Last Updated: July 31, 2026
Holidays for us have always been about visiting and celebrating with family and friends. Life on the road made that complicated — most of our immediate family live in cold winter climates that aren’t practical for a motorhome visit — and during COVID, seeing anyone wasn’t a good idea regardless. We have a property in San Diego that had been rented for years and was in serious need of some TLC, so we settled into social isolation there through December 2020, working through a long list of repairs and medical appointments while trying to make something warm and festive out of a very strange holiday season.
Home Repairs
Years of renters and neglect had taken a toll, but we were up for the challenge.
Sandy loves gardening and dove into the yard work with enthusiasm. Her only constraint was the amount of green waste the yard bin could hold each week.
Even though it was December, there was so much in bloom. This Mexican Marigold puts on a lovely fragrant display but only for about a month — one of the delights of a San Diego winter garden.
Sandy fertilized everything early on and within weeks the plants responded dramatically. San Diego’s mild climate means the garden never fully sleeps — even in December it put on a show.
Birds of Paradise were everywhere in the yard, doing what they do best in a San Diego December.
The hummingbirds were drawn to the abundant nectar these flowers produce — a reminder of why we love San Diego winters.
The swan’s neck agave — Agave attenuata — were truly impressive. This soft-leafed agave is a favorite in San Diego gardens for its graceful arching flower stalk that curves like a swan’s neck before slowly opening into bloom. Spectacular as that moment is, it also marks the end of the plant’s life — once it flowers, the mother rosette dies, though it typically leaves behind clusters of offsets to carry on.
Many of the palms had ripening fruit — a December detail that always feels slightly surreal after years of spending winter holidays in colder parts of the country.
San Diego does get some fall foliage, usually arriving in December when the rest of the country has long since finished — just enough color to remind us how spectacular autumn can be in other parts of the country.
Glossy Ibis hang out in groups in grassy areas and wetland edges. They were a regular sight during our walks around the neighborhood.
Lake Hodges is a favorite spot for hiking, kayaking, and mountain biking. Hawks, rattlesnakes, and coyotes are regular sightings along the trails. The old bait shop has been closed for years but the sign is still up — a small piece of local character.
The San Diego visit wasn’t all yard work. Doctor and dental appointments were another long item on the list. Michael had previously had cataract surgery and needed a YAG laser treatment for posterior capsule opacification — a common follow-up procedure. Here he is waiting with fully dilated eyes, doing what physicians do: looking mildly impatient.
COVID Holidays
Our house is minimally furnished after four years of living on the road, but it was genuinely nice to have a proper space to decorate again. Jake approved of the Christmas tree. A little Photoshop fun on this one.
Sandy made delicious scones — one of the genuine advantages of having a full-size kitchen after years of motorhome cooking.
On the winter solstice — December 21, 2020 — Jupiter and Saturn aligned in a rare great conjunction, appearing closer together in the night sky than they had been since 1623. Astronomers and stargazers called it the “Christmas Star.” We watched it from the backyard with binoculars and the camera.
The moon was beautiful that week too — a reminder that even in a pandemic December, the sky doesn’t disappoint if you look up.
Christmas Eve dinner’s pork loin was delicious — a proper sit-down holiday meal, which felt like a luxury after years of motorhome cooking.
Not much on the agenda for Christmas Day, so Michael climbed a ladder and twirled lights around the camera to create this long-exposure holiday portrait. Sometimes the best photography happens when there is nothing else to do.
One of many incredible sunsets that December. We are genuinely grateful for the remarkable year we spent traveling this country — and deeply aware of how hard COVID has been for so many people. We are looking forward to the new year, vaccines, and new adventures on the road.
