Vacation For Life

5 Festive Christmas Things to Do in San Diego

San Diego may not be the place for a white Christmas, but for travelers who want to get away from cold winter weather, there are plenty of Christmas things to do in San Diego which you can enjoy with not much more than a light sweater. Here are five of our favorite Christmas things to do in San Diego, America’s finest city.

Holiday Wonderland at Petco Park

Holiday Wonderland at Petco Park is San Diego’s newest holiday celebration. The inaugural Holiday Wonderland occurred in December 2014 and, as it was such a success, it is back for 2015. For 12 nights Petco Park, San Diego’s baseball stadium located in downtown San Diego, turns into a Christmas wonderland. This event is geared towards kids, but it can be fun for adults too.

Santa's Workshop Holiday Wonderland at Petco Park San Diego Christmas

Last year, as soon as guests walked through the front gates they were transported to a winter wonderland complete with falling snow. The holiday trail led upstairs to Santa’s Workshop, then down to the field where there was snow tubing, a train, a reindeer corral, a maze, a carousel, a frozen fun zone, and more. For the adults, there was a pretty swanky looking cocktail lounge. On the way out was my favorite part, the holiday lighting displays.

This year’s event will be even bigger with more colorful walk-through light displays, a Polar Express train, live reindeer, and more activities. Holiday Wonderland at Petco Park will be open Friday through Sunday for the first three weekends of December, starting December 4, and December 21-23. Tickets can be purchased online.

Balboa Park December Nights and The Grinch

Balboa Park December Nights San Diego Christmas

Balboa Park December Nights is one of San Diego’s longest-running holiday events, celebrating its 38th consecutive year in 2015. It is also one of the free Christmas things to do in San Diego. For two nights at the beginning of December, participating museums offer free entrance in the evening and celebrators can watch musical and dance performances and enjoy food and holiday traditions from around the globe. This year a Children’s Interactive Area will be added which includes a giant mural which families can contribute to and which will be displayed in the park through the holiday season. This year Balboa Park December Nights will be held December 4-5.

Grinch Christmas Tree Balboa Park San Diego

If the crowds of December Nights are too much, the holiday spirit is still in full force for the rest of the month in Balboa Park. The park remains decorated with the decorations put up for December Nights. Another popular Christmas tradition in Balboa Park is the performance of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas which plays November through December at the Old Globe Theatre. Outside of the theater is one of my favorite Christmas trees in San Diego, the Grinch Christmas Tree, which was lit on November 15.

San Diego Bay Parade of Lights

Another free Christmas event in San Diego that is even older than Balboa Park December Nights is the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights. 2015 will celebrate the 44th year of this San Diego holiday tradition. For two nights of December, this year December 13 and 20, over 80 boats decorated in brilliant Christmas lights parade through San Diego Bay. There are many places along the bay to watch the Parade of Lights including Shelter Island, Harbor Island, the Embarcadero, Seaport Village, and the Coronado Ferry Landing. We scoped out a great spot at the end of the Coronado – Broadway Pier complete with a food truck selling hot chocolate and sweets. For more information about parade times and the parade map, visit the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights website.

Holidays at the Hotel del Coronado

Hotel del Coronado Skating by the Sea Christmas San Diego

One of the most beautiful places to celebrate a Southern California Christmas is at San Diego’s iconic Hotel del Coronado. The Hotel del Coronado has been celebrating the holidays since 1888 and is the site of the first electrically-lit outdoor Christmas tree in America. For 11 years, the Hotel del Coronado has celebrated the holiday season with an outdoor ice rink by the sea. Skating by the Sea starts Thanksgiving Day and continues until one week after the New Year.

DELights Hotel del Coronado San Diego Christmas

This year the Hotel del Coronado has added to their holiday lineup with DELights. The Garden Patio has been turned into a winter wonderland, a light show is projected on a 30-foot Christmas tree every half-hour, and holiday treats like gingerbread and mulled cider are available for purchase. For tickets visit the DELights website.

San Diego Zoo Jungle Bells

Photo courtesy San Diego Zoo.

The world famous San Diego Zoo gets even better during the Christmas season when the park becomes a wild wonderland of Christmas cheer. Every year the San Diego Zoo hosts Jungle Bells, a festive time of year when the zoo is covered in twinkle lights. During the Celebration of Lights the Christmas tree will have a musical display. Entertainment options include Dr. Zoolittle presenting The Night Before Christmas, the Alley Cats musical show Jungle Bell Rock, Santa in an igloo at Discovery Outpost, Santa’s elves on a trampoline in the Urban Jungle, and the Jingle Brass band. Each night of Jungle Bells one of the animals in the Polar Bear Plunge will receive a holiday gift. The San Diego Zoo Jungle Bells celebration runs December 12, 2015, through January 3, 2016, and is included with paid admission. During Jungle Bells, the zoo stays open late so guests can see the animals after dark. For more information, visit the San Diego Zoo’s website.

Disclosure: We received press passes to last year's Holiday Wonderland at Petco Park. As always, all opinions are my own.

Travel the World's 2015 Holiday Gift Guide

It's that special time of year again when Christmas songs play on store sound systems non-stop and it's time to find that impossible person to shop for the perfect holiday gift. If that person loves to travel the world, one of these 10 holiday gifts for travelers is sure to bring them some Christmas cheer. If you're the impossible-to-shop-for traveler, add these great travel gifts to your Amazon wish list and make things easier for your friends and family.

Feel Like a Tourist at Home

When you think of the typical tourist, you picture someone walking around in white tennis shoes (or sandals with socks) and carrying a camera. Get that same vibe at home with the Camera Lens Thermo Mugand sip your coffee in the morning while daydreaming of all the photos you'll take on your next vacation.

Carry Your Passport Everywhere

Your favorite travel lover will love this phone case made to look like a passport. While the one pictured is for a US passport, they make them for many different countries. The passport phone cases are made to fit multiple versions of iPhones and Galaxy phones.

Turn Your Camera Into a WiFi Camera

The Eyefi Memory Card turns any camera into a camera with WiFi. This gift is perfect for the traveler who wants to share their photos with friends and family on Facebook or Instagram, doesn't have a camera with built-in WiFi, and wants to share their good photos rather than their cellphone photos.

Wear Your Love for Travel

Most of the items on this list I personally own, but this one is on my own Christmas wish list (hint, hint). Printed t-shirts are my favorite for wearing around the house, out for chores, or on the airplane headed to somewhere fun and exotic. This Jet Lag Made Me Do It t-shirt is made even better with its fun travel theme. Airportag has lots of other fun travel-related t-shirts for men and women too.

Fight Jet Lag

Speaking of jet lag, know someone that loves traveling but hates jet lag? Help them with that jet lag by gifting them 1Above Anti Jet Lag Flight Drink. These effervescent tablets dissolve in water and are to be consumed throughout the flight. As their website says, "1Above® is formulated to fight jet-lag with six essential electrolytes, six B vitamins, vitamin C and Pycnogenol® to help you fly well and arrive ready!" I've tested it on a flight across the country and it really worked! I'll be using it again on an upcoming trip to Europe.

Commemorate that Special Trip

Did you and your favorite travel partner take a trip you'd like to remember forever? Commemorate that trip with this customizable boarding pass throw pillow. You can get just the pillow cover or both the cover and insert. This pillow is personalized with name, date, airport codes, and flight number. This would also be an amazing way to give the gift of travel by entering the specifics for a future trip you've planned as a surprise.

Preview Your GoPro Shots

It seems like everyone has a GoPro. They're great for snorkeling, zip lining, kayaking, or driving the open road. What they haven't been good for is making sure you're capturing what you want. Previously you had to use an app on your phone if you wanted to see a preview. But now you can add the GoPro LCD Touch BacPac to your GoPro and set up the perfect shot. Believe me, this thing is awesome!

Travel In Style with the Incase Duffel

When we travel, I typically travel with one rolling suitcase and one duffel bag. The Incase EO Travel Duffelis the newest addition to my luggage collection and I love it. It's stylish, it easily slides into the overhead bin, and it keeps its shape when partially or fully loaded. (For more information, ready my review of the Incase EO Travel Duffel.

Go all the Way with a New Camera

If you're really wanting to impress and are looking for a gift for your favorite photog, consider the Sony Alpha a7IIK Mirrorless Digital Camera. I have been a loyal Sony customer for over a decade, first with the Sony Cybershot, then the Sony NEX3, and most recently with the new sony a7II. In my humble opinion this is one of the best cameras money can buy (the Sony a7R IIand Sony a7SII versions are more expensive).

When All Else Fails...

Still can't decide what gift to buy? Or waited too long? There's always the stand-by gift for the picky or people who have everything, your best friend the Amazon Gift Card.

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. Purchasing through these links costs you nothing extra and helps fund our travels so we can bring you more travel stories. Thank you and happy holidays!

Travel the World's 2015 holiday gift guide. Find the perfect Christmas travel gift for your favorite traveler.

15 Things to See in Ireland for Your Road Trip Itinerary

Kylemore Abbey

A trip to Ireland isn’t really complete unless you take a road trip through the country. There are so many things to see in Ireland including Irish castles, historic sites, and beautiful scenery. Add to that cute towns and some of the friendliest people you will ever meet. We traveled clockwise as our Ireland road trip itinerary took us from Dublin to Kilkenny, Waterford, Kinsale, and Galway, with lots of stops in between. A what to see in Ireland list could go on forever, but here are some of the top things to see in Ireland on a road trip.

Related: 10 Awesome Irish Castles for an Ireland Road Trip

Hill of Tara

You know those places with circles and shapes in the ground that can only really be appreciated from the air? The Hill of Tara is one of those. The Hill of Tara is located in the County Meath. It is a sacred place which was believed to be a dwelling of the gods. During the Stone Age, it was a site for a passage tomb. Those circles are ring forts. On the Hill of Tara can also be found the Stone of Destiny, a statue of St. Patrick, and a church and graveyard. The Hill of Tara also provides a grand view of the green countryside.

Newbridge House and Farm

Newbridge House and Farm is a Georgian Mansion that can be visited on a guided tour. This large Georgian estate belonged to one family from when it was built until it was sold to Ireland as a visitor site, and it retained all of its original furniture and art. There is also a working farm, making this a great place to visit for families with small children.

Powerscourt House

Powerscourt House is one of the grandest estates we visited during our Ireland road trip. While it has a lovely restaurant inside, the Avoca Terrace Café, where you can lunch, the real draw of Powerscourt House is the gardens and waterfall. Powerscourt Gardens are 47 acres of lawn, tree plantations, and formal gardens. The Powerscourt Waterfall is the highest waterfall in Ireland. Be sure to visit the pet cemetery with rows and rows of graves of Powerscourt pets including dogs, horses, and even prize-winning cows.

Glendalough

Located in Glendalough are the ruins of a monastic settlement. This monastic site, founded in the 6th century by St. Kevin, is one of the most important in Ireland. Sites in the monastic settlement include the Round Tower that is 30 meters high, St. Mary’s Church, St. Kevin’s Church, the Priest’s House, and large granite crosses. The scenery around the site includes two lakes.

The Cathedral Church of St. Canice

St. Canice Cathedral Things to See in Ireland Road Trip Itinerary

St. Canice’s Cathedral is located in Kilkenny. The site was founded in the 6th century, a cathedral was built in the 13th century, and the Round Tower, built in the 9th century, is the oldest structure in Kilkenny. Visitors can enjoy the colorful stained glass and old tombs and climb the Round Tour.

Waterford Crystal Factory

Waterford crystal is an icon of Ireland. Waterford crystal has been manufactured in Ireland’s oldest city, Waterford, since 1783. Waterford has made countless well-known pieces like sports awards and the Times Square New Year’s Eve Millennium Ball. Waterford Crystal went through a financial crisis and was sold to a US equity firm in 2009. It seemed like the production of all Waterford crystal would be outsourced to other countries, which would be a shame as it takes years for the skilled artists of Waterford Crystal to become master cutters. However, in 2010 the new owners signed an agreement with Waterford City Council to open a new manufacturing facility where visitors can take guided tours and witness the manufacturing process.

Reginald’s Tower

In Waterford, Ireland’s oldest city, is Ireland’s oldest civic building, Reginald’s Tower. The old city wall and original tower were built by the Vikings after 914. The tower was rebuilt in the 12th century and more floors were added in the 15th century. The tower is open to visitors and has an exhibit on the Waterford of the Viking era.

Charles Fort

A very different site from the others along our Ireland road trip route was Charles Fort in Kinsale. Charles Fort is a 17th-century star-shaped fort and one of the largest military installations in Ireland. Be prepared for lots of walking as you’ll want to walk the bordering walls and explore the ruins of this large fort.

Jameson Experience

There is an Old Jameson Distillery experience in Dublin, but if you’re taking a road trip through Ireland, visit the Jameson Experience in Middleton, near Cork. This Jameson Distillery has been around since 1795 and the tour visits the kilns, mills, water wheel, and warehouses spread out on 15 acres. After seeing how Jameson Irish Whiskey is made, the tour ends with a tasting and a certificate stating you are now a certified Irish Whiskey Taster. If you’re like Rome and prefer Scotch whisky, you may want to keep that little tidbit to yourself, but luckily our tour guide didn’t kick him out or withhold his certificate, and I personally enjoyed the Irish whiskey best because it has a little sweetness.

Muckross House Gardens & Traditional Farms

Muckross House is a Victorian mansion on the shore of Muckross Lake in Killarney National Park. The estate was originally built for the Herberts, but at one point it was purchased by the Bourns, a California couple, for their daughter’s wedding. They even had a home near San Francisco with murals of Muckross. The Bourn family gave the estate to Ireland as a memorial, and the estate became Ireland’s first national park.

Kenmare Stone Circle

Kenmare Stone Circle is kind of like Stonehenge, but a whole lot smaller. The stone circle is from the Bronze Age and is the largest stone circle in southwest Ireland.

Cliffs of Moher

One of the most beautiful places to see in Ireland is the Cliffs of Moher. It’s hard to understand until you see them in person. The cliffs are a sheer 702 feet at their highest point and curve along five miles of the Atlantic coastline. Warning signs are posted because the strong winds can literally blow you off the cliffs into the churning ocean far below. It was so windy the day we visited that sea foam was blowing through the air and the gusts would physically move us. Luckily there are walls built to keep you from being blown away. Along the Cliffs of Moher is O’Brien’s Tower where travelers can get an even higher point of view.

The Burren

The Burren is a desolate looking area of Ireland covered in limestone and short, sparse plant life. Large stone tombs, called dolmen, can be found in the middle of the Burren. There are over ninety megalithic tombs, leftover from the New Stone Age, in the Burren. The earliest examples are the portal tombs, and the Poulnabrone Dolmen, which means “the hole of the sorrows,” is one of the best-preserved in all of Ireland.

Cong Abbey

Another beautiful set of ruins to be visited on a trip to Ireland is Cong Abbey. This monastery was founded in the early 7th century and was refounded in 1135 after it was destroyed by fire. The current abbey ruins remain from the rebuilding in the early 13th century. A fascinating little building on the property is the monk’s fishing house. The fishing hut was built in the 15th or 16th century and was used by the monks to catch fish. Built on a platform of stones over a small arch, the water of the river flows underneath the floor and a net could be lowered through the trapdoor in the floor to catch fish while the monks warmed themselves by the fireplace. It is believed a line with a bell was connected to the monastery kitchen so the cook knew when fresh fish was caught.

After visiting Cong Abbey, be sure to stroll around the quaint town of Cong and take a peek at the Quiet Man Cottage Museum and the new statute of John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.

Kylemore Abbey

Kylemore Abbey is one of the most recognizable sites in Ireland as it graces the cover of many a guidebook. Kylemore Abbey can be visited while driving the Connemara Loop in County Galway. The landscape of the Connemera peninsula is striking and Kylemore Abbey is the icing on the cake. Kylemore Abbey is the oldest of the Irish Benedictine Abbeys and has been inhabited by a community of nuns since 1920. Some of the rooms of the abbey, which was built in the 1860s, can be visited, though much of the abbey is private as it is the residence of the nuns. The gardens and Gothic Church are also open to visitors.

Ireland Road Trip Hotels

During our Ireland road trip, we stayed three nights in Dublin, three nights in Kilkenny at the Butler House, three nights in Kinsale at The Old Bank Town House, two nights in Galway at The House Hotel, and our final night in Drogheda (just outside of Dublin) at the Scholars Townhouse Hotel.

Map of Ireland Road Trip Route

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Travel the World: 15 things to see in Ireland to add to your Ireland road trip itinerary.