Readers share the best parts of 2023
I can hardly believe it, but 2023 is almost over.
This is our last newsletter of the year, so I wanted to thank you for starting your morning with our coverage of our favorite state.
It has been a joy to be able to travel through California and learn about its strange history and fascinating people, and to share those stories with you. Many of the most memorable moments of my year occurred while writing for this newsletter: meeting the world’s oldest aquarium fish, dining through San Francisco’s Burmese restaurants, visiting migrant camps on the Tijuana border, seeing a ancient lake coming back to life in the Central Valley and learn all you can about our poignant state flower. It is an honor to do this work.
Today I’m sharing what you told me about the best part of your year. Hearing from readers, especially about the details and little joys of your life, is one of the best parts of my job. I hope you enjoy reading these notes as much as I do.
See you in 2024. I will receive you again in your inbox on January 2. Happy new year!
“My husband, Paul Batchelder, turned 90 this summer. Paul has been an avid fisherman all his life, so at his birthday party we had tables with fishing nets and goldfish. Hors d’oeuvres were served in sushi boats.” — Paddy Batchelder, Gualala
“One of my greatest joys this past year has been practicing stand-up paddleboarding, where I often take my inflatable board to Donner Lake, a short five-minute drive from my house, to start my mornings. What a pleasure it was to take a lap on magical, glass-like water.” — Kelly Bathgate, Truckee
“My husband and I were invited to meet a friend in Los Angeles over the Fourth of July holiday. We booked a rental house in Venice and immediately joined the locals as they celebrated among the famous canals. I never knew about the famous Venice Rubber Ducky Race, where hundreds of small, yellow, floating ducks are dropped from a bridge. This is not a fast race; it is mind-boggling in its swirling slowness as the ducks ebb and flow through the canal. The intervention of real amphibian birds made it even more exciting. The real joy, however, was with the people. This was honestly the most wholesome, laughable family goodness I’ve experienced in years. I’m proud to celebrate being an American.” — Lynka Adams, Napa
“Happiness was found in my own backyard. I sit on my little patio on top of Potrero Hill and enjoy the beautiful, mostly succulent garden that my friend has built and maintains. Sometimes I invite a friend over for tea or an afternoon cocktail, but otherwise I read in my Adirondack chair or take a nap in my hammock. I used to race around to galleries and museums, theater and movies, and/or parties and events. Now, as a seventy-year-old, I am content to watch the hummingbirds frolic in the babbling fountain, the clouds pass across the sky, and the neighbors’ trees dance in the wind.” — Jim Van Buskirk, San Francisco
“I live in Los Angeles and have been vacationing in La Jolla Shores for several years. I love that it feels like a small town, but it’s close to all of San Diego’s attractions. For years I wanted to go with my childhood best friend and her family, and this June I finally did. The best part of the trip was that we had time to just be together. We sat on the beach, read and listened to the waves. We had a barbecue where my friend, who is a teacher, spent time with a student at UCSD who was once one of her third graders. One evening we had dinner at Piatti, an Italian restaurant with a large tree in the middle of the patio seating area. We had the kind of intergenerationally engaging conversation that made us think, laugh and look up to see that they were closing the restaurant around us.” — Rebecca Scott, Los Angeles
“My husband was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer at the start of the year, meaning 2023 has been one of the hardest years I’ve ever had. But I’ve realized that there is joy not only in overcoming adversity, but also in the community that builds around you to support you in times like these. Friendships are strengthened. Neighbors have become family. People near and far have offered their support. And I pushed myself and developed a resilience that I otherwise wouldn’t have known was there.” — Olivia Pires, San Diego
Where we travel to
The holidays can be a perfect time to… Los Angeles County Museum of Art, which offers extended hours in December and January. Admission is also free for LA County residents on weekdays after 3 p.m.
What we recommend
The best songs of 2023.
Tell us
What are you looking forward to in 2024? Milestone birthdays, travel to new places, a new hobby?
Tell us your expectations for the new year at CAtoday@nytimes.com. Please include your full name and the city where you live.
And before you go: good news
Parks across California will offer a host of guided hikes on New Year’s Day as part of First Day Hikes, an annual national initiative that encourages people to see the country’s natural wonders as the new year begins.
In California, guides at more than 60 parks will lead visitors Jan. 1 on hikes, walks and other outdoor activities through the state’s vast natural environment. Visitors can choose from more than 80 hikes at a wide range of skill levels, including a five-mile forest climb at Angel Island State Park and an off-road ride through the dunes of San Diego’s Ocotillo Wells.
Whether you have ambitious New Year’s resolutions or are simply looking for a fun day after a long night: the outdoors beckons. Find event details and statistics for each walk at this interactive map on the California Department of Parks and Recreation website.