12 Days: Day 12: My Ideal Holiday
One of the things I’ve learned living in California is how to keep the holiday spirit without the frosty weather. Decorations are the key and also taking advantage of all the wonderful festivals and theme park events in my area. I also love holiday scents from Yankee Candle and taking advantage of cold mornings to indulge in tea and Hot Cocoa :) Today on the last day of My 12 Days event I want to share this great article with you from Gogobot. Enjoy & Happy Holidays!!
By: Gogobot Editors’ Choice
The winter holidays are not a time for moderation. Drinks flow freely, parties go on into the wee hours, and going hungry begins to sound like a happy dream. Planning to travel this winter? Vacation in this season tends to extremes as well. Ski resorts and beaches are inevitably popular, but urban excitement holds its own allure. Here’s our rundown of where to enjoy some holiday cheer, from downtown skating to partying with the Grinch, to cactus Christmas trees. Two are hot, two are cold, and one is ‘just right’.
Traveling with family and can’t abide the cold? Head to Orlando for the holidays, where a typical day will be in the 70s, perfect for festive flip-flops. Pop over to Christmas, Florida to send your cards with a matching postmark, or check out Grinchmas at Universal Studios, where you can meet the grouchy Grinch himself. Disney World puts on a myriad of parades, or you can experience holiday traditions from around the world at Epcot Center. One of the hotels in downtown Orlando like the Peabody Hotel should complete the festive picture.
We all know by now that Vegas isn’t just for bachelor parties. This extravaganza in the desert isn’t exactly hot in December, with temperatures averaging about 60 degrees Fahrenheit, but clear, cool days are pleasantly fresh. Book ahead at one of Vegas’ luxurious hotels – Gogobot users love the Cosmopolitan – and join the thousands of Santas flooding the streets for the annual Great Santa Run. Christmas trees get prickly in the Decorated Cactus Garden at the Ethel M Botanical Garden, while the lavish decorations on the Strip alone are sure to put a sparkle in your eye.
Temperatures are usually well below freezing in New York at the holidays…and that’s just the way New Yorkers like it. Get motivated to leave your hotel, if you can (New York has so many great hotels) and wrap yourself in your warmest scarf. Hit Rockefeller Center for the famous tree lighting, go ice skating in Central Park, and browse the holiday market in Union Square. When you’re ready to get inside, grab a hot chocolate at City Bakery and then check out the original manuscript of A Christmas Carol at the Morgan Library, or catch a Nutcracker performance by New York City Ballet. The Big Apple is indubitably one of the world’s great holiday destinations.
Winter winds strike a chill into the bones of visitors, but Chicago delivers its share of holiday fun. The Zoo is aglow during the ZooLights festival,perfect for bringing little ones. Strap on some skates at Millennium Park, or check out the Winter WonderFest at Navy Pier for rides, a beer garden and live music performances. Just make sure to book your Chicago hotel in advance.
It’s a bit of a cheat to have San Francisco, with its moderate temperatures, on a list of hot and cold holiday destinations. But with unique events like the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus SantaConcert, or the story of Hanukkah told in the the Jewish Nutcracker in Yerba Buena Gardens, this is a festive stop par excellence. Don’t miss the Parol Lantern Festival, a yearly celebration of the Filipino community with more than 1000 brightly colored lanterns, or funky holiday markets all around. Choose a San Francisco hotel to call home, and you’re set!
Whether you like your holidays lush and green or snappy and white, enjoy a festive season, full of lights and laughter. Want to get out of the city instead? Find an amazing European Ski Resort or find out Where to See the Northern Lights this year.
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