4 ways to spend the holidays in L.A.

Editor’s note: We are taking a few days off for the holidays but will be back in your inbox Wednesday.

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Saturday, Dec. 23. Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend:

• Four ways to spend the holidays in L.A.
• Why Trump’s fate rests with the U.S. Supreme Court
• Where to see Shohei Ohtani murals in L.A.
• And here’s today’s e-newspaper

Four ways to spend the holidays in L.A.

A sunny day with a high of 67? That’s the kind of Christmas only Los Angeles can provide.

If you’re spending the holidays in L.A., we’ve got some ideas on what to do.

Make reservations or order takeout

Christmas dinner cooked by the elders in my family has me so spoiled that I didn’t even realize restaurants stayed open. Several Los Angeles-area restaurants will be available for Christmas Eve and Christmas, serving savory dishes like seafood gumbo and lasagna bolognese and sweet treats like peach cobbler. Make reservations if you’re planning to dine in.

For those craving New York-style Chinese American food, the crab rangoon and dumplings are just some of the delicious items on the menu at Genghis Cohen in Fairfax. If a fancy brunch is more your jam, Fig in Santa Monica offers a special menu for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with patio seating that overlooks a glittering pool.

Track down a tamale vendor

How about celebrating the holidays with some of the best tamales in L.A. and Orange County? Hearing the neighborhood vendors shout, “Tamales! Tamales!” is a year-round joy. But when you’re busy cooking and need to figure out what to do in the meantime, those tamale vendors are right on time.

From plantain-wrapped options drenched in Oaxacan mole to sweet variations filled with strawberries, there’s a tamale for everyone.

Hit the slopes

Snow season in California is off to a slow start in some areas, especially those closest to Los Angeles. Big Bear Mountain resort — a two-hour drive from L.A. — is expected to have little to no snow accumulation over the holiday weekend.

But hope isn’t lost. Other parts of the state have gotten enough snow to start ski season at some of the most popular resorts.

Mammoth Mountain in the Eastern Sierra predicts about three inches of snowfall this weekend. So if you’re up for a longer drive, California’s highest lift-served, four-season resort, with a summit at 11,053 feet, could provide excellent skiing and snowboarding .

Explore California’s tallest sand dunes

An August storm caused widespread flooding and forced the closure of Death Valley. Since October, the park has slowly started to reopen access to some of its attractions, including Eureka Dunes. Less than six hours from L.A. are the tallest sand dunes in California, rising about 680 feet above the neighboring lake bed.

The climb to the dunes’ summit is not easy, as it is steep and the loose sand gives way beneath your feet. But the sweeping views at the top are the ultimate reward.

The week’s biggest stories

Former President Trump faces two major U.S. Supreme Court decisions: whether he can be prosecuted for election interference, and whether he’s disqualified from seeking reelection.

(Associated Press)

Politics

• Trump’s fate rests with U.S. Supreme Court in two unprecedented cases.
• Column: A seismic Colorado court decision just upended Trump’s campaign. Here’s what comes next.

Housing and homelessness

• The little-understood reason why clearing homeless encampments became harder in California than most other states.
• Why homelessness looks different in Washington, D.C.

Crime and courts

• A federal judge blocks a California law that would bar guns in many public places.
• Jonathan Majors was found guilty on counts of assault and harassment and not guilty on two others.
• Experts weigh the jury’s split verdict and whether Majors will get jail time.

Health and environment

• This weed killer is banned in 50 countries. U.S. workers say it’s giving them Parkinson’s.
• Ozempic overdose? Poison control experts explain why thousands OD’d this year.
• November shatters global temperature records, marking six record-warm months in a row.

More stories

• One killed as storms bring record rainfall, flooding to SoCal. When will the rain end?
• Palestinian Christians are marking a somber Christmas , canceling holiday festivities in an expression of solidarity with compatriots as Israel’s war on the Palestinian militant group Hamas grinds on.
• The wealthiest Californians are fleeing the state. Why that’s very bad news for the economy.
• The fight to move the Catholic Church in America to the right — and the little-known O.C. lawyer behind it.
• California cops and firefighters are taking their pensions to Idaho’s ‘Little Orange County.’
• $1-billion boon? How Shohei Ohtani’s contract could make Dodgers MLB financial kings.
• As Kern County officials embrace a warehouse boom, some brace for even worse air.
  

Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here.

Column One

Column One is The Times’ home for narrative and longform journalism. Here’s a great piece from this week:

(Jason Allen Lee / For The Times)

Thirty years ago, Time magazine asked if L.A. was ‘going to hell.’ Are we there yet? To find out, we asked 17 prominent Angelenos to weigh in. There was consensus that this is a fraught time for Los Angeles — nearly every participant mentioned the scourge of homelessness when contemplating the issues affecting the city. That’s in stark contrast to the 1993 Time story: Homelessness wasn’t mentioned at all.

More great reads

• Column: Blame ketamine for killing Matthew Perry? It’s saving someone I love.
• ‘The world’s most dangerous wine’: Smuggled grapes from Iran and an Armenian vintner’s daring dream.
• The 40-year fight over ‘The Color Purple’s’ queer love story.
• Why was there an 80-pound dog sitting courtside at a Lakers game next to Kevin Bacon?
• ‘We’re very lucky’: He’s 104, she’s 100, and they’ve been married for 82 years.
• Being doored to death is a cyclist’s nightmare. How can it be prevented?

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.

For your weekend

Kumi Suio, a Japanese tour guide from Gardena, dances in front of a mural featuring newest Dodger player Shohei Ohtani by artist Gustavo Zermeno, Jr. on the wall of Ocean View Liquor store in Hermosa Beach.

(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)

Going out

• ⚾ Shohei Ohtani murals pop up in L.A. Here’s where to see the Japanese star on walls.
• 🎢 Here’s everything new coming to Disneyland in 2024 — so far.
• 🍽️ You too can eat at all the best restaurants in L.A. Start here.
• 🖼️ Why a LACMA exhibition with compelling art is the most disappointing show of 2023.

Staying in

• 📚 The 10 best tech books of 2023.
• 📰 Mass shootings. Celebrity deaths. Extreme weather. These were among the most-read articles published by the Los Angeles Times this year.
• 🧑‍🍳 Here’s a recipe for chili crisp mac ‘n’ cheese.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.

L.A. Affairs

Get wrapped up in tantalizing stories about dating, relationships and marriage.

Who was this man? And how could I keep him away from me?

(Jennifer Luxton / For The Times)

I froze my eggs and put starting a family on hold. Was it a mistake? I planned to scale back on consulting, freeze my eggs and live in Antarctica for a year before starting my family alone. The universe had other plans.

Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team!

Elvia Limón, multiplatform editor
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.