host the Garden of Lights from Dec 2-23, 26-30 and invite people to enjoy a stroll through the wonderland of lights in the garden, live music, horse-drawn wagon rides, Santa, and hot beverages. At the Del Mar Race Track drive your car through the Holiday of Lights from Nov 24 – Jan 1 or take a Holiday Hayride Dec 2, 9 and 16. Here is a list of Where to Enjoy Holiday Lights in Los Angeles.
Art and Culture
Photo by: Sawdust Art & Craft Festival
We drive by the Sawdust Art Festival every summer on our way to the sands of Laguna Beach and I always think, “I want to take my kids there!” I’ve heard of the fun crafts, art demonstrations, and beautiful displays that kids and parents enjoy. I was surprised to find that there is a Sawdust Art Festival Winter Fantasy that would be equally delightful this season. Other cultural and artistic events are taking place all over the southland to celebrate the holidays. Las Posadas, a nightly tradition of acting out the journey of Mary and Joseph through the streets of Nazareth takes place at Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles Dec 16-24. Pinatas and live entertainment make for a special cultural holiday event. A special Irish Holiday Festival will take place at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana on Dec 11 from 12-4pm. Families will enjoy live music, dancing and special holiday treats.
History
Photo by: Flickr/Patrick Denker
Celebrate Christmas at historical sites in So Cal and let an old-fashioned Christmas come alive for your family. Christmas at the Mission will take place Dec 3 at the San Juan Capistrano Mission. Christmas comes to Heritage Hill in Lake Forest with a Victorian Christmas on Dec 3 and a Candlelight Tour on Dec 10 and 11. Children will learn history through butter churning, candle dipping, and decorating cookies with Mrs. Claus. Storytelling in the old one-room schoolhouse will delight children and parents. The La Mesa Village transforms into an old fashioned Christmas in the village with Victorian decorations and special events on Dec 9 and 10. The Queen Mary, the grand ocean liner docked in Long Beach, will hold it’s annual free Christmas Tree Lighting in honor of the military, the police and fire fighters on Wed, Dec 7, Pearl Harbor Day.
Train Rides to Visit Santa
Photo by Irvine Park Railroad
Visiting Santa is often at the top of most family’s checklist for the season. How much more fun to visit them on a farm or at the end of a train ride! Bates Nut Farm in Valley Center, north of San Diego is hosting Christmas in the Valley on Dec 9 and 10. Take a Polar Express Hay Ride to visit Santa and then enjoy live entertainment, crafts, a living nativity, and more. Take the Christmas Train on the Irvine Park Railroadto visit Santa during December. Kids will be delighted to find Santa at the North Pole after their nighttime ride on the train through the park.
Rose Parade
A list of holiday events in Southern California would be grossly inadequate without the famous Tournament of Roses Parade held every January 1 in Pasadena. Every year that I watch the parade and see the sun shining down on the beautiful floats covered with flowers, I am reminded of the blessing of living in sunny So Cal. Our family hasn’t been able to make the commitment of spending the night on the street, nor buying a ticket for the grandstands, but we did drive down Colorado Blvd. 2 days before New Years and our kids were fascinated with the preparations for the grand parade. I can’t wait to take them to the Showcase of Floats at the end of the parade to see the amazing structures up close.
Looking for more holiday-fun activities? Check out your neighborhood below.
California: San Diego | Orange County | LA & Environs | Bay Area | Lake Tahoe | Sacramento
Other US cities: Dallas | NYC/NJ | Philadelphia | Salt Lake City | Seattle
Don’t see your city?? Make a list of fun activities in your neck of the woods to share with Trekaroo users.
Michelle McCoy (aka: McFam) is the Southern California Destination Guroo for Trekaroo.
Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
For one week every summer, my home is invaded by teenagers- and I love it! I am lucky enough to be the aunt of two wonderful teens who actually don’t mind being seen with me in public. My niece and nephew are Texans so when they come to our neck of the woods, they want to do as many “California” things as they can. Luckily, there are many great things to do in Los Angeles with teens and tweens. From beaches to Hollywood, here are some of our favorites:
Santa Monica Pier and Venice Beach:
No trip to California is complete without a few good beach days. Luckily, California has more than its fair share of great beaches. Santa Monica Pier features rides, carnival games, and wide strips of inviting sand on either side. Teens will love playing in the water or attempting the rope climb on the equipment at the original Santa Monica Muscle Beach. The original Hot Dog on a Stick stand is located at Muscle Beach near the base of the pier and is a fun yet inexpensive place to get hand-dipped corn dogs and fresh lemonade.
For the ultimate in people watching, rent a bike and head south down the bike path to Venice Beach. Venice is an eclectic mix of surfers, skaters, and flamboyance. Prepare to see some very unusual sites at this beach, including old men working out in metallic Speedos, various street performers, and unique people with eclectic senses of style. Venice is a place to experience counter-culture, watch skaters perform radical stunts in the beachfront skate park, pick out a pair of cheap sunglasses from one of the stands lining the sidewalk, or enjoy a stroll along the quiet canals.
Universal Studios
Image courtesy Flickr user b00nj
Like so many teens,my niece and nephew love thrill rides and pop culture so it’s no surprise that our trip to Universal Studios was a big hit. It had been nearly 30 years since my last visit to Universal Studios and I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. We started with the studio tour, which featured an amazing King Kong 3D experience, loads of Hollywood history, and even a trip to Desperate Housewives’ Wysteria Lane. The kids loved seeing a working studio, viewing sets, and getting a behind the scenes feel for how some of their favorite movies were produced. It was the highlight of our day. After the tour, we enjoyed some of the park’s 3D rides, an incredible Water World live action show, the terrifying haunted house, and a good dousing on Jurassic Park – The Ride. While there was a cute Curious George water play area for little kids, I am glad that we left my preschoolers at home- this park is definitely suited for older kids.
Visit a few of LA’s Ethnic Neighborhoods
Several US cities have great Chinatowns (and so does LA!) but how many have a Little Ethiopia? Los Angeles is home to the highest concentration of Mexicans outside of Mexico so a stop at one of the incredible neighborhood burrito joints is a definite must (my family loves El Tepeyac in Boyle Heights) but be sure to save some room for authentic Korean barbecue in Koreatown as well. The largest Korean population outside of Korea is in Los Angeles and the food at spots like Soowon Galbi is as mouth-watering as it is legendary. Still hungry for more? Be sure to explore Thaitown, Little Armenia, Little Tehran, Little Tokyo, and historic Filipinotown for a taste of the diversity that Los Angeles has to offer.
Hooray for Hollywood
If your teens have an affinity for celebrities, movies, and television, then head to Hollywood. The center of the action is at Hollywood and Highlands where you will find Mann’s Chinese Theatre, home to dozens of concrete handprints and footprints of celebrities, Disney’s El Capitan Theatre, and the Kodak Theatre of Oscar fame. Lining the sidewalks around these famous venues is the even more famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. Kids will love sifting through all the stars of the “old guys” to find names that they recognize and are more than happy to pose next to. After discovering your favorite celeb’s name emblazened on the sidewalk, be sure to head inside of Madame Tussaud’s to stand face to face with a very realistic wax replica of some of biggest celebrities around. If you are still looking for more celebrity-themed fun, head up to The Grove for some shopping and a chance to do some celebrity spotting. CBS studios (where shows like American Idol and Dancing with the Stars tape) is just around the corner and last time we re there, we spotted half the cast of So You Think You Can Dance eating dinner after a live taping. If you time it right, you just might see Mario Lopez taping his weekday gig for Extra.
Of course, their is no better keepsake for kids to take home then a picture in front of the Hollywood sign. So head up into the hills (I happen to know a great spot) and have the kids say “cheese”!
Sharlene Earnshaw is the Blog Editor for Trekaroo.
Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
Most tourists associate Malibu with star sightings and surf culture, but the real star of this scenic stretch of Pacific Coast Highway is the opportunity to go on nature outings so close to Los Angeles.
Leo Carrillo State Park offers up a family-friendly blend of beach fun – think tide pools, coastal caves, views to die for and water exploring galore – with campgrounds and hiking trails to boot. The park has 1.5 miles of beach for swimming, surfing, windsurfing, surf fishing and beachcombing. Plan your visit for low tides and you won’t be disappointed. Expect to see crabs, sea anemones, sea stars, sea urchins, mussels, barnacles and more. For maximum enjoyment, bring sturdy waterproof shoes, favorite sand toys, towels, a change of clothes and a sense of adventure. Nature walks and campfire programs are offered and a small visitor center has interpretive displays.
Malibu Lagoon State Beach is a place Michele had driven by hundreds of times, but never stopped. Debi had raved about taking guided tours there, so they opted to meet on the coast for some exploring. There’s a nice picnic area near the dirt parking lot with a few tables. Then they took off down the path to the beach for some one-of-a-kind birdwatching spotting hummingbirds and a night heron right away. The Lagoon was the main attraction, so we walked along the beach and turned our attention towards the Santa Monica Mountains looming beyond the Pacific Coast Highway bridge. We saw the antics of pelicans, terns, and protected species of plover.
In addition to birdwatching, Malibu Lagoon State Beach offers a whole lot more in the way of nature activities. Guided tours of the wetlands and other natural elements such as grunion, the monarch butterfly, tidepools and the gray whale are scheduled seasonally. The Malibu Lagoon beach features wetlands, flower gardens and a sandy beach, which is popular with novice and seasoned surfers alike.
The Santa Monica Bay Audubon Society family walks at Malibu Lagoon are offered every fourth Sunday of the month at 10 a.m., rain or shine. Walks are FREE and kids and parents are provided with binoculars. Experienced, kid-friendly guides are patient and eager to share their love of birds with little ones. May not be appropriate for kids under 5.
Another reason for picking this location was a first-time visit to the new Legacy Park in Malibu. Just walk across the street from the Lagoon and you’ll find yourself in a wonderland of California native species. The park is divided into habitats with whimsical mosaic statues sprinkled along the dirt paths. According to the City of Malibu website, this park holds the distinction of being “at the heart of the only location in California where four other natural coastal habitats – ocean, lagoon, creek, and bluffs – will be linked and accessible.”
Restaurants and shops are right next to the park in the village area of Malibu for easy access to food and restrooms. Next time you drive the coast — consider stopping for a short, but memorable nature outing.
Both Debi Huang (GoExploreNature.com) and Michele Whiteaker (FunOrangeCountyParks.com) are travel hungry 2011 Superoos who have taken to adventuring together on monthly outings somewhere in between Debi’s home base of Los Angeles and Michele’s in Orange County.
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Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
The hustle and bustle of Los Angeles is often the only side of the city that families on vacation get to see. However, we are moms of kids ages three to nine and we prefer adventures on the wild side of LA – away from most tourists and smack in the middle of California’s best parks and nature centers. Here are a few of our favorite places to explore.
No visit to Los Angeles is truly complete without a trek to see at least some of the gems hidden within Griffith Park. This sprawling 4,200-acre landscape is a dream in the otherwise urban jungle of L.A. While there is a lot to see and do within the park, one of our favorite sites is the Griffith Park Observatory, a national leader in public astronomy. Here you can watch a star show, see the sun through a solar telescope, touch a meteorite, weigh yourself on Jupiter and more. All for the best price in town: Free! And don’t forget to check out the amazing view of the entire city while you’re there.
For a more outdoorsy experience, head over to the Western Canyon entrance to Griffith Park, where you’ll find a gem of a place to play at Ferndell Nature Museum. This place is home to some 50 fern species set under cool cover of California sycamores. The entire museum spans about one long city block and features a paved, windy trail lined with tropical plants, and flowers aplenty. Before you leave, head into Griffith Park’s Western Canyon entrance (located in front of the Ferndell parking area) – kids will love scrambling on the rocks found in the dry creek bed running along the perimeter of the park. Plenty of scenic picnic spots await.
Franklin Canyon Park is a scenic destination between Beverly Hills and the San Fernando Valley with the Sooky Goldman Nature Center serving as a centerpiece to family-friendly hiking trails. There’s a 3 acre lake below the Nature Center and a hidden duck pond where they filmed the opening sequence of the Andy Griffith Show. Talk to a ranger at the Nature Center about which hikes are appropriate for your family and time schedule. We did a whole loop around the entire park with lots of water breaks and photo opportunities. It felt big, but only took us a little over an hour.
The Beverly Garland Holiday Inn in North Hollywood is a great choice of accommodations for on-the-go families visiting all the wild attractions nearby and in Hollywood (Universal Studios, Universal City Walk, Griffith Park Observatory, and the Los Angeles Zoo). Family-friendly “Dive-In” movies run all through the summer months at the outdoor pool on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. This hotel has comfortable rooms and it’s in the heart of everything, but it’s not a resort. However, you can try to book one of 3 KidSuites or 2 Deluxe KidSuites to get room with bunk beds in a sectioned off area.
Disclosure: One of the authors received a complimentary stay at the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn in order to complete an unbiased review. The hotel did not request that any specific opinions be expressed.
Both Debi Huang (GoExploreNature.com) and Michele Whiteaker (FunOrangeCountyParks.com) are travel hungry 2011 Superoos who have taken to adventuring together on monthly outings somewhere in between Debi’s home base of Los Angeles and Michele’s in Orange County.
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Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
