Poinsettias and lighted candy canes make a
pretty perimeter garden to a public shop in
Seal Beach, California.
Seal
Beach is one of those wonderful shopping
places you get happy visiting, any time of
year. It's Christmas every day in Seal Beach
because of the tiny, sparkling lights that
drape buildings and trees at night, offering
a magical look.
But when
Christmas comes along and the shops pull out
all the stops, the displays remind you of an
old-fashioned event. If it weren't the
Southern California beach, you could almost
imagine folks wandering and strolling in
their woolen capes and fancy hats, singing
carols and spreading good tidings.
In the
picture above, this white gated fence
separates a parking lot from a business with
its lighted candy canes that stand about 3
feet tall. The are stationed among a bed of
poinsettias and white flowers, looking ever
so festive and fun.
Lighted
reindeer, and twinkling lights that are
strewn along the white gate/fence offer a
soft, warm tone to the evening setting sun
and nightfall in Seal Beach. Seal Beach is
located on the northernmost border of Orange
County, Calif. Los Angeles County border and
the city of Long Beach share the borderline
with Seal Beach. Its bay has a jetty to the
ocean for boats leaving Long Beach's
Alamitos Bay Marina, a public marina that
residents of Seal Beach easily access as
they have no marina to call their own.
What Seal
Beach actually has is a port for large Naval
ships next to a munitions depot. The
Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station is
off-limits to the public, but did open its
doors for a special inspection in 2007.
Within a few hours, the streets came to a
stop and visitors had to be turned away as
so many clamored to come aboard a Naval ship
in port for tours. It was a special
Seal Beach Christmas treat for locals. But
Seal Beach usually celebrates the Christmas
holiday with a visit from Santa at the Seal
Beach Pier and a visit from real, live
reindeer. That visit is usually
sponsored by the Seal Beach Chamber of
Commerce, the most active local nonprofit
group supporting community involvement and
programs.
