A holiday tourist in my own city Tree farms, Nativity scene, gondola and trolley rides, Christmas movies by the pool. By Siobhan Braun Why not a holiday bar crawl? Bike ride, Messiah sing-along, Santacon bar …

Spilling the Kool-Aid You can count your blessings if you have any or shut down in the neon haze that invades the parking lot and changes the way you think about moonlight knocking around at …

“In some cities, like New York, if you bring the goods they appreciate you for your art,” says homegrown jazz chanteuse Sacha Boutros, who just returned after spending a month in Paris (where she’ll move …

We get the conceit of Santa’s eight reindeer from the reindeer husbandry practiced by the indigenous people of Fennoscandia. In Siberia, the locals shave curlicues of meat from frozen reindeer steaks, which they eat raw …

Get ready for a proliferation of paid plugs at San Diego’s International Airport. “Over the past decade, the Airport’s advertising has been confined to the interior of the passenger terminals and has consisted mainly of …

We open inside the dank hull of a coal freighter — only these lumps have eyes. Khaled Ali’s (Sherwan Haji) peepers blink awake as the stowaway sits up in the lumpy bed of black that’s …

When Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson and his buddy Chip Roberts announced their “Cowboys in the Campfire” tour, the idea was that they would play unusual venues — rooms that don’t usually host rock shows. Andrew …

A combination of two of the world’s biggest oil companies has kicked in $50,000 to the California Latino Legislative Caucus Foundation at the behest of Democratic assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher. State disclosure records show that …

Hail to the chef! That’s what I’m thinking as Danny lowers two whole racks of pork ribs into the maws of his Smokaroma Bar-B-Q Boss. He says it’s a wood-fired pressure-cooker. No more fuming black …

Membership: 400 Pastor: Tim Spivey Age: 41 Born: Long Beach Formation: Pepperdine University, Malibu; Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX Years in ministry: 20 San Diego Reader: What is your main concern as a member of …

“You better watch out You better not cry Better not pout I’m telling you why Santa Claus is coming to town…” I’m ashamed to admit it, but I did pout a little bit for the …

Everybody’s got their own small rituals to enact this time of year. Holiday traditions vary by country, culture, region, and household, and in every instance they’re what make the season special. I’m a nontraditional kind …

Although there are some decent surf breaks back home, pro surfer Lindsay Perry says Central Florida is nothing like San Diego. “My dad used to catch alligators with his hands,” she says about her upbringing …

During the holiday season, thousands of Californians head south of the border to join their families for a Mexican Navidad mixed with customary American Christmas traditions. In the Spanglish world, as with the languages, the …

Del Mar Canyon Preserve, sometimes alternatively known as Anderson Canyon, has two of the best elements of San Diego County hikes: stunning views and unique biodiversity. The trail is short and easy, but take time …

Winter. It’s the five o’clock of the annum. God’s own cocktail hour. A time to rejoice and be merry and say things you’ll later frown about at family gatherings. New year, new you. This is …

A conflicted, somewhat confused Mission Bay Park Committee voted 5-3 to go forward with a plan for the DeAnza Cove Tuesday night (December 5th) after hours of passionate testimony from people who want different things …

Dear Hipster: Your list of great albums sucks. You suffer from a lack of taste. Go back to making jokes about mustaches and Cap’n Crunch. — Ethan Hipster: Nice work leaving out Paul’s Boutique, hipster. …

Traditionally, December is a month of buying stuff — whether for yourself, family, friends, coworkers, or whomever else is on that list you’re checking twice. So why not flex your spending power and use those …

When Christmas season rolls around I like to become a tourist in my own city. My kids are out of school, my husband takes a week or two off of work, and the family and …

For so many of us, favorite holiday memories take root with family and friends, and that certainly holds true for San Diegans. Whether it’s cutting down a tree in the local mountains, dancing the night …

With paying gigs becoming scarcer, and the economic outlook not too bright, we asked several current and former locals to share their best “I was so broke...” stories. Marcia Claire (Coyote Problem): “In 1986, I …

San Diego’s mild winter climate makes it an attractive spot for people who don’t want a white Christmas. So that means there is a good chance you’re hosting out-of-towners over the holidays. That means that …

“Welcome to the ‘King of the Hill,’” beckons the listing pitch for 5160 Rancho Del Mar Trail, a five-bedroom, six-and-a-half-bath home boasting more than 9500 square feet of living space situated “within the prestigious, private …

This year, the Lickona family is keeping to its Christmas traditions at home: the ancient carols, the crèche, the Christmas lights wrapped around the cactus in the front yard, the works. But also this year, …

Fracking is hydraulic fracturing, or horizontal shooting of water, sand, and chemicals into shale to bring up oil and gas. However, people complain of loud equipment, stealing of water, and widespread pollution through use of …

The City of Escondido’s 39th annual Trout Derby at Dixon Lake attracted hundreds of anglers from around Southern California on December 1–3. Even without the planting of huge Nebraska tailwalkers at this year’s opener, stringers …

This New England girl has finally adjusted to the warm weather Christmas season. It only took 20 years. During those years, I felt patronized by fake snow painted on windows, manmade snow hills, and ice …

The once-mighty United Auto Workers union has faced hard times of late. The most recent sign of the labor organization’s ebbing influence came last month when workers at the Fuyao Glass America plant in Dayton, …

Scripps Ranch was a real ranch Re: “Once upon a time: Scripps Ranch,” cover story. Your article is a collection of sarcastic comments that only slash and burn. God forbid you write something positive that …

Holiday lights make the early darkness of winter a beautiful thing. One of my favorite displays in San Diego is the simple strings of colorful lights that wind around the railings on the streets above …

Some years ago I was invited to sit in on a masterclass taught by blues guitarist Coco Montoya. I play blues sax. Possibly the organizer thought I’d gain some new insights. “I bet each of …

Growing up in the Chicago area, the holidays meant snowy hills and hushed landscapes, warm, woolly scarves and mittens, puffy down coats and sturdy boots. It also meant shoveling two feet of snow off the …