Description

My recent tradition on Christmas Eve has been to take a boat tour through the harbor in Newport Beach to view all of the spectacular decorations on the mansions that line the channels. On this day (Dec. 24, 2019) it looked like things were happening with the sky, so I left a bit early to visit one of my favorite viewing spots in Laguna Beach. They call it Top Of The World because it is the highest point in this area, and a place where many hikers will either start, or finish their hikes.

It’s always beautiful up there, even with a normal sunset, so when things were starting to take shape it was clear that the boat tour was in danger. Of course there was the other thought in my head that was something like “You’re really going to blow your Christmas Eve plans by standing out here on the side of a hill in the cold, only to get an average photograph?” It was a completely rational thought—I have done that sort of thing. After awhile though it became clear that this was at minimum a special evening and I was content to simply appreciate it from my unique vantage point. The boat tickets were sacrificed, but I’ll just have to figure out some way to recover that lost $40.

And then, as if to say “here is your Christmas present for taking the chance”, the sky showered Catalina Island with those luxurious rays of sunlight, which perfectly capped this memorable event.