Whiteout

Growing up in Southern California, chances are you and/or your kids have never really seen snow fall . . . aside from on the 10 oclock news, or on cartoons or something. And while Americans everywhere else (and a select other arguably lucky states) are shoveling their driveways and waiting for the plows and salt trucks to come through just so they can go to the market for a gallon of milk, we Southern Californians are dumb enough to find even fake falling snow absolutely fascinating and will flock to just about anywhere to get a taste of it. Seriously on the flocking. Have you ever seen the post-holiday fireworks snowfall at Disneyland? People are elbowing knee-high kids out of the way just to get at it. But now somewhere far less pricey (in fact, its free) offers the faux-snow phenomenon: the new Bella Terra outdoor shopping center in Huntington Beach. Thats right, every day up until the new year, its going to snow foam in Huntington Beach. Its actually kinda cute, and the kids really go crazy over it. Get some shopping done and pause just long enough to appreciate our warm California climateand the fact youre shopping outdoors in mid-December in a T-shirt.
Dec. 11-Jan. 1, 7 p.m., 2007