California Beaches Blog

Perhaps you’ve already signed up for your local Turkey Festival, beach Turkey Run or countryside Turkey Trot. Turkey Trots will be going on in California cities ranging from Long Beach to Dana Point. At Disneyland, there used to be the Presidential Pardon Turkey. While we haven’t visited to see if it is still kicking, Disneyland is open for business and gets huge crowds most Thanksgivings.

Some of the overlooked spots to dine on a nice meal for Thanksgiving include hotels. Last year when we drove around at Christmas, for instance, the GM at Redondo Beach’s Crowne Plaza Hotel later reminded me that they serve whopping holiday meals with ocean views on both Thanksgiving and Christmas, which is also coming up.

Having dined at the Hilton Waterfront Hotel in Huntington Beach one Thanksgiving, I was amazed by the buffet, which included sushi and fish, two of the top treats that tempt locals and visitors to splurge and spend a bit more.

I’ve dined aboard the Queen Mary ship on Thanksgiving and really enjoyed eating in the Grand Salon, an historic ballroom with high ceilings and amazing wood treatments that are authentic. When you sit and eat with such grandeur surrounding you, it’s almost possible to imagine the voices of the past when guests road this luxury liner on holidays. The buffet is massive, offering Mexican, Chinese, and traditional holiday beef and turkey carving tables. A really cute buffet for toddlers at this event sits a few feet off the floor, allowing little ones to serve themselves pizza and chicken nuggests.

While I love birthday luncheon and dinner cruises aboard California’s Hornblower Cruises & Events yachts, I have never eaten there for Thanksgiving, and think it would be a real treat. Who doesn’t want to be gliding smoothly on beautiful harbors at sunset in luxury yachts, sipping champagne toasts and munching for hours on food and desserts. Hornblower is located in Newport Beach, San Diego, Marina del Rey, and San Diego. For Thanksgiving reservations,  call: (888-467-6256).

The sky’s truly the limit on Thanksgiving buffets. Yesterday we did a blog post on Beach Barbecues. You may have a bit of competition getting a grill at the beach on Thanksgiving day, but it’s always worth considering, trying to snag one for your Thanksgiving cooking. Just have back-up plans in hand.

While spending time with your family is nice, volunteering can be equally fulfilling. Many of the Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego and San Francisco soup kitchens have ample help in serving meals this Thanksgiving. What they need more is your money, or donations of canned food items to stock their shelves. If you want to reach out and help, don’t just consider one day as your opportunity to give. Be thankful you have enough to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal, but look to opportunities to donate on non-holidays. That’s when the food banks and shelters really are overlooked, they say.