My hubby and I would like to go somewhere in the western/northwestern US the last week of December through the first week of January. I'm a teacher, so I'm just trying to take advantage of time off with some romance but not high-end luxury. Ideally, we'd love to see dark skies for star-gazing, beautiful mountains, maybe some wildlife-viewing (I know it's winter), and good food at the end of the day. If anyone has suggestions, I'd love to hear them. Thank you!

Blue Sky Cabins near Red Lodge, MT

https://blueskycabins.com/

We stayed in the Granite Cabin. Highly recommended.

How about Yellowstone? We went in winter and the wildlife is amazing. Of course stars will depend on clear skies but...

I also like CMFong's recommendation. Or somewhere in Wyoming... Jackson Hole?

The issue with the likes of Yellowstone is that you could be looking at a longish snowy, icy drive from the nearest airport that offers convenient connections to your location (sounds like MD from other threads.) Which got me thinking - what about someplace in eastern Canada? Maybe someplace in the Laurentians (or Laurentides) near Montreal? I think the key would be to get close enough to a good sized settlement (probably a ski resort) to have access to the amenities, but far enough away from any bright lights that the skies are still dark enough.

Some other thoughts:

- Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. CdA is a charming town located in terrific scenery - Lake CdA, close to the mountains, but also a short freeway drive from Spokane airport.

- Bend or Sisters, Oregon. By being on the east side of the Cascades you can get skies that are clearer than west of the mountains, and Bend is well equipped with all the tourist amenities. Sisters is a hip little town not too far. Fly into Redmond/Bend airport (RDM)

- (Don't laugh) - Iceland. Lots of cheap flights from the east coast, lots to do when you get there. Plenty of stars in the skies, probably the northern lights, too.

Thank you for all of your ideas. I really appreciate your time.

Thanks very much for your thoughts. Very helpful.

Thank you; I'll check it out!

Is this a full two weeks? The week between Christmas and New Years will be expensive for flights and lodging pretty much anywhere.

Look at Utah - fly into Salt Lake City and get your mountain fix, drive to Bryce/Zion for some nature and darker night skies. You could look at Red Mountain Resort near St. George as well. If you decide on that, it may make more sense to fly in/out of Las Vegas.

Iceland is beautiful but you will need to consider the amount of daylight. that time of year. Google sunrise/sunset times for Reykajavik, I believe there's about 4 hours of daylight plus an hour on each side for twilight .That's not much time for sightseeing but will give you plenty of dark skies for star gazing. I've been there in late November and my preference would be to visit in April/May or September/October but never again in the dead of winter. It's just too dark and not enough daylight to go sightseeing (not to mention the risk of snow out in the countryside and the roads are not well-maintained).

I would go to Joshua Tree NP and Palm Springs CA or Sonoma or Tucson. Amazing places to visit and the temps would be good without freezing and for much of you don' have to worry about driving in winter conditions. (this is from somebody who lives in Utah and has visited Yellowstone in winter--amazing experiences--but the not freezing part is nice ....)

One of the best observatories for astronomy is at Sun River near Bend, Oregon. We were just there. Very clear skies and some great telescopes, as well as a demonstration showing where the constellations are. It is open two nights a week in winter, so be sure to schedule your trip accordingly. Bend is a 3.5 hour drive over Mount Hood, and you could stay a couple of nights there. People like Timberline Lodge, and the main lodge room is gorgeous, but I've always liked the service at the Resort at the Mountain as much, and there are also cabins and smaller properties. You could snowshoe or tube if you don't ski.

Wherever you go out west in the winter, if it involves mountains and snow, please, please get a vehicle with four wheel drive. I would also encourage you to buy cable chains and carry them. Don't use them unless you are desperate. You mostly won't need them with four wheel drive, and you may get into all kinds of trouble with the rental company. But better than a wreck. Keep the receipt and return the chains on the way back to the airport if unused.

I know you said NW, not SW, but you might want to consider Tucson. We visited from January 16 to 23 and really enjoyed the area. It was cool at night (even dipping below freezing once) and warm but not too warm during the days. We stayed in the city except for one night in Tubac so didn't experience the dark skies you are looking for but I am sure you could find places to stay in less developed areas. The Kitt Peak National Observatory is nearby.

There are beautiful mountain ranges all around, beautiful desert scenery and many interesting historic sites.

December is a good time for exploring the nature in California, as summer months are too hot there. It's also a prime time for whale watching, and I think it's very romantic You can check out some nice seasonal experiences in California on rove.me and Responsible Travel.
For stargazing, I would suggest heading to Utah, particularly Natural Bridges National Monument, certified as a Dark Sky Park in 2007.
Wherever you go, book the tickets now or then wait for the last-minute deals as Christmas is a popular time to travel.

Thank you for this idea, something we hadn't considered.

Thank you very much for your thoughts!
Leslie