IN THE PIPELINE:

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and happy holidays. A couple of things this week, in honor of the season: first, a visit to a few historic places, followed by a gift from a young writer.

These past few weeks I’ve been doing a lot of media, speaking on radio and TV talk shows about places to visit during the holidays — places that somehow relate to this time of the year. Since some of you may be among the 65 million folks hitting the road this week, I thought I’d share a few.

My favorite holiday history site is in New York at Pete’s Tavern, 129 E. 18th St. Pete’s has been open since 1864 and still looks exactly as it did when literary history was made here in 1902. That year, its most celebrated regular, the writer O. Henry, wrote the Christmas classic “Gift of The Magi” at his favorite booth by the front doors. Today at the booth, a framed copy of the story is mounted against the wall.

“You’ll shoot your eye out!” So warns Ralphie’s mom in one of our family favorite Christmas movies, “A Christmas Story.” The quirky, charming 1983 film starring Peter Billingsley (in search of a Red Rider air-powered BB gun) and Darren McGavin, though set in Indiana, was actually shot on an “Anywhere, U.S.A”-looking street in Cleveland — 3159 W. 11th St., to be exact. Today the house has been restored to its movie splendor, and is open year round to the public for tours. Directly across the street from the house is the official “A Christmas Story” House Museum, which features original props, costumes and memorabilia from the film, as well as rare behind-the-scenes photos and a gift shop. Nearby, the C & Y Chinese restaurant from the movie is also open for business.

Near Chicago, at 671 Lincoln Ave., in Winnetka, Ill., you’ll find the MacAllister home, where Macaulay Culkin outsmarted a pair of bumbling burglars in 1990’s holiday comedy, “Home Alone.” Not far from the home is the mall where he met Santa Claus — Winnetka Village Hall, 501 Green Bay Road.

Up in the Sequoia National Forest is the General Grant Tree — otherwise known as the “Nation’s Christmas Tree.” President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed it a National Shrine March 29, 1956, and each year park rangers place a large wreath at the base of the Grant Tree, remembering those who gave their lives for their country. (President Calvin Coolidge first proclaimed this “The Nation’s Christmas Tree,” and the name stuck.)

Closer to home, at 241 South Moreno Drive in Beverly Hills, is a famous site from my wife’s favorite, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” During the courtship scene between Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed in this 1946 holiday classic, the two young stars are dancing in the Bedford Falls High School gymnasium. A button is pushed (by Carl Switzer, later known as Alfalfa from “The Little Rascals”) which results in the dance floor opening, thus causing everyone to fall into the pool that is under the gymnasium floor. The “Swim/Gym” is still functioning at Beverly Hills High School. It’s just south of the main school building, next to the sports field.

Even closer to Huntington Beach, at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, is one of the world’s largest decorated Christmas trees. It’s decorated with more than 17,000 lights and ornaments and makes for a good holiday photo-op.

Now, as I mentioned, a junior columnist named Claire (who also happens to be my 11-year-old daughter) offered to share a message this week, so without further ado:

Hi, I’m Claire. Here I have a Christmas poem for you explaining what it was like for a shepherd on Christmas night. I wrote it myself and I hope you enjoy it.

What happened this night was so much to behold,

Out here in the shivering cold.

To see what I saw,

To have known what I know,

To hear what I heard,

Is greater than gold.

Star light, star bright, an angel appeared,

In God’s glory there was so much to be feared.

But the angel said, “Do not be afraid,

For Mary, the lowly handmaid,

Is to bear a son who shall save us all.

So go there to see the Lord,

Follow the star that is ever so tall.”

So we headed forth to see what is to see,

All amazed at what the angel had told us what He is to be.

There at the manger, to my surprise,

the baby was there, I couldn’t believe my eyes!

And then I felt a feeling so strong!

And I knew that He was Jesus Christ, the Messiah,

whom we had been waiting for ever so long!

So what happened that night, that glorious sight,

Is what I will always believe,

And that is just what happened on Christmas Eve.

Hey, what are some of your favorite Christmas carols?

Well, next season when you go caroling, try some of these if you haven’t tried them already:

•“Do You Hear What I Hear?”

•“Away in a Manger,”

•“Silver Bells,”

•“It’s Beginning to look a lot like Christmas.”

Also, for more fun, try doing harmony on these songs like echoes, rounds and more. Thanks for reading. I hope you had a Merry Christmas.

Thank you, Claire. And thanks to all of you for reading this column since I began 36 weeks ago. I look forward to bringing you some interesting things this coming year and if you hear of something you think might make for a good “In The Pipeline,” let me know.

CHRIS EPTING is the author of nine books including his latest, “Led Zeppelin Crashed Here, The Rock and Roll Landmarks of North America.” He also hosts “The Pop Culture Road Trip” radio show on webtalkradio.net. You can write him at [email protected].