One of many places to see the best lights in Southern California is Newport Harbor and Balboa Island.
The annual Holiday Boat parade runs December 18 and ending Sunday, December 22, 2013. The
parade starts off Bay Island at 6:30 pm and finishes at the same site at approximately 9:00 pm each evening.
For more info: http://www.christmasboatparade.com/
Take the ferry across from the Balboa Peninsula and walk along the houses to admire the lights on each side.
The ferries run in threes, three cars at a time, three ferries at a time, and about three minutes to get from one side to the other.
Balboa Peninsula and the Fun Zone can be seen from the water on one side of the ferry while the beautiful Newport Bay can be seen from the other.
If driving into Balboa, you can also cross the bridge to the Island from Coast Highway.
The bridge into Balboa Island, all decked out for the holidays
Stroll along the sidewalk that spans most of the island to view the beautiful homes and their impeccable decorations.
The beautiful decorated homes on Balboa Island was a winner
Newport has an annual “Ring of Lights” contest where homes are awarded prizes in different categories.
If you look closely, this home had garland all through the house including the upstairs.
An annual favorite, this houses spews snow every few minutes.
You can also see homes across the bay with this beautiful home filled with millions of lights. A definite contest winner.
Don’t just wait for the holidays to visit Balboa and Newport, there are plenty more things to do in both places. More later.
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