SeeCalifornia.com

After Thanksgiving there’s all kinds of propaganda to convince us that we need to shop, but not every Californian is buying it. With Black Friday starting on Thanksgiving Thursday, many shoppers captured their bargains early, slept in the next day, and had fun with family & friends. Throughout the state the weather has been ideal on this Thanksgiving weekend 2012–shirt sleeves in the south, jackets in the north, and skiing in the high Sierras! Here are a few ways to spend the holidays having a good time  minus shopping headaches.

1.  Take a boat ride. Shown in the photo is Harbor Breeze 45 minute ride costing $12 for an adult.
2.  Eat out. Delicious ribs, chicken, Greek, Italian and Sushi are several options for dining entertainment.
3.  Go see lights. See a tree lighting, Christmas parade or a boat parade. Drive around and see the Christmas lights in the neighborhood, at your nearest mall, pier or theme park attraction.
4.  Walk. Take a stroll along the shopping districts, at the boardwalk, in the wetlands, in the new-fallen snow, or at the beach, while getting great exercise.
5.  Be good to yourself. Get a haircut, a massage, manicure, see a movie, sleep an extra hour, or throw away the junk in your closet by recycling new and used clothing, shoes, books, etc.

The National Retail Federation predicts 147 million people will have shopped Black Friday through Sunday 2012. That’s down from 152 million people from last year’s three-day Thanksgiving weekend.