Holiday Wonderlands can be found in myriad interpretations and locations. Places brimming with festive ambiance and high spirits are easily found across the USA and Canada, whether you’re looking to recharge with snowy winter beauty or revel in a historical candlelit estate brought back to life. The updated edition of 1000 Places to See in the United States & Canada Before You Die is out just in time for the holidays. Filled with countless suggestions, it makes a perfect holiday gift for the travelers in your life, as well as inspiration to plan your own annual getaway (for this year or next).
My random selection of five places with great holiday charm can be found below—a mix of active getaways and relaxing locales to spend time with family and friends, or to help you avoid the holiday stress that can sometime drain much of the joy from this time of year. Christkindlesmarkts and parades, Christmas-tree lighting and wandering carolers may feel like a Christmas card sprung to life, while others are the very antithesis of a white Christmas.
But all are guaranteed to make your season bright.
New York City, New York, USA
For all its hard-bitten reputation, my hometown of New York is crazy for Christmas. Fifth Avenue’s department store window displays are whimsical creations of art. But steer clear of the last-minute shoppers on a mission, and head to Radio City Music Hall for the annual Christmas Spectacular starring the Radio City Rockettes to nurture your inner elf. Radio City is part of the massive Rockefeller Center complex, and you won’t want to miss taking a photo in front of the dazzling 94-foot Christmas tree overlooking the ice-skating rink. Jewel-like Bryant Park is the magical location for the city’s largest Christmas Market, on the edge of the always busy Broadway Theater District. There are countless plays and musicals along the Great White Way to choose from, or celebrate the holidays at Carnegie Hall or the multiple venues of Lincoln Center (the New York City Ballet’s Nutcracker production may be the finest anywhere). Santa will need to pull a few strings to make those front-row seats happen, so give him plenty of notice.
The Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina, USA
Built in 1895, the magnificent home of George Washington Vanderbilt II remains the largest private residence ever built in America. Much of Biltmore’s 250-room, chateau-inspired estate is open to the public, and during the holidays it is lavishly decked out with over 70 Christmas trees, miles of evergreen garlands and artful fireplace mantel displays. Old fashioned candlelight concerts of choirs and classical music augment the atmosphere, as will a sampling of the special holiday wine made yearly at the Biltmore Winery. The nearby city of Asheville is recognized as one of the most vibrant in this Appalachian corner of the Southeast USA, with a well-known, year-round art and cultural scene and an innovative food movement that is reason enough to visit. When warmer weather returns, there is the beauty of the nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park to explore, and a super-scenic road trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway that originates here and wends north to the Shenandoah Valley outside of Washington, D.C.
Telluride, Colorado, USA
The European Alps have nothing on our majestic American Rockies—and think of the hours of air travel you save! Of Colorado’s many world-class ski destinations, the old silver-mining town of Telluride is a favorite family-friendly choice for skiers both expert and rooky, serving up lots of quaint character and holiday ambiance. Decoration-strung streets are lined with Victorian-era buildings, many housing artisanal shops and great eateries both casual and impressive. Christmas classics include the North Pole on Ice show, an Arts Bazaar showcasing regional artists for great last-minute gift shopping, the Telluride Ski Tree made from old donated wooden skis that is burned to honor the old Norse god Ullr, Patron Saint of Skiers, and the annual Torchlight Parade that zigzags down the mountain. An impressive roster of festivals, some established decades ago and among the country’s finest, take over the valley in the warm weather months.
Hawaii, USA
Mele Kalikimaka! Trade in those Christmas trees for palm trees and snow drifts for sandy beaches and surf-worthy waves, and head to Hawaii, America’s year-round playground and the only state comprised entirely of islands—and oh, what beauties they are! There is life beyond beautiful Oahu and Waikiki’s world-famous beach life: Kauai, the greenest and oldest island, and a scene-stealing vision of tropical gorgeousness that has earned it its nickname “the Garden Isle”; Maui, “the Valley Isle” that embodies the spirit of aloha and offers a crowd-pleasing mix of resorts and hideaways for every budget and interest; Hawai’i Island (Big Island), the youngest, largest, and most primal of the 1,500-mile–long archipelago, home of Kilauea, the world’s most active volcano and believed to be the home of the fiery goddess Pele; Molokai, a showcase of Mother Nature’s wild and uninhabited work of art and, together with Lanai—a former Dole pineapple plantation known mostly for two stellar Four Season resorts—one of Hawaii’s least developed places.
Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort, British Columbia, Canada
Hop on the frequent bus transfer heading 75 miles north of Vancouver on the stunning Sea-to-Sky Highway, to North America’s largest ski and snowboard mecca., Considered one of the premier mountain destinations in the world, Whistler Blackcomb pulls out all the stops at Christmastime, beginning on the slopes: Dress like Santa or Mrs. Claus and ski for free on one select photo-op day. Abundant and reliable snow spread is pretty much guaranteed over endlessly stunning and unending terrain. Even if the holidays attract large numbers, you can enjoy alone-with-nature runs—it never really feels crowded. The attractive Tyrolean-style pedestrian-only resort village at the base teems with holiday cheer and well over 100 options of food and liquid nourishment. Deck the halls!
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