On the beach

Hotel Del Coronado, Near San Diego

Thousands of twinkling white lights give extra holiday spirit to this classic hotel's Windsor Lawn turned rink just steps from the ocean.

The scene: Newlyweds, families looking for blizzard-free winter vacations, and locals on date night.

The inside scoop: Warm up with a cup of hot cocoa at the Coffee by the Sea snack shack, mingle with fellow skaters near the massive Christmas tree (the world's first electrically lit outdoor tree, in 1904), or sing along to holiday music while you do laps around the rink.

Through Jan 1; hoteldel.com