What new businesses do you want to see come to Placerville??

 Since Rite Aid is planning on closing their Fair Lane store early next year, I bet you are asking the question, "What will replace it??" I am writing my own possibilities of what this store could become. Before I list my possibilities and before you share your opinion of what should replace this store, here are some core facts about the Placerville market I have researched:

Population of the trade area: 

in its 5-mile radius: 39,245

in its 10-mile radius: 54,328 

in its 20-mile radius: 98,556

Income of the trade area:

$78,333 (U.S. Average income is $69,000)

Here are some stores or businesses this Rite Aid could become since these listed stores are absent from the Placerville area that are growing at a fair amount that Placerville could support:

Planet Fitness- seems like the most likely fit. There isn't really any large fitness places in town. Unless you count Anytime Fitness and Snap Fitness. 

Smart and Final Extra- This store seems like it is popular and growing. But there is already a Grocery Outlet which is very similar to this store in East Placerville. 

99 Cent Only Store- I don't know about this one. 99 Cent Only doesn't seem like it is growing all that much and has closed a couple local locations, most recently one in Carmichael. But 99 Cent Only does seem like a popular discount chain and Placerville seems like a fit place for a 99 Cent Only store. 

Burlington Coat Factory- This store has been opening many stores around the region and is even opening stores the size of this Rite Aid space, which is about 28,000 sq ft. And Placerville seems like a decent sized market for this store. 

Michaels-Since Placerville doesn't have a large arts and crafts store, I think this could be a good fit for Placerville. But I hear they are looking at the Crossings at El Dorado to open a store. If they don't go through for this project

JoAnn Fabrics- As I said about Michaels, JoAnn's could be a good fit if Michaels doesn't come. But it would be up in the air since JoAnn sounds like they are in financial troubles with debt and actually were rated at a higher risk to file for bankruptcy than Rite Aid according to the Retail Dive. Shocking, especially for a store that has done so well especially during the pandemic. 

Hobby Lobby- This seems like a long shot, because this space is too small and Big Lots would have to close also in order to get this project. 

Sprouts Farmers Market- This chain has been opening several stores, but since this store is a more upscale health food grocery store, I'm not sure Placerville's demographics fit those required for a Sprouts. 

Sportsman's Warehouse- This might be a good store for Placerville since it is a rural area and it is a popular area for recreation. So a hunting and fishing store might do well in Placerville. 

An indoor trampoline park with an indoor jungle gym- We don't have any of those in Placerville. In fact, the only indoor jungle gym in the county is the McDonald's PlayPlace at the Broadway location in East Placerville. For trampoline parks, you have to head down to the Sacramento and Roseville areas. 

Since the Prospectors Plaza is a more popular retail area, the Grocery Outlet center is getting a makeover, and the Crossings at El Dorado project seems like it might be moving forward, it might be a bit tricky for this space to get a new store. But since Placerville is a fairly underbuilt retail area, it seems like a good opportunity for redevelopment.  I am curious, "what businesses do you want to see come to this space or come to Placerville as a whole?? 

Thank you for taking the time to read my post and God bless.

              For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.                                                John 3:16

Ticking time bomb that is now being set off: Rite Aid on Fair Lane in Placerville. What new store should replace it??

 

The Rite Aid on 31 Fair Lane in Placerville was announced on this new list on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/RiteAid/comments/18se38d/additional_19_closures/. And it is in a former Payless Drug and former Value Giant location. I don't know how many Value Giant or Payless locations still operate as a Rite Aid. If you know more, please let me know. This location opened sometime in the 1970s when the shopping center was built with Safeway as the other anchor, which moved to the new Missouri Flat Village with a new and bigger store 20 years ago. Big Lots now occupies that anchor space. 

Here are some photos of this store: 

Here is my description of what I saw in this store:

I noticed the walls were bare of decor and the only inside signage is the hanging aisle signs, which I was glad to see. I was disappointed that there was no Thrifty Ice Cream sold at the store. Do old Rite Aids have Thrifty Ice Cream carts, or is it just the new Customer World and Wellness stores that have those carts??

I'm interested in how this store has operated for this long, since it hadn't received the newest remodel, but did receive the new signage. And it is still operating after Rite Aid has closed several stores in the Sacramento area, including pulling out of the Tahoe region. Rite Aid has another Placerville store that is well tended to and has been remodeled twice since RA1. As I have seen how businesses operate, I think that a store avoiding a remodel for 20+ years while all the other locations having received remodels is like a dead man walking. Knowing the store has no prospects of growth and it is a lost cause, but they've kept it open for some reason. I expected this store to close down when Rite Aid released their first couple lists in October of this year. Have they intended to close this store for years, but they are still making money on something with the store or can't get out of their lease?? Or as what I think is most likely, have they intended to remodel this store, but they are held up by the county in permits?? What do you think??

Here is a photo on Flickr of this location when it was a Value Giant: https://www.flickr.com/photos/romleys/1834914062/

Interesting thing, a week earlier after I visited this store, I got the news that they are closing what I think is their last complete late-90s/early 2000s store with the old sign: https://www.reddit.com/r/deadmalls/comments/18ilnc2/an_old_looking_rite_aid_in_chino_hills_is_this/. If you live near this store, make sure you take some pictures.

Which brings me to the question, what store should replace this Rite Aid location?? Maybe a JoAnn Fabrics, Michaels, or Hobby Lobby. We could use a good arts and crafts store up the hill. I am guessing it will most likely become a Planet Fitness, or a Smart and Final Extra. 

2023's best new business openings and the hardest goings

 Hi everyone, this is Hayden LePore again. Since 2023 is wrapping up, I thought it would be good to write a list of what my favorite new business that have opened this year. And some of the businesses that I have had the hardest time saying goodbye to. 

My favorite new businesses that opened in 2023:

1. APEX Entertainment at Red Hawk Casino in Shingle Springs

I have not actually visited this place yet. I will let you know how it is once I visit this place. But from what I have heard and seen, it looks like a really cool family fun center. I would love to give this place a shot since I love racing go karts at the family fun center down the hill. 

2. 2B Glassblowers in Cameron Park

I really enjoy the work this place does. Their sculptures of Glassblown pumpkins, ornaments, and even olive oil cans are amazing!! I recommend checking this place out if you can. 

3. Grocery Outlet in Cameron Park

This location opened at the end of October 2023 with much fanfare. I really enjoy this one because it means our family and I are able to access the awesome deals Grocery Outlet offers without having to drive to the other side of Folsom to access them. 

4. Moonraker Brewing in Cameron Park

This place has become a large gathering place in the community. I haven't tried this place yet, but the burgers and fries here look delicious from what I saw. It was very crowded when I visited this place with groups of people enjoying their burgers and their beer. 

5. Tractor Supply Co. in El Dorado Hills

I enjoy all their hardware supplies and get inspired by all the products they sell for ideas of different projects around our house and our yard. Looking at their outside tubs gets me the idea of having a redneck hot-tub. I enjoy seeing their western wear and their dinosaur toys also. 

Honorable mention, and it would have been number one if it opened this year:

 Falafel Corner in Folsom:

I really love this place's falafels. I first tried this place's falafels when I was in Granite Bay for an outing a couple years ago and I fell in love with these falafels. Definitely makes me believe their claim to be the best falafels in the state. So I was very happy to find out that Falafel Corner was opening a location in Folsom, which opened in 2022, and we have frequented several times since. 

Speaking of Mediterranean restaurants, I saw that the former Netillo's Takos in Cameron Park is becoming a Mediterranean restaurant. Hopefully it will be delicious and successful because there aren't any Mediterranean restaurants on the western slope of El Dorado County. 

Other honorable mentions:

El Rey Mimosas in Cameron Park

Even though I don't drink mimosas, I really enjoy this restaurant's burgers and fries. I like having a restaurant in Cameron Park that I can order burgers and fries that isn't Applebee's or the fast food restaurants. Especially after I was a bit disappointed of not being able to make it to Bubba's Number Two, since they closed this year and losing Burger Hut a couple years ago. It isn't the only mom and pop burger joint in the area. The Breakroom in Shingle Springs. The Brickyard and Relish Burger Bar in El Dorado Hills. Old Town Grill in Placerville. Those are some of my favorites. 

Barnes and Noble Nationwide:

They already operate in Folsom and across the Sacramento region, and even though they did not open any new locations in the Sacramento area, they did open 30 new stores nationwide this year. This seems like good news because I enjoy looking at and reading books and I think it is cool to see bookstores making a resurgence especially after so many having closed down. And Barnes and Noble is not just building small locations. They are opening 25,000 square foot locations in some places. 

Some of the hardest goings:

Since I don't really like focusing on what is bad and what is sad in the world, I will make this one quick. I have a really hard time seeing the apparent direction of how things went, how things didn't really get better. But they didn't necessarily get worse. This article seemed like to was kind of a let down: https://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2023/12/13/electric-fences-applications-rise.html. Seeing cities stop growing and start becoming dangerous theft holes, as I have heard, a reversal in the direction that had been going on in the past twenty years and from the direction that I would like to see. Hopefully, since the pandemic has been over and businesses and cities are tackling more theft issues, the negative trend might reverse. Many of these business closures are in other places, but they were crucial enough in history and close enough to my life that it must talk about them.

1. Arian's in Placerville

This was by far the most significant store closure in western El Dorado County. This was an old school army surplus store that sold many cool and unique things in the heart of Main Street Placerville. And had some good clothing items also. I sure hope something good takes it place because it is hard losing good shopping options in town. 

2. Nordstrom in San Francisco and the decline of Westfield San Francisco Centre.

I never visited this Nordstrom and I have never visited this mall or Union Square, even though I would like to visit Union Square sometime. Hopefully it is not as bad as the news makes it out to be. And there is a Nordstrom operating at the Galleria in Roseville. And I'm not even a Nordstrom shopper anyway. But it is always a let down to see a downtown department store close especially since there aren't many left and that they tend to be grand places to shop at and people have wanted to come back to downtown in recent years. 

3. Bubba's Burgers Two in Cameron Park, California. 

I already mentioned this place before. I never ate at this restaurant even though it was in my community. It wasn't one of the places I really liked going to. Which is why I am bummed that I didn't make it in time. How was this restaurant's burgers and fries?? Were they that good that it would have made this list of places people will miss dearly. Or were they, ah, ok??

4. Bed Bath and Beyond Nationwide

No list of goings for 2023 can't go on without mentioning this one. Whether you were really sad about losing this one, or if you didn't care. It was just another big box category killer. Beginning the year with 600+ locations and ending it with 0. And this store operated in the local area, in Folsom. One of the nation's biggest bed and bath retailers to being nothing. But funny thing is, they didn't go away completely. Overstock bought them and is continuing the use of their name, even renaming Overstock to Bed Bath and Beyond. They didn't keep open or reopen any of their stores, at least not yet. 

5. Netillo's Takos in Cameron Park

I went to this place a lot when it first opened and I wrote about this place when it first opened. Despite that, it wasn't my favorite Mexican restaurant. They did serve some good tacos, but we didn't order much else. I am more into steak fajitas, fish tacos, enchiladas, and tamales than just ordering street tacos all the time. And I am excited about this place's replacement, which I mentioned earlier in this post. 

Honorable mentions (a couple of these would have made it, but they weren't in the Sacramento area):

Top Hat Video in Bountiful, Utah

Why was losing a video store in Utah so hard?? Especially one I never visited?? Just because it was. It was the last video rental store in Utah and it closed at the beginning of this year.  And it surprised me because I thought it was doing well for a video store since it had 400+ Google reviews, which should be a sign people were still renting from this place. My family and I have been big fans of visiting Utah for quite some time now and I wanted to visit this store back on our trip in December of 2021 and I chickened out because I didn't want to go there and find out they were going out of business while I was there. And that I can't go there now since they are closed. Which is a bummer, especially when we went to Utah in July because we passed by Bountiful on our way to Lagoon Amusement Park, which is a really cool amusement park. My family has friends that moved to Bountiful recently, which we visited on the trip.  

Spotlight Video in Eureka, California.

Another video store. This one I actually got to see on our way to stay in Brookings, Oregon last year and it was open and operating. Funny, this chain operated in Brookings, Oregon several years ago and I was amazed to see that store operating back then because video stores were mostly a thing of the past back in 2015 when I saw it. I enjoyed seeing the Hollywood Video impersonation of their storefront, reliving the days of Hollywood Video. So, I was disappointed to see on Google Maps that the store was no longer shown as being operating on Google Maps. I couldn't look anymore. Fortunately, it wasn't the last video store in the state and not even the last one in Humboldt County, California. La Dolce Video in Arcata is still operating:https://ladolce.video/. Spotlight Video fortunately wasn't the closest still operating video store to El Dorado County. Bizzaro World (they specialize in comic book sales, but has a large Movie Rental section) in Davis, California and Nevada City Video in Nevada City, California are still operating. Record stores such as the Cave in Folsom are also really good places to find DVDs. Check out these pages if you want to learn more about operating video rental stores if you looking for one: https://www.facebook.com/people/International-Independent-Video-Store-Day/100063551637308/, https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaveTheVideoStore?src=hashtag_click&f=live. 

Anyways, this is the end of my list. I hope you enjoyed reading what I thought were some of the best openings and the hardest closings. Did you agree with this list. Or are there ones you felt were stronger??

Taking a glimpse of Grass Valley/Nevada City's interesting history

 

Today's article is a prelude to my next video project I am working on, which will be about Grass Valley and Nevada City. Hopefully, the video will be out in a week or two and maybe it will be out by the time you are reading this. Grass Valley and Nevada City which are in Nevada County, California 20 minutes and 12 miles north of Interstate 80 in Colfax. Grass Valley and Nevada City both got their start from gold mining during the 1850s California Gold Rush. Especially when hydraulic and deep shaft mining grew in popularity after advancements in technology from the pan, pick, and shovel. And after the riverbeds were cleaned of their gold deposits, people discovered the real source of gold was up in the hills in Nevada City. That the rivers used to flow differently than they do today and that there was still gold deposits buried deep within. Nevada City became the third largest city in the state during these days, with population estimates ranging from around 6,000 to 16,000. Unfortunately, there isn’t a really good count on this data because the census files weren’t stored properly and many of the men in the area moved around so much to the nearby creeks that they didn’t stay for the census. But the area was a magnet for Cornish immigrants who immigrated from England to head to the gold. A great majority of Grass Valley's population was of Cornish descent. Even up to 85% in 1890, many of which worked at the Empire Mine. And a remnant of that Cornish culture can be seen at Marshall's Pasties restaurant, which serves Cornish pasties(1)

Hydraulic mining was the name of the game for the area, as evidenced by the sight of Malakoff Diggins a few miles north of town in the historic town of Bloomfield. Unfortunately, the formation of this place proved the damage hydraulic mining could cause to valleys downstream with tons of rock, sand, mud, and debris washing down into the valley. And water contamination causing the death of fish downstream. As a result, in 1884, Judge Lorenzo Sawyer, a federal judge from San Francisco, ruled in the decision that would end large-scale tail-mining in California.

Grass Valley originally started as an area for cattle ranchers to graze their cows. It is home to the Empire Mine and the North State Mine, which were two of California’s richest gold mines producing the most gold in the county from 1900 to 1925. It was home to the first stamp mill in the state of California, at the former town of Boston Ravine which opened in 1852.

But gold mining is not all that Grass Valley and Nevada City are known for. If you watched my top five Christmas towns video, Nevada City and Grass Valley were the number one and two Christmas towns from my experience in Northern California. Nevada City was where the 2006 Hallmark movie Christmas Card took place, which the Methodist Church and the National Hotel in Nevada City and the South Yuba River had a piece in. Interestingly, Nevada City only receives 14 inches of snowfall a year and Grass Valley only receives 8.6 inches of snow. The towns are only at an elevation of 2,400 feet. But these towns have a history of having massive snowstorms, especially in Nevada City. In 1899 and 1890, the town received 10 to 15 feet of snow. Interestingly, I’ve heard the town doesn’t receive as much snow as it used to, even though it still receives 62 inches of rain on average and the mountains still receive a ton of snow. And the town broke its daily record of snowfall on February 28^th of this calendar year with 24 inches falling on the ground.

Nevada City also is home to the oldest theater in the West, the Nevada Theater, which hosted many famous stars, such as their own natives as famous opera star Emma Nevada (1859-1940) and entertainer Lotta Crabtree (1847-1924), though she was born in New York City, but moved to Grass Valley when she was four years old. Mark Twain made an appearance at the theater twice.

 

My favorite things about Nevada City and Grass Valley are that they both have charming historical main streets that are vibrant with mom-and-pop stores and restaurants that I like to spend time and visit at. From what I researched, Downtown Grass Valley has 59 stores, and 26 restaurants and Downtown Nevada City has 44 stores and 28 restaurants, which are both good sized since they are both small towns and less than 10 miles apart. And even though the 10-mile area has 66,576 people according to research I have done on cities, they are both off the beaten path since no interstate goes through the towns. But interestingly, the towns did have a railroad that connected them to the main railroad in Colfax from 1876 to 1942 called the Nevada City Narrow Guage Railroad, which the town has honored through having a museum dedicated to this railroad. But the town feels big enough to have amenities and close enough to big cities but feels far away enough and tucked away enough with the tall pine trees that it feels like a getaway from modern day life. In fact, this area has so far resisted many of the big box store chains and chain restaurants popular in most similar sized cities. No Walmart, No GameStop, No Chipotle, No In N Out Burger, No Home Depot or Lowe's. They don’t even have any new car dealerships. But they do have other chain stores. In fact, the area has been known to have some of the last or the last towns in the Northern part of the state to have certain chains that have been obliviated from statewide or nationwide life. Was the last town in the state to have Kmart, which closed in 2021 is now a Target(2). The last Ralphs grocery store in Northern California, which closed in 2006 is now Safeway(3). The last McDonald’s with an outdoor playground in Northern California to have avoided a remodel, which was remodeled in 2021 which created an indoor playground for the restaurant(4). It had one of the last Sears Hometown Stores up till 2022(5). Not the last. Auburn’s location outlived theirs by six months and there are still four Sears department stores in the state(6). It still has one of two Ben Franklin stores operating in California(7). And still has a movie rental store in Nevada City, Nevada City Video(8). And it went into 2020 with two video stores still operating(8). Video Library in Grass Valley sadly closed in 2020. And Grass Valley still has a downtown movie theater. And a strong arts and culture presence, which not necessarily a declining business, is still unique. Which is reflective of the area, with a strong hippie and new age presence and is in the only liberal county in the Foothills region(9), which as a conservative myself is unfortunate in my opinion. And interestingly, the Empire Mine and the Idaho Maryland Mines in Grass Valley were the last two major mining operations in California when they shut down in 1956. It operated for 105 years, which held the record for being the oldest continuously worked gold mine in the United States and was the largest hard rock mine in the state of California. Its history is preserved with it becoming a state park in 1975 where you can relive the glory days of the Gold Rush(10). And on the other hand, Nevada County was the first place to install a long distance telephone line in 1878, which went 60 miles from its starting point in French Corral going up the Sierra Nevada Mountains. And Nevada County had an airplane creator, Lyman Gilmore(11), who claimed to have flown his airplanes in Nevada County before Wilbur and Orville Wright did. Grass Valley and Nevada City have a very interesting history in my opinion, and I hope you found what you learned today interesting. If you enjoyed this article, please check my YouTube channel to see if this video has been uploaded yet and to check out the other videos I have created:https://www.youtube.com/@haydenlepore3924/videos.  I hope you enjoyed this article and Thank you for reading!!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

References:

1.https://www.comstocksmag.com/web-only/how-cornish-pasties-got-california

2.https://haydenbusinessblog.blogspot.com/2021/11/

3.https://www.theunion.com/news/local-news/local-ralphs-not-one-of-16-set-to-close/article_fb41a9eb-66f3-5ce5-8282-ac0a17bcd9ce.html

3.https://www.theunion.com/news/ralphs-closes-its-doors-in-grass-valley/article_6664df65-5bd3-57e9-873e-479533c49356.html

4.https://foresitecc.com/project/updating-and-remodeling-a-mcdonalds-restaurant-in-grass-valley-ca/

5.https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/grass-valley-truckee-sears-hometown-stores-closing/

6.https://www.retaildive.com/news/sears-kmart-reopening-stores-distressed-retail/701340/

The 4 locations Sears still operates in California are in Concord, Stockton, Burbank, and Whittier

7.https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ben+Franklin+Crafts+%26+Frames/@39.2331331,-121.0406589,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x809b706121907e79:0xd5384aa65bda15bb!8m2!3d39.233129!4d-121.038084!16s%2Fg%2F1thml7hg?entry=ttu

8.https://www.google.com/maps/place/Nevada+City+Video/@39.2507543,-121.0232097,15.75z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x809b70828e28faed:0x5460403dce69b609!8m2!3d39.2528536!4d-121.0244927!16s%2Fg%2F1tdjrd7r?entry=ttu

https://www.theunion.com/news/last-one-standing-nevada-city-video-keeps-the-movies-playing/article_62adfed6-b48a-11ed-88f0-cbcc69c43bd5.html

https://www.theunion.com/news/business/video-library-calls-off-liquidation-sale-closure-for-now/article_7fb78ac5-950c-5a61-88c2-de5fec891417.html

9.https://nevadacountyca.gov/3120/November-3-2020-Election-Results

10.https://www.sierragoldparksfoundation.org/page/history-of-empire-mine/

11.https://www.theunion.com/news/local-news/lyman-gilmore-an-aviation-pioneer-that-history-almost-forgot/article_0f2b0999-ff60-5ac5-9b07-5dd8bc2cf321.html

Here are some of my favorite Northern California Christmas towns

 Hi everyone, since the Christmas season is underway, I thought it would be good to write a list of what the best Christmas towns are in my local area. 

5. Sutter Creek

Sutter Creek is a small country Gold Rush town in Amador County with a historic quaint main street, lined and graced with Christmas decorations. Instead of hosting Black Friday, the town celebrates Plaid Friday where people celebrate the shopping day in plaid clothing. They also hold the Parade of Lights with floats and marching bands passing through the main street.

4. Truckee

This town is a treat, being in the mountains that receive 405 inches of snow and the town receiving 107 inches of snow and nestled in the pine forests of the Sierra Nevada, it feels like walking in a winter wonderland. Even though the town in my opinion has a small amount of Christmas décor, there are many things in this town that make it a Christmas town. It has the railroad and the trains running through town and stopping at the depot in town. It has snow. It has the small-town main street with shops and restaurants. It has ski resorts and their villages up the hill. Many of the ingredients to be a quality candidate for a Hallmark Christmas movie.

    3. Placerville

 This town celebrates Christmas with the annual Christmas Festival of Lights (now Hometown Holidays) on Black Friday where the town gathers for the annual tree lighting in town square and even a Christmas tree trail along the highway. This helps promote the Christmas tree farm business up the hill which is benefited by the abundance of ponderosa pines and the favorable climate for Christmas trees. And another thing, many of these Christmas tree farms are near Apple Hill, which is a huge destination especially during the fall. Placerville also hosts the Hangtown Christmas parade a couple weeks after the event with floats and marching bands passing through the main street. And the late Thomas Kinkade who was known to paint many Christmas scenes resided in Placerville in his lifetime.      

   2. Grass Valley

My favorite things about this town are its historical main street with many small businesses and even an operating downtown movie theater. Even better, the town recently converted their street to a pedestrian mall. And they have decorated it beautifully for Christmas with a large Christmas tree, ornaments, and nutcrackers gracing the entrance to the town.

1. Nevada City

This town is where the movie Christmas Card took place. The preserved historical buildings and the surrounding pine trees make the town the ideal picturesque Christmas town. Which is no surprise that the town hosts the annual Victorian Christmas every December, when the streets are lined with street vendors and people dressed up in Victorian Christmas attire. It is only up the hill from Grass Valley.

Runner ups:

Folsom:

Folsom’s main street Sutter Street has a surprisingly strong display of Christmas décor with beautiful Christmas lights, a seasonal ice rink, and even a year round Christmas store in town, Dorothea’s Shoppe. The town also has the Palladio at Broadstone which has a beautiful Christmas tree anchoring the center for the season, and there are neighborhoods in town that go all out with Christmas lights and displays, such as the Ledgemont Court near Folsom Lake College.

Town Center El Dorado Hills:

Town Center El Dorado Hills, despite being in suburban El Dorado Hills, is a fun main street to walk around. The shopping center is going all out for Christmas by their Elf on the Boulevard, which is a fun scavenger hunt. I participated in this activity a couple weeks ago and it was fun searching around all the local businesses in the center looking for the elves lurking in the corners. I hope you can come check it out this season.

I hope you enjoyed reading this list on Christmas towns and maybe you are inspired to make a trip of your own. Also, please check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@haydenlepore3924/videos. Please like and subscribe to that channel if you enjoyed watching my videos. Thank you for reading. 

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6