Charles Dickens and Tam O'Shanter

Every Christmas, I try to do something festive, and this time I ended up at the Tam O'Shanter. This place has been around for more than 100 years. There is a ton of history behind it which I will not get into here, but if you're interested, you can find more info at Discover Los Angeles. They used to have a neon Christmas sign, but for some odd reason, they have taken it down, and so, it's easy to miss this place as you drive or walk on by.

The story behind the lightening bolt is based on a Scottish poem by Robert Burns, titled Tam O'Shanter. This poem is about the dangers of overdrinking. Tam was a Scottish farmer who would go out with his friends, and get drunk. One night on his way home, he runs into witches and warlocks dancing around the fire. He watches them from a distance, but when they spot him, they come after him. As he tries to run away with his horse,

 

"The lightening flash from pole to pole, 

Near and more near the thunders roll,"

 

And so, several years after the restaurant was established, the owner added the lightening bolt logo.

The décor of this place creates a warm ambience for the patrons who want to hangout for hours, but I think that they only give you an hour and-a-half table time during the holidays, We had no problem because we got in two hours before closing, and were able to sit for a longer period.

Walt Disney and his staff were regulars here, and they usually sat at table 31 by the fire.

There is a cozy bar area where people have meals at lunchtime. Someone told me that the sandwiches are tasty.

They get busy this time of year, but even so, the service is great, the tea is perfectly hot, just the way I like it, and the crème brûlée is pretty good.

The quartet of Dickens Carolers (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass), take a request of your favorite Christmas song when they come to your table. They have a hat where you can drop in your tip. I asked them if it was okay to film them, and they said yes. They asked if I would give them credit for their singing, and handed me their card. There were two different websites on the card: Voices of Christmas, and Wonderelles Music. Apparently you can book them for various events.

They have outside seating as well. I'm not sure if the carolers come outside to sing. So, before you reserve a table, call ahead to find out. Below are more pix. It's a nice place, and puts you in a holiday mood. I wanted to come here last year, but the inside was completely booked. If you plan to go during the holidays, reserve your table at least two months ahead.

Christmas at the Mission Inn

The Mission Inn, built about 150 years ago, takes over an entire block. One or two of the streets that surround it are closed to traffic during this time of the year to make way for pedestrians. Street parking may be scarce, but there are public lots that charge $15-$20. We got there around thirty past three, drove around, and found one spot left on Fifth Street.

This place started as a cottage, and expanded throughout the years by Frank Augustus Miller, and Henry E. Huntington. More history here.

I've been meaning to visit the Mission Inn ever since I found out about their Christmas decorations a few years back. I just never got around to it, until this year when my friend and I were trying to do something festive. The above is a photo of the side entrance. There are security guards at all the entrances asking if you're staying at the Inn or are dining there. They don't check, but they just want to deter too many people from entering the building.

We went around to use the front entrance. The decorations reminded me of going into someone's house where every inch of space is Christmas. During other months, the Mission has a traditional look from back in the day, and is less crowded.

There is a lot of time spent on details in every nook inside and outside. If you decide to go, pay careful attention so you don't miss it.

 

The above video reminds me of Disneyland with angels and gnomes rotating their heads. There were quite a bit of statues that moved their heads, both inside and outside of the building.

Two more shots before we head out to dinner. I have no idea how many hours they put in to decorate this Inn. It's well worth your time to visit it at least once, specially if you live in the L.A area, or if you have someone from out of town visiting. And although crowded during Christmas time, there is space where you can escape. The lights, ornaments, statues, and all the extra details help to shift away focus from how busy it can get. Plan to spend a few hours here, less if you're not a people person.

Apparently, they have different types of rooms. These are on the forth floor, and I think they're called the Mission Rooms. Some of the rooms on other floors have French windows.

We had dinner here. Pleasant atmosphere, and staff. Great service. Food and Margarita were meh.

They have a Ferris wheel, a carousel, and other games for families with kids.

The Riverside vibe is different than the L.A vibe. People have a kickback small town attitude. They are more courteous, friendlier, and kinder than the L.A residents. 

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays 2023

For this post, I drove around L.A’s middle class neighborhoods to take photos of home decorations, mostly from outside, a few from a yard of a friend, and one from the house of someone I know.

I edited the pictures a bit to hide people’s addresses and streets where they live for privacy reasons.

To do this, I had to wait until it got dark outside. Problem was, I noticed some cars slowing down, and people looking at me, wondering if I was casing a house.

One or two homeowners looked out their windows to see what the heck I was doing so close to their house. But, I don’t understand this at all. Because when you decorate the outside of your home, you also want to make your street look more festive, and passersby to admire it.

Anyhow, I tried to take my pictures quickly without getting arrested. That is why you see some blurry photos. Sorry! I tried to be creative with this post, but perhaps capturing festive images of people’s homes wasn’t one of my brightest ideas. I hope that you will enjoy my efforts, anyway.

So, Happy Holidays and lots of love to everyone. I hope that you will find some joy in the season. I know that the holidays can be hard on some people for various reasons. And if you find it difficult to cope, have a cup of hot coco, and grab your favorite book, or watch an old movie, and enjoy.

Below is one of my favorite songs during this time of year. It always makes me want to sing along and feel like a child again. So sing, be a kid, and be jolly…