Ideas for Christmas Season
 

My tween child and I are seeking ideas for a Christmas trip, just the two of us. We don't have any family and are only together every other year for Christmas.

We live in the west.

Only thing is, I was hoping for someplace that had something interesting on Christmas Day so we wouldn't be sitting in a hotel room all day.

Anyone have any ideas?

Ski resort?

What is your budget? What are your interests? What kind of weather do you want i.e. snow or sunny beach? Are you into museums, movies, or sporting events?

New York City is fabulous at Christmastime. Go ice skating at Rockefeller Center. Go skiing in the Tetons and stay in Jackson Hole, swim on the beach in Ft. Lauderdale, go up the CN tower in Toronto, go ice skating at Pentagon Row then listen to the free jazz jam at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC (get there early, seats go fast).

Hard to suggest w/o knowing your interests.

Of course you could always see a movie then have Chinese.

give us more info -- what sort of things are you looking for. Warm/tropical like Hawaii? A city visit w/ lots of museums/restaurants/afternoon tea - like San Francisco? A ski resort like at Lake Tahoe or in Colorado? Yosemite?

tell us more and we can help more . . . .

Oahu.

How about northern New Mexico? You could go to one of the pueblos on Christmas Day for the dances.

Lee Ann

OK let me think...I guess I'd prefer someplace warm, not a skier. Maybe squeeze in a little educational aside.

Been to Oahu.

Probably a lower end trip in terms of budget.

Not so much sporting events but ok for museums and movies.

Not wild about Chinese food.

What dances in New Mexico pueblos? Don't know anything about that.

Thanks...

Disney World!
(or Disneyland since you're
in the West)
It will be crowded on
Christmas Day but if you
stay on site, go early, and
use Fast Passes its doable.
And great fun.
The deorations are beautiful.

There are many other
attractions in the area
also, such as Universal,
Sea World, Kennedy Space
Center does a nice tour
and is near Cocoa Beach,
a fun place also.

A couple weeks ago I saw a video on TV about the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont. At Christmas it would be fantastic. It's less ski oriented than many "snowy" places, which could be either a plus or minus. Frankly, I'm not big on busy ski resorts at Christmas if I'm not skiing.
Or what about Colonial Williamsburg. Don't they do a lot of things on Christmas?

Then of course, there's New York and the Radio City Spectacular and other shows as well.

Sunriver Resort in Oregon has their Traditions which is chuck full of Christmas events. Or you can participate in a variety of snow sports in and near the resort.

The Trapp Vamily Lodge is nice, but it can be hit or miss with snow. We were there one Christmas with barely any snow at all. It just didn't seem right from what we had envisioned, lol!

Leavenworth, WA is fun at Christmas as well. That day it can be pretty quiet, but you can go snowshoeing or cross country skiing right in town.

Sorry, just read your other post...scratch my suggestions:)

Charleston, SC.

I have to mention Asheville, NC even though it doesn't fit your "warmer" criteria. The Biltmore House at Christmas is pretty fabulous.

Enjoy your time with your tween child.

What about starting a new Christmas Tradition, just you and your kids.

Maybe let one or both of the kids decide were to go this year. You could put a pin where you live with a string (you decide the length of the string). They can pick a few places and then research whats there and if it would be fun. As they get older just make the string longer and you'll get out of the country.

As to Christmas day.... bring it with you!! Some tradition or always make it non traditional.... like the most outragous Christmas dinner possible.

You mentioned that you're on a budget and in the west.

You can get some pretty good deals on Mexico.

Rent a beach house for a week.

San Diego is a great city... find a beach house and there's a lot going on.

My husband and I rented a house in Sonoma in March and it was $750.00 for the week.

Come to Santa Barbara CA! There is nothing like riding bicycles along the waterfront on a sunny winter day with the Pacific a deep, deep blue! Wonderful restaurants, shopping, scenery, wine tasting, whale watching, kayaking, lots to do in a beautiful city!

There are some great deals to be had for lodging if you look carefully and you could even do a day trip to with no problem!

Enjoy your planning!

Beach house is an idea; but we can't go out of the country as I can't get a passport for my kid, ex won't participate.

We've lived some years in So Cal so I was more interested in experiencing someplace else.

Santa Barbara is an idea; but we were just there last summer.

Has anyone ever taken a train trip?

The train trip that looks beautiful to me is the one in the Canadian Rockies ... I'm not sure what might be available in the Southwest.

Albuquerque is be beautiful and they so that luminaria stuff... I think it would be wonderful to go there during the holidays!

Did you say where you will be traveling from?

SW United States. Actually Albuquerque is very doable...haven't really been to NM much; nor Texas or any of the Southern States.

Come to Hawaii. Can't beat the warm weather. Since you've already been to Oahu, try the Big Island or Maui (Kauai might be nice at other times of the year, but the chances of rain are very high in the winter). Lots to do on both islands, and if you like the beach...well, that's free!

In New Mexico, you could fly/drive to Albuquerque or El Paso TX and make a loop tour of New Mexico.

Museum/Education/Scenery:
White Sands National Monument is east of Las Cruces NM. Its beautiful white sand, with stunning scenery and mountains to the east. white sands is open on Christmas Day (although the Visitors Center is closed). www.nps.gov

For a chance of snow, drive up to the town of Cloudcroft.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park:
Take Cave Tours, its a huge, beautiful and interesting cave. Book in advance. Not open Christmas Day. Lot of budget hotels in town of Carlsbad.

Education: In Soccoro, visit the VLA Telescope. the visitor center is open every day of the year. http://www.vla.nrao.edu/genpub/tours/

It won't be warm like Southern California, but it will be something different.

Search fodors for information on Albuquerue, Santa Fe, and Taos. Numerous fodorites have well documented trip reports, including Bandelier NM, the Indian Museum, Santa Fe, etc. We found good clean budget hotels in Albuquerque.

the Sandia Peak Tramway in Albuquerque should be open Christmas Day.

Your tween would probably like Santa Fe. You could do it as a day trip from Albuquerque.

Southwest flies to both, you might find cheap fares.