'FESS UP, FESTIVE PEOPLE: You 1000% adore the shiniest season. You want to loll in a pile of ribbons and wrapping paper and think about sugarplums (and try to remember if those are actually sugared plums or some sort of pastry that looks like a plum). You don't even mind the store scene, the hustle AND the bustle, both, and feeling that energy is just part of the December vibe. And yet? Even if you are this person, you can find yourself longing to stand quietly under the night sky, with a host of sublime succulents and gorgeous plants nearby, as you breathe in, fully filling your lungs with air and your mind with a quiet serenity. Where to go to find that, while also delighting in a dose of the season?
CALIFORNIA IS HOME... to a host of botanical gardens that go the dressy-dressy route come December, meaning that they add lights to their oaks and ornaments to their agaves, all to give visitors an extra helping of holiday happiness. One of the biggest places doing just this is the San Diego Botanic Garden, in Encinitas, which will again venture into a "Botanic Wonderland" over several select December nights. There are several sparkly features to the ho-ho-happening, including a "Romantic Mistletoe Hideaway" and a poinsettia tower (it stands at ten feet). And will there be a tunnel full of twinkling bulbs? There shall be, so prime that camera, that outfit, and all of your favorite festive poses. Tickets, times, and dates are all twinkling right here, Christmas-loving outdoorsies.
