Our Southwest trip was such an unexpected journey, but one of the most beautiful ones. Usually, we try to go home to Costa Rica for Christmas or take a “big” trip since Ricky has 2.5 weeks off during the holidays. For 2024, we decided to buy tickets to Bésame Mucho, a festival featuring mainly Latino artists. Let’s just say that 2024 was not our year for music. If it weren’t for the festival, we would have picked a different destination, but since it was right at the start of the break, we planned a trip around it. About a month before the trip, the festival got canceled due to Shakira pulling out of all her concert and tour dates. We considered a few different itinerary options, including exploring most of Southern California, heading up to Napa Valley, or even flying internationally from LAX after the festival. After much debate, we decided to check off some national parks from our bucket list and explore California and the Southwest.
Ricky and I have been to the Orlando theme parks together when we were in college, and I’ve been to both Orlando and Anaheim separately a few times. Ricky had never been to the California parks, and as a big Star Wars fan, he hadn’t experienced Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge since it wasn’t ready when we were in Orlando. Since our time in Los Angeles was limited, we decided to spend one day at Disneyland and focus entirely on Star Wars attractions. We bought the FastPass, which was absolutely worth it and only around $30 per person.
We arrived in Los Angeles on Thursday night, flying from XNA to MSP and then LAX. We had just enough time in Minneapolis to visit the lounge, have dinner, and enjoy a couple of drinks. Since we weren’t arriving in Los Angeles until close to midnight, I was happy to have gotten dinner out of the way. We rented a car through Sixt; we usually use Hertz, but Sixt had a much better deal for the length of time we needed. The rental process was seamless, and we booked a hotel very close to the airport: The Belamar Hotel, right next to Manhattan Beach.
The hotel was amazing! It had great valet service, a welcoming lobby with fresh cucumber water every morning, and a huge rack of vinyl records. Each hotel room came with a record player, and you could borrow records from the lobby to play in your room. We did this multiple times, and it was such a nice touch.
Disneyland: A Star Wars Dream Come True
We planned to be at Disneyland by 10 AM at the latest, but thanks to the time change, we woke up early enough that we were parking by 8:45 AM and inside the park by 9:10 AM. Before heading into Disneyland Park, we stopped at Downtown Disney so I could buy the Lizzie McGuire Croc sandals (so worth it, by the way, since I never saw them inside the park). Since our time was limited and our focus was mainly on Star Wars attractions, anything extra we did was just a bonus. I definitely recommend not going to Disney with a super tight schedule because it makes the experience stressful.
We started by walking down Main Street, taking pictures with the castle and the Walt Disney statue. The Christmas decorations were absolutely stunning, even during the day. Our first ride was Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. With the FastPass, we could schedule rides and then show up to skip the line. While taking castle photos, we scheduled our ride for 20 minutes later and made our way there with plenty of time. We waited less than a minute! The ride was incredible, and it ranked as my second favorite of the day.
For breakfast, we ate at Ronto Roasters, and the breakfast Ronto Wrap was honestly delicious. While eating, we scheduled our second ride: Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. This one was so popular that we had to pay an extra fee to skip the line, but it was absolutely worth it. I hate standing in long lines, and the small extra cost gave us so much more time to enjoy other things. This ride was simply mind-blowing—probably the best I’ve ever been on at any theme park. Even though I’m not the biggest Star Wars fan, this ride was jaw-dropping, spectacular, and world-class. I can’t recommend it enough!
Next, Ricky had a reservation at Savi’s Workshop to build a lightsaber. At first, I thought it would be a little silly, but truth be told, it brought me to tears. The lightsaber is extremely well-made, with heavy, durable materials. Our last Star Wars ride was Star Tours – The Adventures Continue. It was decent, but the line was long even with the FastPass, and it didn’t quite compare to the other two.
Afterward, we built a droid at the Droid Depot. This was another must-do! I built it with Ricky’s help, whereas the lightsaber was all him. It was such a fun activity, picking pieces off the conveyor belt and assembling them using tools hanging from the ceiling. We named our droid RC-94—a black-and-white model with a “funny” personality. Our cats hate it. We mailed both the lightsaber and droid home instead of flying with them. The process was smooth, only cost around $20, and both items arrived the same day we did!
Before leaving the park, we caught the afternoon Christmas parade. We hadn’t expected to see much of the rest of Disneyland, but somehow, time worked in our favor. Afterward, we grabbed a caramel apple, walked through the castle a couple more times, and left feeling so accomplished and grateful for everything we got to experience.
Exploring Los Angeles
The next morning, we did a self-guided New Girl filming locations tour since I’m probably the biggest New Girl fan ever. We visited the apartment complex they used for exterior shots, saw the Griffin bar (they filmed the exterior at one location and the interior at another), and explored Atwater Village. The shops were eclectic, with some insane prices, but we did buy a few records and books at a cozy coffee shop.
For brunch, we met my aunt, uncles, and cousin at Lady Byrd Cafe. I found this place on Instagram, and I’m so happy we went. The aesthetic was an Instagram influencer’s dream, the food was delicious, and the service was fantastic. One of the waiters recognized my cousin since they walk their dogs at the same time and place in the morning, and gave us $50 in gift cards and a round of mimosas on the house. Even in LA, it’s a small world!
That afternoon, we hit the Santee Alley markets, a dream for hustlers and deal-lovers. Ricky was probably the only white guy there, but we scored amazing deals and had a blast. In the evening, we attempted to visit The Grove, but the Christmas crowds were insane. We spent some time in Barnes & Noble before heading to the Griffin bar for dinner. The interior was exactly as it appeared on New Girl, and the food was great. We wrapped up our night around midnight after an amazing day with family.
Off to the Desert
Sunday morning, we hit the outlets for some last-minute holiday shopping. We hadn’t accounted for the sheer number of people with the same idea, and the traffic was intense. Once inside, the crowds were overwhelming, but the deals were too good to pass up. We ended up shopping for hours, losing track of time as we hopped from store to store. Before we knew it, the sun had set, and it was close to 8 PM when we finally made our way out.
Exhausted but satisfied with our finds, we made the drive to our Airbnb in Twenty Nine Palms, arriving just before 10 PM. The house was absolutely magical—small yet cozy, with a stylishly curated interior. The living room had a record player with an impressive vinyl collection, the kitchen was quirky and fun, and the bedroom was spacious and inviting. The backyard was the highlight, a hot tub on one end, a fire pit on the other, multiple couches and benches, all under a night sky so clear you could see the Milky Way with the naked eye. Absolute magic.
The town of Twentynine Palms was equally dreamy. I most definitely told Ricky—without hesitation—that we needed to move there immediately. And for three days straight, I religiously checked Zillow for houses. The town had this funky, offbeat charm, filled with cool shops, great restaurants, and the last cold beer for 100 miles. Less than 20 minutes from Joshua Tree National Park, it felt straight out of a movie.
We kicked off our itinerary with Joshua Tree, since the park remains open on Christmas while many others close. December 23rd was spent wandering through the Cholla Cactus Garden, a stunning introduction to the natural wonders ahead. We caught the cacti at just the right time, glowing almost fluorescent under the sunlight. The Joshua trees stood rampant, tall, and mighty—like the grand gatekeepers of the Mojave Desert.
Ricky and I ventured off alone toward some rocks when I spotted a coyote, surprisingly close. Wildlife sightings on day one? A promising start. That night, we turned in early after a laid-back listening session, ready to ease into Christmas Eve.
The next morning, we took it slow, savoring the quiet before heading into town. Our afternoon began at a vintage shop in 29 Palms, where we scored a 1950s lizard Bellestone handbag and a stunning glass-and-silver bowl for our home. Later, we visited the Mojave Moon Desert—despite reviews warning that you can’t get as close as before. True, there’s a fence now, but you can still get near enough to make it absolutely worth it.
Christmas dinner had a Southwest twist, and as our gift to ourselves, we drove back to Joshua Tree National Park for some stargazing. The park is officially designated as one of the best night-sky viewing spots in the U.S. and the world—and we can confirm. While we could faintly see the Milky Way from the hot tub at our Airbnb, inside the park, it felt like looking through a telescope but with the naked eye. A kind of clarity and vastness that’s both humbling and impossible to put into words.
The next morning, we woke up early for one last slow and quiet moment—coffee in hand, a homecooked breakfast in the backyard—before packing up and heading out to start the next leg of our journey: Arizona.
