Shhhhh. Do you hear that? Wait—I think.... Yep! They're gone! All those people whose families live on the east coast, in the Midwest, in the Bay Area—they're all standing in their socks at airport security, telling their kids to hurry up and knock back that juice box before they miss their plane. Doesn't it make you glad to be in LA? The marvelous secret I never knew in my childless, travel-at-will days is that for roughly 10 blessed days in December every year the highways of Los Angeles open up—and I'm not talking the San Andreas Fault way. While all those other Angelenos are away, you can do anything, anywhere, and it need not take you more than 20 minutes to get there. Have friends you miss in Burbank? Never get to the beach? Now is the time to start checking items off our 100 Things To Do in LA Bucket List, or try a few of the far-fetched and fun outings below that won't feel nearly so far during LA's true Holy Week! Check out the Discovery Cube LA at Hansen Dam Hang with the peacocks (or admire the holiday lanterns) at the Los Angeles Arboretum Sled the giant sand hill (just past Sycamore Canyon) on PCH in Point Mugu State Park Take a Boat Sleigh ride to see the lights in Ventura Harbor See some animal shows at the Moorpark Teaching Zoo Go on a whale watching cruise Experience the new Mary Poppins at El Capitan Wander the Redondo Pier Spend a day at Kidspace Children's Museum Stroll through the South Coast Botanic Gardens Photo courtesy of Reagan Presidential Library Check out the International Printing Museum in Carson Visit the rescued sea lions at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center Pay a visit to Descanso Gardens and visit the Enchanted Forest of Light Explore the tidepools (and everything else) at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium Attend events before, after, or during the 2019 Rose Parade Tour the Battleship Iowa Try a cronut at The Grove Hit the cupcake ATM in Beverly Hills Race Go Karts at Speedzone Enjoy the decked out decks of Queen Mary Christmas Chill a little at Costa Mesa's Winter Fest Hit a local ski slope or tubing park for the day Everyone loves busting moves at the Grammy Museum. Photo courtesy of Grammy Museum/Facebook Drive down to the Nixon Museum Drive up to the Reagan Museum—and take in its new holiday lights display Do some outlet store shopping at Camarillo or The Citadel Have dinner in the giant gingerbread house at OC's Great Wolf Lodge Head up to the Santa Barbara Zoo Take a drive to see over-the-top Christmas lights around LA Drive to Orange County see more over-the-top Christmas lights Pay to see some really, really over-the-top Christmas light displays Explore the huge, beautiful wilderness that is Irvine Ranch Ice skate downtown at either LA Live or Pershing Square Take a walk around Balboa Island Cheer the horses at Santa Anita Park Enjoy holiday music and horse-drawn trolleys in Montrose Village Tubing at the North Pole is not so far away. Photo by the author Use the sights of Newport Beach as an excuse to hit Fashion Island Spend an afternoon in Little Tokyo Go off in search of mini-golf Visit the gardens and exhibits at the Huntington Library Learn some real cowboy history at the Autry National Center (free on New Year's Day!) Rock out at the GRAMMY Museum Finally get around to checking out DTLA's new Broad Museum See why the swallows are so into San Juan Capistrano Pay a visit to the La Habra Children's Museum Enjoy some treats and shop it up at Olvera Street See the famous Festival of Lights at Riverside's Mission Inn Visit Noah's Ark at the Skirball We can't get enough of the giant Christmas tree at LA Live! Photo by Mommy Poppins Originally published on December 21, 2012 Top photo by Don Graham via flickr
