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The 15 best winter vacations in the USA
Whether you're planning a family ski trip or a romantic getaway with hot springs, these are the best winter vacations in the U.S.
Why should summer have all the fun? The best winter vacations in the U.S. rival any getaway you had in the warmer months. Don't belive us? There are plenty of extreme outdoor adventures to be had in the winter. Or, if you'd rather get cozy, there are plenty of romantic getaways where you can cuddle by the fire. Hate the cold? We know a few warm weather destinations where you can sport a bikini in December. So get planning and get ready to have the best winter ever.
Note: If you are planning a trip this winter, make sure to follow local guidelines, practice social distancing and wear a mask. And you might want to check which states require you to quarantine or present a negative test when visiting before you go.
Best winter vacations in U.S.
1. Best family ski trip: Vail, CO
This winter wonderland—widely regarded as one of the country’s top ski destinations—is the place go for excellently groomed, powdery trails. In addition to the skiing and snowboarding, Vail puts up quite the holiday celebration: think tree-lighting ceremonies, an ice skating rink, brightly lit holiday decorations, a kid's snowmobile track, ski bikes, tubing lanes and more.
Discover Colorado:
📍 The best things to do in Colorado
🛏️ The best hotels in Colorado
❄️ The best Colorado ski resorts
2. Best secluded destination: Nantucket, MA
While the peaceful coastal town of Nantucket is typically considered a summertime destination, it has a special sparkle at Christmastime, when its chilly beaches take on a preternatural calm. It’s a good choice for a quiet holiday getaway, but the town still offers special events for revelers. The centerpiece is usually Nantucket’s annual Christmas Stroll, but this year it's been replaced with a virtual event, Nantucket Noel, a local shop initiative which will run from November 27th through the end of the year.
Discover Massachusetts:
📍 The best things to do in Massachusetts
3. Best snowboarding resort: Mammoth Mountain, CA
With 300 days of sunshine and 400 inches of snowfall per year, Mammoth Mountain is truly the snowy playground that snowboarders dream of. Situated at 11,053 feet above sea level, the winter wonderland has 3,500 acres of snowboarding terrain and a season stretches into July (yup, July!). Off the snowboard, there’s tons to do here, including fun snowmobile rides, gondola rides offering awe-inspiring views, snowcat tours, bowling and indoor golf.
Discover California:
🚗Take this road trip from L.A. to Mammoth Lakes
📍The best things to do in California
🛏️The best hotels in California
4. Best romantic getaway: Jackson, WY
Located at the base of the spectacular Teton mountains, Jackson, Wyoming offers an outdoorsy Christmas perfect for nature lovers. During the holiday season, the city’s spectacular town square—marked at each corner with arches made of elk antlers—lights up, each arch getting draped and wrapped in plenty of twinkling lights. Check the itineraries of local resorts and ranches, which present guests with plenty of seasonal fun: think room-delivered trees, wreathes, eggnog and fresh cookies and horse-drawn carriage rides throughout their properties.
5. Best for basking in some hot springs: Dunton, CO
📍 The best things to do in Colorado
🛏️ The best hotels in Colorado
❄️ The best Colorado ski resorts
6. Best (and only) chance to take a helicopter instead of a ski lift: Silverton Mountain and Telluride, CO
If you have the money, this is probably one of the most badass stunts you can pull this winter. Heli-skiing involves dropping from a chopper onto pristine, untouched powder, and in Colorado, there are not one, but two options to achieve this epic adventure. Choose from a single drop, a day pass, or a custom booking at Silverton Mountain, or a trip with Telluride Helitrax, where you can opt for a single or multi-day package or a helicopter-assisted backcountry tour of the San Juan Mountains.
Discover Colorado:
📍 The best things to do in Colorado
🛏️ The best hotels in Colorado
❄️ The best Colorado ski resorts
7. Best hills for tubing: Lake Tahoe, CA
There's no place like Northstar after a snowfall if you’re looking to hit some serious hills. The tubing goes down about mid-mountain (near the express lift) and features 200-yard-long groomed tube slide that is J-shaped with three whoops. Tubers are taken by a tow lift to the top of the hill, so there's no hiking back up. Didn't get your fill? Try Heavenly's epic tubing area—500 feet long and a 65-foot vertical drop—next.
Discover California:
📍The best things to do in South Lake Tahoe
📍The best things to do in California
🛏️The best hotels in California
8. Best city to sport a bikini: Naples, FL
If you want to skip out on ice skating, snowmen and parkas this year, head down to Naples, where beaches beckon and average December temperatures hover around a balmy 76 degrees. The city goes all out to beckon Christmas snowbirds, bedecking windows in the historic downtown shopping area and erecting more than a few tall trees. In mid-to-late December, Naples plays host to multiple boat parades, twinkling processions of vessels that make their way down local waterways and are often accompanied shore-side by live music and carolers.
Discover Florida
📍 The best things to do in Florida
🛏️ The best hotels in Florida
🍴 The best restaurants in Florida
9. Best place to learn skijoring: Anchorage, AK
It’s not an Olympic event anymore, but skijoring—in which cross-country skiers are tethered to an animal (usually a dog, though sometimes a horse), a snowmobile, or even a motorcycle and pulled for extra speed—featured as a demonstration back in 1928, and there’s a push to get it reinstated for future games. In the meantime, the Anchorage Skijoring Club offers clinics, tours, and other events for beginners as well as 5k and 10k races for more advanced practitioners; for a less formally organized outing, the Anchorage trail system has more than 40 miles of dedicated skijoring trails, plus a plethora of multi-use trails that are suitable for the sport as well. (BYO dog.)
Discover Alaska:
📍 The best things to do in Anchorage
📍 The best things to do in Alaska
10. Best view from the ice skating rink: Yosemite, CA
Sure you could ice skate in the center of almost every city in the U.S., or you can ice skate in the middle of one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. Curry Village in Yosemite National Park offers ice skating as well as a fire pit and views of Half Dome and Glacier Cliff.
Discover California:
📍 The best things to do in Yosemite
🌲 The best national parks in California
🌲 The best national forests in California
11. Best lake to try ice fishing: Lake of the Woods, MN
Don't turn your nose at ice fishing; It can actually be quite thrilling and Lake of the Woods in Minnesota is one of the best ice fishing spots in the U.S. Stake your spot with the other die-hards on the frozen lake, cut a hole, and keep your eyes peeled for northern pike, saugers, walleyes, crappies and more. In terms of gear, all you really need is an auger, a sled, an ice scoop, some ice rods and a handful of jigs and there are plenty of places in town willing to sell you some.
Discover Minnesota:
📍 The best things to do in Minnesota
12. Best city to try your hand at curling: Salt Lake City, UT
We've mention a number of underratted winter sports on this list—from ice fishing to skiing via helicopter or dog—but curling may be your most doable new skill. You'll be a pro on the ice in no time with the intro course at the Utah Olympic Oval, just outside of Salt Lake City, where you’ll learn the basics of proper delivery, sweeping, and strategy, and follow it up with a night of Cosmic Curling, which, much like its bowling counterpart, takes place in the glow of neon and black light.
Discover Salt Lake City:
📍 The best things to do in Salt Lake City
🛏️ The best hotels in Salt Lake City
🍴 The best restaurants in Salt Lake City
More winter inspiration
10 stunning places to see wildflowers in the United States
One upside to a long and rainy winter? Wildflowers! Every spring across the United States, gray days give way to an abundance of colorful blooms, from Southern California to Virginia. And after a long winter of lockdown, a little fresh air and a scenic hike might be just what you need. So whether you're staying close with your local bloom or you're willing to undertake a cross-country road trip to see a superbloom in an epic location, consider this list of the best places to see wildflowers in the USA your guide—including handy information like when to go and what you'll see once you get there. There are many kinds of destinations and flower varieties when it comes to seeing wildflowers in all thier glory this spring and summer, but wherever you end up remember to be respectful and try not to trample the delicate blooms.
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Plan your next pedal-to-the-metal getaway.