Local Thanksgiving Activities & Dining Out Options

Orange County, California

Dana Point Turkey Trot: Join Orange County on November 25 for a variety of races at the annual Turkey Trot. Have fun running through Dana Point’s gorgeous caves, cliffs and beaches while raising money to help families without food for the holidays. Help provide food and funds for those families in need through the pledge drive and by donating to the Second Harvest Food bank of Orange County. The Turkey Trot will have multiple races of different lengths. The top scoring male and female will win a cash prize. Children are welcome to run in a special kid’s race without timed scores. For more information and to download an application, go to TurkeyTrot.com

Thanksgiving Dinner in Newport Beach: Palms Terrace Restaurant (at the Island Hotel) will be offering a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner prepared by Chef Bill Bracken and will be topped off by delectable desserts from Pastry Chef Michael Owens. The menu includes turkey, short ribs, smoked salmon, and a variety of gourmet sides! The dinner takes place on November 25 starting at 11 a.m. with live harp music to entertain.

Thanksgiving Dinner at the Montage: Choose from the three restaurants at the Montage depending on your Thanksgiving desires, The Grand Buffet, The Loft, or The Studio. The first two are serving dinner from 11 A.M. to 8 p.m., while the Studio is open 4 to 9 p.m. Call (949) 715-6420 for more details.

Back Bay Bistro: Enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving buffet with all the fixin’s at this Newport Beach restaurant. Enjoy the all you can eat buffet while listening to some lovely live jazz music. Call 949-729-1144 for more details and reservations.

Wobble Walk: Casually work off those extra calories at the Wobble Walk on Friday November 26. The Wobble Walk takes place in the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, Little Sycamore Canyon Staging Area/Nix Nature Center. This is a slow paced 2 mile fitness hike taking place from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Call 949-923-2235 for more information.

RE/MAX Fine Homes wishes you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Tips to having a not-so-stressful Thanksgiving

Have a plan: Sit down early to count the number of guests, plan a menu, and make the entire grocery list. Make sure to grocery shop early and try going late at night to avoid long holiday lines. Then, schedule a to-do list for Thanksgiving Day, starting with the time the turkey will be put in/taken out. This allows you to be confident you will have enough time!
Start early: Many side dishes and desserts can be prepared before the actual big day. Why not aim to have all of these finished the night before so that Thanksgiving Day goes smoothly. This leaves extra free time to mingle with guests instead of slaving over a hot stove all day.
Take care of the turkey: Try cooking a large turkey overnight rather than stressing over what time to start cooking it the morning of. To ensure the turkey’s moistness, cover the roasting pan with water until it reaches the roasting rack but doesn’t reach the bird. Stick it in the oven at 11 p.m. and take it out to cool at 7 a.m.
Have a children distraction: Make sure you plan activities for the little ones so they stay out of your way in the kitchen (at least stick them with another family member for the morning!)
Be prepared and don’t sweat it: Have an already prepared side dish and pie to make up for any last minute disasters. The more you stress, the more likely things are to go wrong. Don’t forget the main point of Thanksgiving is to be with loved ones!