Vacations Blog

This week, Governor Schwarzenegger asked Californians to not buy fireworks in the counties and cities that still allow them, citing the recent and current California fires. And Watsonville has banned fireworks sales this year, with a unanimous vote by city council members. Personally, I like to find myself a good, old-fashioned town parade to celebrate Independence Day, and in the Bay Area, we have several options:

Marin Mommies has put together a great piece on the celebrations in Marin County, including parades in Corte Madera-Larkspur, Novato and Sausalito. They also list some of the local fireworks displays around the Bay.

In the East Bay, 4th of July parades can be found in Alameda (theme: Clean and Green), Vallejo with the Vallejo Symphony Orchestra, and in Danville, residents will celebrate the 150^th anniversary of the city and 50^th anniversary of Hay Days with a parade starting at 9am on July 4^th.

Near the UpTake offices, you can check out the Redwood City Parade and Family Fun, also celebrating their 70^th anniversary. Cupertino holds a pancake breakfast before setting off on their parade. And in Santa Cruz county, you can celebrate with parades and events in Watsonville, Boulder Creek and Aptos (this last parade features Great Pyrenes dogs in their parade!)

Our family is going to celebrate locally this year, heading over to our community pool and joining in on the annual Great Decorated Bike Parade, a wonderful photo opportunity! What are your plans this Independence Day?

Almost as soon as the Halloween decorations come down, I get excited to see the lights displays for the winter holidays. In the Bay Area, individuals and neighborhoods build beautiful displays and driving around Thanksgiving weekend is a big tradition in our house. Here are some suggestions for not-to-be-missed light shows:
On the Peninsula, The Festival of Lights Parade in Los Altos starts off the holiday season, the Sunday after Thanksgiving. In Palo Alto, residents like to drive down Christmas Tree Lane, on Fulton Avenue off of Embarcadero. Redwood City boasts a great neighborhood display on Dewey Street, better known as Candy Cane Lane, while San Carlos welcomes visitors to Eucalyptus Street, off of Brittan, for a great display of holiday glitter.

In the East Bay, don’t miss Thompson Ave between High street and Fernside in Alameda. This community oriented street is decorated to the hilt, and you can even bring your letter to Santa to drop in the mailbox. I have heard that he might even respond! The Oakland Yacht Club will host the 31st annual Lighted Yacht Parade on December 1, with viewing locations at Wind River Park in Alameda and Jack London Square in Oakland.

In San Francisco, Union Square gets all dolled up for the holidays with a huge tree in the center. And the shops around the square decorate for the season and are worth a look. Embarcadero Center also puts on a fabulous light display, using approximately 17,000 lights!

In the South Bay, Vasona Park Fantasy of Lights in Los Gatos, part of the Santa Clara County Park system, transforms into a winter wonderland, complete with twinkling lights and animated displays. Christmas in the Park, an annual celebration in Plaza de Cesar Chavez in downtown San Jose, showcases trees decorated by non-profits in San Jose.

Don’t see something that is close to you? Check out Lights of the Valley, which lists homes in the Bay Area with light displays. Started by a mom in Livermore in 1999, the site takes nominations from members of the community and includes pictures.What is your favorite place to see lights? What is the tradition in your neighborhood? We love to hear your travel adventures!