Just a Few Days Left to Enjoy Light Shows in Two O.C. Harbors

Tired of driving around looking at houses decorated for the holidays? Try the view at sea level. You can take a guided boat tour past spectacular lighting displays, watch decked-out boats ranging from kayaks to yachts cruise by or join a boat parade. The county offers several ways to combine water and winter wonderlands.

* The Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade is one of the county’s premier holiday attractions, and that means you need to arrive in Newport Harbor by 4 p.m., locals say, to find a waterfront spot.

The parade, which runs through Thursday, features 150 bedecked boats that cruise the harbor each night beginning at 6:30. They pass the American Legion Hall about 7:30 p.m. You can get a patio seat and a hot dinner there for $12 for adults, $10 for children. Proceeds benefit veterans’ programs. Tickets are available at the door, but parties of 20 or more are asked to make reservations. Parking is limited. Information: (949) 673-5070.

The Boy Scout Sea Base, 1931 W. Coast Highway, rents out lawn seating for $2, but the seats sell out fast. Reservations: (949) 642-5031.

For those who prefer to stand at water’s edge to watch the boats pass, Balboa Island’s south-facing beach, along South Bay Front, provides one of the best viewing spots.

To get there, take Pacific Coast Highway to either Balboa Boulevard or, father south, Jamboree Road. Turn south, toward the ocean, on either street. On Balboa Boulevard, cruise down the Balboa Peninsula until you find a place to stand on the bay side. On Jamboree, drive to the intersection with Bayside Drive, park where you can along Bayside and walk across the bridge to Balboa Island.

* A little reflection goes a long way when it comes to Christmas lights, and the annual Huntington Harbour Cruise of Lights in Huntington Beach is just the ticket. Tour boats take passengers through the water-oriented community’s series of manufactured lagoons for a different angle on the elaborately decorated homes.

Tours run through Wednesday. Boats leave at 5:30, 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $9 adults; $6 children, Monday-Wednesday; $10 adults and $6 children Sunday.

For those who want to cruise in high style, a buffet cruise on a luxury yacht is offered every night. The two-hour cruises begin at 5 and 8 p.m. Tickets are $48. Proceeds benefit the Philharmonic Society of Orange County’s children’s music program. Information: (714) 840-7542.

Huntington Harbour’s lights and decorations also can be viewed from land. Admiralty Drive bridge, which connects Pacific Coast Highway with the community’s Admiralty Island, is a good spot.

To get there, take Warner Avenue west to Pacific Coast Highway, then go north several blocks to Coral Cay Lane, the first of several streets that lead into Huntington Harbour. The Admiralty Drive bridge is about a half-mile farther north on Pacific Coast Highway.