077 Holiday Getaways

It is time to get in the mood for the holidays! Our picks for the best holiday destinations on the East and West Coast (and a few in between), will get you into the holiday spirit. ON THE PODCAST 00:32 - Talking with Kim and Tamara about holiday travel 03:34 - Tamara’s tips for the holiday in NYC 05:59 - Christmas festival in Leavenworth WA 07:40 - Wassailing weekend in Woodstock VT 09:27 - Holiday in Hawaii 11:05 - St. Augustine FL 12:26 - Vancouver Island Holiday 15:00 - Airlie Gardens in North Carolina 16:19 - Parade of boats in California 17:42 - Gaylord Opryland Hotel Country Christmas 19:58 - Holiday at Coeur d'alene resort 21:30 - Holiday at Hershey Park 24:11 - Disneyland Holiday 27:29 - Indiana, PA - Christmas tree capital of the world 29:07 - Bellevue WA Snowflake lane 30:40 - Annapolis chocolate binge festival 32:08 - Illuminate SF 33:35 - Philadelphia 35:50 - Denver, Colorado 37:35 - Local holiday events 39:00 - Great Wolf Lodge in the winter 41:14 - Dude ranch and lodge winter packages 46:30 - Give away!! BEST HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS New York City is very crowded for the holidays but it is worth it because it is such an iconic christmas destination. You will want to visit Rockefeller Center to see the big Christmas tree and ice skating rink but it is less crowded in Bryant Park. Be sure to check out the Christmas markets, see a show, and look at the themed department store windows! Leavenworth, WA has been themed as a Bavarian village. The whole town has strict design codes so all of the stores all have wood panelling and signage. They do a huge Christmas festival including a Christmas lighting and a nutcracker museum. Woodstock, VT is very picturesque and looks like the classic winter scene. They have an annual Wassailing Weekend at the beginning of December with carriage rides and Victorian-dressed riders. Christmas in Hawaii is actually a great holiday destination. There are different events that happen on the different islands. If you check with your hotel you may also get a chance to see a surfing Santa! St. Augustine Florida is the oldest city in the US. For the holidays they have a Nights of Lights celebration that runs from the end of November to the end of January. They also have trolley and carriage rides, guided walks and the Regatta of Lights, with colorfully decorated boats. Butchart Gardens in British Columbia does a 12 days of Christmas installation. So you can walk through beautiful light decorations for all twelve days. Hershey Park in Pennsylvania opens up part of the park with decorations and lights. Also, not far from the park they the Hershey Sweet Lights, which is about a two-mile drive thru of lights and decorations display. Indiana, PA is the Christmas tree capital of the world and has a ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ festival that runs from the week of Thanksgiving through the week before christmas. You can take a hayride and visit a christmas tree farm. This is a great small town that does Christmas in a big way! MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting Nutcracker Museum Wassaling Weekend Honolulu City Lights Nights of Lights Regatta of Lights 12 Days of Christmas Installations Boat Parade of Lights in California Coeur d’alene Resort Holiday It’s a Wonderful Life Festival Chocolate Binge Festival Illuminate SF Festival of Light Great Wolf Lodge Podcast Holiday at Great Wolf Lodge - We3 Travel Holiday at Great Wolf Lodge - Stuffed Suitcase Christmas on the East Coast FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD! If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035# You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!