It’s not easy to get to Santa’s hideout, especially at this time of year, when he’s laying low in preparation for the busiest day of the year. It takes a very intense drive, 17 miles up the Rim of the World Scenic Byway into the San Bernardino Mountains, winding up the sides of mountains until it truly does feel like you’re at the every edge of the sky. But, as they say, ’tis the season, and I was determined to find him and a hefty dose of holiday cheer. And I did: in Lake Arrowhead, at Santa’s Village, a tiny historic theme park where the man in red is around all year long, and so is the festive spirit of the holidays.

“It’s hard to explain it,” owner Michelle Johnson told SFGATE via phone, “but if you’ve been there … you can see that it’s pretty special.” 

Once you traverse the mountain road and make it into the Santa’s Village parking lot, you’ll leave your car, pass under the candy cane arches and then be greeted by an elf who will let you inside. If it all sounds a little bit like the “seven levels of the Candy Cane Forest” and “sea of swirly twirly gumdrops” from “Elf,” you wouldn’t be wrong. 

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The path lined with jingle bells will lead you to Santa. 

A Christmas amusement park with festive rides and shows, Santa’s Village has a long history in California. In fact, the theme park is just six weeks older than Disneyland, opening on Memorial Day weekend 1955. Disneyland opened on July 17 of that year. Both parks are celebrating their 70th anniversaries this year. The difference between the two is that Santa’s Village had a long closure — and it was nostalgic fans who essentially demanded the park be reopened.

In its earliest iteration, Santa’s Village went all-in on Christmas. There were real reindeer, fake snow, bobsleds, a toy shop, a........

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