Orange County, California rests between Los Angeles and San Diego. The county—also known as “The O.C.”—contains 34 cities, 42 miles of coastline and nine beaches. With an average high temperature of 70 degrees, December in Orange County is the perfect time to ski, snowboard, surf, take a whale-watching tour or just enjoy the holidays in style.
Beaches
December is a peaceful time to run or stroll along any of Orange County’s nine beaches, though the average low temperature of 46 degrees means you will need to bring a jacket for early mornings and evenings. If you’re interested in surfing, Surfline.com says the waves tend to calm down during the winter, but so do the crowds. The water temperature remains manageable, as long as you have a full wetsuit. GoCalifornia.com says Huntington Beach will be the best bet for surfers, while Laguna Beach is a great spot for people-watchers.
Whale Watching
Dana Point, CA, is called “The Whale Capital of the West,” according to OrangeCounty.net, because thousands of California gray whales head down from the Arctic Seas to the warm Southern California coast. Dana Point is the perfect place for whale watching because the whales apparently use the spot as a reference point in their 10,000-mile round-trip journey. Whale watching tours are also available in Newport Beach. Tours begin each December (see Reference 3).
Amusement Parks
For outdoor fun that will keep the kids engaged and active, Orange County offers two of the world’s most famous theme parks: Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm. Not only are they open all year long, but they even transform in December. Knott’s Berry Farm becomes Knott’s Merry Farm, with events like the Christmas Crafts Village, Elf Mountain Log Ride and Santa’s Toy Ride. At Disneyland, the Haunted Mansion and Sleeping Beauty's Castle are snow-capped and decorated for Christmas and Santa’s Reindeer Roundup gives children a chance to meet real reindeer.
Newport Boat Parade
If you're a sailing enthusiast and find yourself with an abundance of holiday spirit each December, you can enter your boat in the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade. Go-California.com says about 250 ships participate in five-day event, which is considered among the top ten holiday events in the nation. The event is free for spectators and more than one million people attend each year. Even if you don't own a boat, you can still join the action; parade cruises are available (see reference 3).
Skiing and Snowboarding
Orange County is just a short drive away from four of the best ski resorts California has to offer, according to Go-California.com. With 800 acres of trails and a vertical drop of 2100 feet, Mt. Baldy is the area’s biggest resort. Mountain High Resort is known for its extremely long runs and boasts 16 lifts for a wide variety of trail options. Bear Mountain resort offers a freestyle terrain park, 12 lifts and a 1665-foot vertical drop. Ski Sunrise is one of very few “upside down” ski areas on the West Coast, meaning you park at the top of the mountain and ski down to the lifts (see Reference 1).
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