Happy holidays! This year, San Diego has a lot of special things you can do with your friends and family this holiday season. I made sure to consider all of the areas of San Diego that our CCHS community lives around. So, have fun this holiday season with Dons Press!

1. Ice skating!   Price: $$

Ice skating is a favorite activity to do around the winter and holiday seasons. Although most rinks are indoors, there is one exception in the Hotel Del Coronado’s ice skating rink. The rink is right on the ocean, and with the steeper admission price of $40, this experience seems worth it.

For the indoor rinks, UTC Ice in La Jolla is amazing. UTC Ice’s website says, “Our Public Sessions are a blast whether it is your first time skating or you’re experienced. We play top hits with funcolorful lights. We offer consistent ice skating schedules, frequent ice resurfacings, and staff safety monitors.”

Sophomore Jessica Morales says, “I love ice skating with my friends! It’s such a fun winter activity.” For $30 and no time limit, this sounds like a fun way to spend a day. Or, if ice skating doesn’t seem appealing, people-watching in the upper balcony food court is a free option at UTC.

For people who live closer to East County, San Diego Ice Arena is amazing. During free skate time, there are light shows and loud, fun music. The Rinks at Poway Ice are also great.

A few tips, be sure to book your reservation during free skate time so you won’t be sharing the rink with a hockey game, for example. Also, be prepared about what your reservation includes. You might need to rent skates separately from the skating fees, which could make for a bad surprise if you go to the rink unprepared. Finally, be sure to pack for the cold. Skating rinks are colder than they seem, but wear layers in case you warm up from skating so much.

2. Watch Christmas movies! Price: $

Watching Christmas movies at home is a relatively inexpensive way to have fun with friends or family this holiday season. Checking movies out at the library is free, just make sure to reserve them for pickup and act soon, because the supply of Christmas movies isn’t infinite.

Streaming services such as Amazon Prime also rent Christmas movies out from $2-$20 depending on the popularity or novelty of the film. If you’re having a marathon, I don’t recommend using these services because the movies can add up rapidly.

If you want physical copies, you can also buy them online at Amazon or Barnes and Noble for new and secondhand stores for old. Having snacks during any movie is always nice, so account for that in your budget or just check your kitchen.

If you want to go all out, look for ideas on social media, especially TikTok, for Christmas movie-themed snacks. For the movies themselves, here are a few suggestions that should please everyone: Elf, Home Alone, Polar Express, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and A Charlie Brown Christmas. 

3. See something live!  Price: $$$

There are a lot of things around this time of year that can broaden horizons and bring joy this Christmas season. The Old Globe holds productions of How the Grinch Stole Christmas and A Christmas Carol. A summary of The Grinch Stole Christmas from The Old Globe’s website suggests to “celebrate the holidays as the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center, is once again transformed into the snow-covered Who-ville, right down to the last can of Who-hash.” Another winter classic is any production of the Nutcracker. Look for any production around San Diego.

4. Have a hot cocoa and a cookie! Price: $

The yummiest option on the list, CCHS’ Claver Coffee has a great variation of this for under $10. You can also check out Starbucks, or other coffee shops and bakeries around San Diego for another option closer to you.

Miscellaneous:
Here’s a bunch of options that are super fun but wouldn’t fit anywhere on the list! 

• Watch a winter sunset- anywhere around 5pm. 
• Polar plunge- usually on January 1, but you can go any day at any beach in San Diego that allows swimming, check if there are any organized ones closer to you.
• Go on a winter hike- Check near you.
• See a tree lighting- Check near you.

We hope you have a festive-filled holiday with your loved ones this season! Enjoy Christmas break!