Most of California’s spectacular holiday lights attractions run from November through December when they go dark on or around December 31. However, a few of them continue into the new year. It’s a great way to linger and keep the holiday spirit alive a little longer.

Zoo Lighted Lantern Displays

• Bakersfield’s CALM Zoo Holiday Lightasmic thru Jan.3, 2026
• Santa Barbara Zoo’s ZooLights thru Jan.11, 2026
• LA Zoo’s Animals Aglow thru Jan.11, 2026
• Big Bear Alpine Zoo Wild Lights thru Jan.4, 2026
• Buellton’s Santa Ynez Valley Holiday Lights
• Folsom City Zoo Sancutary’s Wild Nights, Holiday Lights
• Fresno Chaffee Zoo IllumiNature thru Jan.31, 2026
• Oakland Glowfari Wildly Illuminating Light Festival thru Jan.25, 2026
• San Diego Zoo Jungle Bells thru Jan.4, 2026
• Eureka’s Sequoia Park Zoo Lights

Botanic Garden Lights

• Palos Verdes Peninsula’s South Coast Botanic Garden Astra Lumina
• Encinitas Lightscapethru Jan.4, 2026
• Woodside’s Fililo Holiday Lights thru Jan.11, 2026
• Redding’s McConnell Arboretum Garden of Lights thru Jan.4, 2026
• San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden Nature Nights

Also check out Imaginarium with limited time engagements throughout California, plus the many drive-through light attractions and several missions.

On a flight from Southern California to the Bay Area several passengers shared one of their favorite places to see. I confessed I didn’t know much about Woodside, Calif., or the historic house & garden known as Filoli, which they highly recommended. I eventually went there and was thoroughly impressed! For those who live in or visit the Bay Area, seeing it is a must.

Constructed in 1917 as a private estate for the Bourns, a prominent San Francisco couple who made their fortune at the Empire Gold Mine in Grass Valley, the San Mateo County property has appeared in movies, film and TV shows such as Falcon Crest.

In 1975 it was donated to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded, nonprofit organization, saving America’s historic places (Filoli is one of the 27 sites they own.)

Filoli, got its name from the first two letters, each, of three sentences that go like this:

Fi – Fight for a just cause.
lo – Love your fellow man.
li – Live a good life.

The 654-acre property includes a House and formal Garden, Collections, Nature Preserve, Estate Trail, Dining, Shopping and Special Events.

Beginning May 11, 2020 (till changes are announced) visitors can only see The Garden and Estate trail, plus the Clock Tower Shop, which is open with Filoli-made products, plants and other special items. Visitor and Education Center restroom facilities are open, while there are no drinking fountains available, no seating and the historic House is closed.

See filoli.org for tickets (required) and other visitor information!

If this was a normal year, millions of Californians would be participating in the state’s great county fairs. From vendors selling tasty treats in Del Mar (right photo), to the famed & fabled Calaveras County Fair Jumping Frog Jubilee (left), the months of May & June typically take fair season into full swing. This is no typical year–it doesn’t seem fair!

With high hopes of a great season we began updating the fair roster in early spring 2020. In March everything changed.

The State of California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), Fairs & Expositions (F&E), a Branch within the Division of Marketing Services, provides fiscal and policy oversight of the network of California fairs. While Fairs & Expositions publishes a full list of 2020 fair dates on ca.gov, as of this posting the list needs updating. When you follow links to individual fair websites, here’s a sampling of updated info…

CALIFORNIA FAIR DATES

ANGELS CAMP:  May 13-16, 2021 Calaveras County Fair

ANTIOCH: May 13-16, 2021  Contra Costa County Fair

ORLAND: May 20-23, 2021 Glenn County Fair

SACRAMENTO: May 27-31, 2021 Sacramento County Fair

VICTORVILLE: May 22-30, 2021 San Bernardino County Fair

Several of the 50+ fair websites have not updated their information as of yet, while many provide announcements on behalf of fair boards who have “heavy hearts” about cancelling or postponing till next year. Several are hoping for a Fall 2020 return. Things can change, so stay tuned!

On Friday, May 8, 2020, California heads into Stage 2 of reopening. “Millions of Californians answered the call to stay home and thanks to them, we are in a position to begin moving into our next stage of modifying our stay at home order,” said Governor Newsom.

Some retail, manufacturing, and businesses (including bookstores, clothing stores, florists and sporting goods stores) reopen Friday – with modifications. Dine-in restaurants are part of a later Stage 2 opening.

Hotels were not required to close in March, though many did so because of low demand. By mid-April, 70 of San Francisco’s 215 hotels in the city were temporarily closed. Hotel occupancy rates in San Francisco have stayed around 80-85% during the past five years, but plunged to around 6% weeks before mandatory shelter-in-place orders.

California has been the hardest hit of 50 states in terms of hotel revenue, and it rivals Florida for theme park and attraction revenue losses, as well.

California theme parks & attractions are indefinitely closed at this point and there are so many other closures and restrictions that vacations may initially focus on visits to see friends and relatives, or drives to see the state’s beautiful landscapes.

In a recent Visit California survey of travel-related businesses:

• 43% of businesses had permanently laid off workers
• 85% had instituted some furloughs
• 60% were either fully or partially shut down
• 96% said the pandemic has had a significant negative impact on their bottom line
• March revenue dropped by more than 50% from March 2019 for two-thirds of businesses

Visit California’s recent furloughs and layoffs reduced overall staff levels to less than half of what they were before the pandemic. “While painful, these reductions are necessary to ensure Visit California survives to help jump-start the recovery,” said Caroline Beteta, President & CEO.

While California museums (deemed non-essential businesses) have closed their doors temporarily,  they’re struggling to stay in the public eye with social media postings such as ‘invites’ to buy Mother’s Day gifts from their shops, or see their exhibitions online.

Two museums asked SeeCalifornia.com to share their invitation and information–Catalina Island Museum and San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles.

They came to the right place–we’re BIG museum fans! We’ve invested thousands of hours (and admission fees) checking out museums in the Golden State. Sometimes you have to jump through hoops to visit when all-volunteer operations warn to call first to find out if someone is showing up on the first Saturday or third Sunday to open doors and give tours.

CALIFORNIA MUSEUMS

AVALON: Catalina Island Museum

217 Metropole Ave.
catalinamuseum.org
Established in 1953
In June 2016 the Catalina Island Museum opened its permanent home, the Ada Blanche Wrigley Schreiner Building. Supported by Philip Wrigley’s vision, the museum originally was on the ground floor of Avalon’s historic Casino building.

Exhibitions
Catalina Paintings: Night and Day
Elizabeth Turk: Tipping Point
The History of Catalina Island

SAN JOSE: San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles

520 South 1st St.
sjquiltmuseum.org
Established in 1977
In 2005 the museum’s permanent home became an historic, renovated property–a 13,000 square-foot facility originally built in 1923.

Exhibitions
I Was India: Embroidering Exoticism
Inside Out: Seeing Through Clothing
Shirley Cunningham And Marianne Lettieri: Never Ending Thread

While rumors swirl that Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to shut down all California Beaches in retribution for people visiting them during the recent heat spell (and in a power grab over cities such as Newport Beach where City Council voted to keep them open on weekends,) it looks like attorneys continue working overtime. Newsom has already been sued for:

• California’s Executive Orders restricting the free exercise of religion in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties – Gish v. Newsom
• Shelter-in-Place restriction on religious gatherings in San Diego County – Abiding Place v. Newsom
• California State Government’s restriction of the people’s right to assemble and petition its government for a redress of grievances – Givens v. Newsom
• Governor Newsom’s unlawful appropriation of public funds to undocumented immigrants through politically-connected non-profits – Benitez v. Newsom
• Challenging the restriction of commerce for businesses deemed “non-essential” – Gondola Adventures v. Newsom
• Restrictions on voting rights from Governor Newsom’s Shelter-In-Place Order – California Republican Party v. Newsom

Meanwhile The Rotary Club of Altadena in association with the Sheriff’s Support Group of Altadena is announcing annual FREE Summer Concerts in the beautiful outdoor Amphitheater in Farnsworth Park on Saturday evenings 7 p.m. Due to COVID-19 and Stay At Home orders the schedule is subject to change.

• July 11, 2020 Psychedelic Summer Woodstock tribute band
• July 18 The Kings of 88 with the music of Billy Joel, Elton John
• July 25 The Horads with California Beach Music
• August 1 SGT Pepper Beatles tribute band
• August 8 Upstream with Reggae
• August 15 Country Nation
• August 22 Flogging Seagulls music with an Irish-Celtic twist
• August 29 Gypsy Tribute music of Fleetwood Mac
• September 12 Walking Phoenixes tribute to Johnny Cash

According to the San Diego event planning company, McFarlane Promotions, Inc. (mcfarlanepromotions.com), many of their signature events are on the books for 2020 as of late April.

Here’s what they have planned:

TASTE OF GASLAMP Saturday, August 8, 2020
Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego
Scrumptious treats will take your taste buds on an appetizing journey as you venture to each participating venue.

CHULA VISTA HARBORFEST Saturday, August 15, 2020
Chula Vista Bayside Park
FREE summer celebration features 3 stages of music, water activities, pet parade led by an exciting Mariachi band to showcase the cutest lineup of furry models, Lucha Libre Wrestling, food truck alley, artisanal spirits and a vibrant art exhibition with breathtaking ocean views as a backdrop.

FIESTA OLD TOWN September 12-13, 2020
Old Town San Diego, California
Due to the postponement of Fiesta Old Town Cinco de Mayo to September, this FREE Fiesta Old Town celebration features two days with its bustling mercado, non-stop music, live entertainment, Lucha Libre wrestling & Lucha Libre Cantina, and a huge display of lowriders and other incredible autos!

LA JOLLA CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE September 19-20, 2020
Ellen Browning Scripps Park, La Jolla, California
Earning the reputation as one of the finest internationally renowned classic automobiles showcases in the United States, the La Jolla Concours d’Elegance continues to attract discerning car enthusiasts from around the globe. FREE La Jolla Concours events include Break in the Village on  September 19 and La Jolla Motor Car Classic on September 20.

FALL BACK FESTIVAL November 1, 2020
Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego California
Turn back your clock to the 1880s with the FREE annual festival.

TOAST OF GASLAMP December 12, 2020
Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego California

Traveling the state of California and staying at your favorite finds isn’t part of the picture for summer travel 2020 yet. Until the COVID lid’s been lifted and destinations welcome you back, you might have to do some armchair traveling. As the weather warms up and residents of the Golden State (who make up over 75% of travelers to California’s destinations) typically plot their getaways, our SeeCalifornia.com contributor, Craig MacDonald, has you covered with dozens of book reviews featuring fabulous picture books about California. Here are just a few you can check out…

California Books

AUBURN: Early Auburn

BURBANK: True Tales from Burbank

CALAVERAS: Images of America: Calaveras Big Trees

CAMPBELL: Images of America: Campbell

CARMEL: Historic Buildings of Downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea | Legendary Locals of Carmel-by-the-Sea

CATALINA: 40 Years of Catalina with artwork from painter Bill Anderson

CENTRAL COAST: California’s Haunted Central Coast

DEATH VALLEY: Ghost Towns of Death Valley

DESERT: Curiosities of the California Desert

LAFAYETTE: Images of America: Lafayette

LAGUNA BEACH: Loving Laguna

LAKE COUNTY: Resorts of Lake County

LOS GATOS: Images of America: Los Gatos

NEWPORT BEACH: Lido Isle–An Illustrated History

ORANGE COUNTY: The Orange County Fair–A History of Celebration | A History of Orange County

PLACER COUNTY: Mining Camps of Placer County

RANDSBURG: Abandoned Randsburg

SAN JOSE: San Jose

SANTA CLARA: South Santa Clara County

SANTA CRUZ: Santa Cruz Through Time

YOSEMITE: Images of America: Yosemite Valley

SAN FRANCISCO:

Bay Area Coffee–A Stimulating History

Bay Area Radio

Bay Area Roller Derby

Chinatown, a guide to its history & architecture

Classic San Francisco (From Ocean Beach to Mission Bay)

Historic Bay Area Visionaries

Iconic San Francisco Dishes, Drinks & Desserts

San Francisco Giants

I moved to Huntington Beach decades ago and fought hard to stay there. Jobs took us to the Bay Area for a time, but we managed to get back to the beach, to family and friends, and the lifestyle we loved.

Daytime drives to the Huntington Beach Pier for a burger & soda at Ruby’s or fancier meal at Duke’s, evening exercise & strolls with friends on the cement path, and attendance at festivals such as 4th of July have been like medicine to calm the nerves and set everything right in a stressful world.

When Southern California gets hot the beaches are one of the best places to go and cool down–especially if you live inland in counties such as Riverside and San Bernardino. This weekend is one of those times.

During the COVID-19 closures Huntington Beach is one of the few spots that people actually can go to stay cool. However, the parking lots and metered beach parking spaces are off limits, which is forcing visitors to find parking spaces in residential neighborhoods running along Pacific Coast Highway.

While comments to our website in the past month have been mixed (some think everyone in California should stay indoors, but the majority emailing us say their liberties are being trampled on and the closures should end,) Huntington Beach has opted to keep their 9.3 miles of beaches open. Los Angeles County beaches, Laguna Beach, San Clemente (no stopping on the beach) and other Southern California beaches have issued closures.

Huntington Beach offers such a huge expanse of sand that guests can safely keep their distance and enjoy the fresh air and healthy sunshine on this hot summer weekend. Parking will limit how many can actually get to the beach and walk the distance. It’s important, however, that people have an option and place to stay cool so they don’t overheat. We’re grateful to live near the beach, and glad that it offers respite for visitors during stressful times.

California’s 450+ cities and towns have a variety of names, including many derived from Spanish words and saints. If you look at the history of a place it often was called something, then something else, and finally the current name around the time it was incorporated.

Since many of the cities were founded before they became metropolitan areas, their names offer insights into what once was–such as the City of Orange, known for orange groves & citrus packing at one time.

Some names are not unique and can be found in states throughout the nation. There are dozens of cities named Fremont, Fairfield, Baker, Davis and Jackson–and you’ll find them in California!

Some of California’s cities and towns have names that make you want to visit–and stick around. Here are some of our favorite places with names that still have relevance:

• Oceanside, Calif.–Pictured top left, you really do get the feeling that you’re living beside the ocean. Amtrak service that passes by the Pacific in this San Diego County location enhances the feeling that you’re at the ocean side.
• Weed, Calif.–While it was actually named for the man, Abner Weed, the Siskiyou County town with beautiful views of Mt. Shasta enjoys a lush environment where everything seems greener. Volunteers pitch in from time to time to trim bushes and pick weeds.
• Half Moon Bay (right photo)–The first time I arrived in this charming San Mateo County town and took this photo, the sun was going down over the Pacific Ocean as I watched birds and boats in the bay. The scene didn’t portray a “half moon” but the view of the “half sun” setting was good enough to make me want to return again & again. If you’ve never visited Half Moon Bay, you should check it out!
• Cool, Calif.–Home to the Way Too Cool 50K Endurance Run, it can be a little cool when runners come in the Spring to this unincorporated community in El Dorado County. Located in the Sierra foothills in an area full of trees, trails, camping, and recreational activities, it’s a cool place to be!