El Cid’s Guide of what to do during Thanksgiving Break

El+Cids+Guide+of+what+to+do+during+Thanksgiving+Break

Vanessa Green, Staff Writer

Since we only have three days off of school, let’s make them count! Try to spend less time in a food coma and more time appreciating everything. Take a break from binging Netflix series’ to consider some of our suggestions:

Plan a Mini Road Trip

Thanksgiving break is the perfect amount of time for family time and a mini road trip, too. Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, and Santa Monica are wonderful places to catch some sun over break. Disneyland has all of their Christmas decorations out and discounted ticket prices if you go in a large enough group. Going to Julian for pie tasting, vintage shops, and apple picking is perfect if you’re looking for some colder weather and it’s only an hour away. Check out this link for more ideas of what to do while in Julian: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g32545-Julian_California-Vacations.html

Staying Active

Participating in the Father Joe’s Village Thanksgiving 5K or the Oceanside Turkey Trot are excellent ways to battle those Thanksgiving dinner calories. “Thanksgiving Day 5K’s are so much fun. I love to workout on Thanksgiving morning so I can justify having a food coma later!” said Cathedral senior Alex Wilkins. If you’re not up for working out on the holiday, hiking Torrey Pines State Park or Mount Woodson (“Potato Chip Rock”) in Poway another day over break is just as good. Torrey Pines State Park’s 5 mile scenic hike is perfect for a quick workout for all experience levels. Mount Woodson is better fit for those adventurous hikers who are up for the 14 mile challenge.

Get into the Christmas Spirit

If you’re looking to skate into the Christmas season and give back to the community, go ice skating at Horton Plaza! Proceeds from the admissions tickets and skate rentals will benefit Rady Children’s Hospital Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. The Hotel del Coronado also sets up an ice rink each winter right on the beach. Be sure to kick off your Christmas gift shopping on Friday, November 28th (“Black Friday”) to find ridiculously good sales and specials as well. “Small Business Saturday” on November 29th has sales that encourage San Diegans to shop local as well, if you don’t like the Black Friday crowds.

Give Back This Holiday Season

There are plenty of great service opportunities we can participate in this holiday season. San Diego Food Bank is always looking for volunteers, as is Saint Vincent De Paul downtown. Over break, students can purchase and collect items to donate when they return to school the following week. Campus Ministry is holding a book drive and a blanket drive until early December. Donations can be brought to your Gold 5 teacher. Campus Ministry is also participating in the Point-in-Time Homeless count this year. The organization takes a count of all sheltered and unsheltered homeless in January then distributes all of the donations they have collected to these homeless. Donations of toiletries and other items can be brought to your Gold 6 class between December 3rd and 15th for this drive.   “Kids can give back over break by showing appreciation to their parents. Do something nice for your family members!” said Mr. Dunn of the Campus Ministry program.

Kick-Start your Holiday Shopping

While the irony of excessive shopping a mere day after giving thanks for what you already have is not lost on us, taking advantage of Black Friday deals is a great way to start checking items off your holiday gift list. Check out this (http://www.theblackfriday.com/) link for full coverage of all the deals this holiday season, and keep an eye out for El Cid’s upcoming holiday gift guide!

So no matter how you choose to spend it, make sure to enjoy your break, Dons, and remember the meaning behind the holiday. From all of us here at El Cid, have a Happy Thanksgiving!