Christmas at Dana Point | Witnessing the Beauty of the Harbor

Christmas is a magical time of the year and on this blissful day- Dana Point casts a spell of its own. Spending the holidays at this popular tourist spot is a riveting experience and one that deserves to be retold.

So to relive my holiday adventure at this popular tourist spot, I would like to backtrack and explain from where it all started.

It just so happens that I live close to Dana Point. For this, I count my blessings every day. Anytime I feel like clearing my head or taking a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life, the Harbor comes to my rescue.

On Christmas, the place quite literally lights up. There’s a Boat Parade on the theme “Tiki Holidays” with carolers, game crafts and of course- Santa Claus. And not to forget, the lighting show is pretty damn special as well.

This time around, I invited some friends of mine who live out of town to witness all the extravaganza. And as a welcoming gift, I got them all matching Christmas sweaters. To make sure this gesture doesn’t empty my wallet, I redeemed coupons from ClothingRIC and received a much-need discount.

Anyways, my friends arrived a few days before the Boat Parade. I showed them around Doheny State Beach and hosted them for lunch at the Coastal Kitchen. It was fun catching up and reminiscing about old times. I told them about the whale watching experience and asked if they’d join me the next time. All of them gladly accepted the invitation.

Although, I’ve visited the area many times but this doesn’t stop me from taking a few clicks. Evenings at Laguna Beach are special and the serenity of this place was even more apparent due to the holiday decorations. There’s something truly unique about watching a sunset on the beach with the light reflecting on the Christmas ornaments.

Around 10:00 PM, we headed back to my house where all my friends were staying. My wife had already put out a small decoration of a tiny Santa on a carriage. It’s a souvenir that we bought on our last trip to Italy and it has become a ritual of a sort to put it out in December.

The morning after was uneventful. We stayed in the house and watched Die Hard, which is my personal favorite Christmas movie. (Yes! Die Hard is a Christmas movie). But at night, we headed to Dana Point Harbor. The big parade was today and it was evident by all the beautiful decoration.

We took a quick detour to the Lantern District and so my friends could do some shopping. Although this pace is still under development, it’s a great place for tourists to buy some memorabilia.

From there, we headed to watch the lights display. The company behind this event is Shine Illumination and it comes with new concepts each year. This time around, they are calling it Happy Harbor Days. The display will last till 5th January of the next year. So anyone reading this before that date still has time to see it for themselves.

The Annual Boat Parade of Lights was also in full swing. We arrived to see the parade at 07:00 PM just half an hour before it actually begins. Our first sight was the boat adorned with Hawaiian symbols with ‘Mele Kalikimaka’ written on the side. Dana Point is a place where you get to observe the splendor of multiple cultures and it’s a sight to behold.

There was plenty of lighting to enjoy. And since Orange County is famous for the Anaheim’s Disney Resort, there was a bunch of Disney inspired pieces as well. The two magic lamps, in particular, caught my attention (told you this place was magical).

After watching the lighting display and boat parade, my friends and I were too tired to do anything else. So we headed back home, knowing that nothing would match the magnanimity of what we’ve just witnessed. The next day, the Christmas tree was out and my friends were preparing to leave for their towns. Rest assured, they left wanting to come back the next year. Dana Point has that effect on people.