Subscribe    

Follow Hotels.com   
Home Welcome About Nicole Video Press Clips
 

Archive for the ‘Holidays/Events’ Category

« Older Entries

Mother-Daughter Travel: It’s Something Special!

Monday, April 30th, 2012

Mother’s Day is a great excuse to talk about taking a “girls” trip. In fact, if you are wondering how to show Mom just how much she means to you, check out this Mother’s Day Sale from Hotels.com with super deals at top resorts.  But, I hope it’s obvious that this sort of trip, between a mother and daughter, doesn’t have to occur once a year around a certain week in May. Oh no – there are 52 weeks in the year that are equally suitable for such an adventure.

From my perspective (I’m both a mother and a daughter), taking the time to travel together is a way to deepen your relationship outside the boundaries of your day-to-day relationship.  It’s nice for daughters to see their moms embracing a new challenge, letting loose once in a while, and sharing a laugh in a moment created for them to share.  Over the years, my mom and I have been to London, San Francisco, Dallas, Atlanta, and Savannah…to name a few.  And now that I have two daughters of my own, I can see a multi-generational girls adventure in the near future.

High Tea in London

High Tea at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver with my mom and daughter

I recommend:

  • Choosing a destination where neither of you have ever been but both would physically (a deep sea diving trip may not be the trip your 84 year old mother has always dreamed of) and mentally (Las Vegas with a 5 year old might not be the best decision) be able to handle.
  • Planning the itinerary together so that you all are equally invested in having a great time.  Even with kids and teenagers, giving them a say in part of the trip helps to keep their interest and enthusiasm for the experience.
  • Trying something new together.  Even if you are taking a staycation, there are many opportunities in most cities to experience something different – for the first time.  Whether it is taking in a museum, zip-lining, golf lessons, cooking classes, watching a Broadway show, painting pottery or any other activity that you’ve always wanted to try; it’s in these moments that we can let our guard down and share a collective appreciation for the new activity and bond through the opportunity to go through something new together.
  • Embracing your inner girlie-side. After all, you are taking a mother/daughter vacay – why not take some time for a spa break, a mani/pedi, shopping for shoes and purses at a cool local boutique, or high tea at a fabulous hotel like the Brown Palace in Denver or The Plaza in New York City.

Motherhood, when done well, is the hardest job of them all.  It’s 24 hours a day without retirement benefits.  The pay may be lousy but the benefits package is awesome.  Every hard working mom (however you define the “mom” in your life) deserves some vacation time too.

Happy Mother’s Day to all!

 

 

Similar Posts:
 

 

100 Days Until London 2012

Wednesday, April 18th, 2012

It's not too late to start planning a trip to London before or after the Olympic Games.(Photo courtesy of london2012.com)

April 18th marks 100 days until the Olympic Games! In NYC, Times Square will be transformed into an Olympic Village complete with athletes, sport demonstrations, and lots more.

The Olympic Games will be held in London from July 27 – August 12, 2012. The Paralympic Games follow shortly thereafter from August 29 – September 9, 2012.

I have always appreciated what an Olympics does for a host-city. The host city rolls out the red carpet giving itself a much needed face list. Typically, an Olympic Games will create new parks and buildings, restore and revitalize the old ones, and improve upon the city’s infrastructure.

This year is no different. The legacy of these games will be felt across Great Britain for many years to come including cross-city transport improvements in London, more training and job opportunities for the UK and the chance for a vast array of businesses to be involved.

So if you can stand the crowds, why not visit London when it is putting the dog on? Or wait until the crowds retreat and visit London in early Fall. There are plenty of other reasons to visit London beyond royal nuptials and international sporting competition.

However, if the Olympics is your destination, here are a few tips to consider before you go.

Attending the Games

You will need to apply for tickets via www.teamusa.org. The only approved official reseller of tickets for the US is CoSport.

Getting Around during the Olympics

Public transport in London will operate for extended hours on Games competition days. Please allow plenty of time to travel to and between venues. All co-host cities have national rail stations with direct links to London. However, some of the game venues are significant distances from London. In some cases, it will take well over four hours to travel to venues from the Olympic Park, which is located about an hour from central London. Exclusive 2012 Games Train Tickets are available to buy from a dedicated National Rail Games Travel website.

Where to Stay

I don’t think that I need to tell you that traveling to any city during a major sporting event is not the most affordable time to be there. Olympic officials and corporations entertaining favored customers already book up the most popular and luxurious accommodations. There are still many hotels in London with availability. According to Olympic officials, there will be plenty of accommodations to support all those visiting this summer but I still say that you shouldn’t wait much longer to make your plans. Be prepared to pay for it, too. Accommodations in London range from hostels to five-star luxury hotels. While some spots are claiming to hold-true to their typical summer rates, many hotels are said to be charging four times as much as the norm. Deals are out there – do your homework and book it when you find a deal. It won’t be there for long.

Things to remember when visiting London

  • Smoking is not permitted by law in enclosed public places, on public transit, in restaurants, pubs, and nightclubs. Individuals may smoke in clearly designated areas only.
  • You must be 18 years of age to consume or purchase alcohol in the United Kingdom.
  • Motorists drive on the left side of the road in the UK. Always look both ways before crossing the street!

Are you planning on visiting London for the Olympic Games? What tips would you add to my list? Let me know in the comments below!

 

 

Similar Posts:
 

 

An Ode to Travel…or Perhaps Travel in the Name of Poetry

Wednesday, April 11th, 2012

Prepare to spend at least an hour looking at all the poetry books in City Lights Books. (Photo courtesy of flickr.com)

Where oh where do you like to go most? The mountains, the city, or down by the coast? When you lay down your head in a hotel bed, do you hop in with glee or inch in with dread? So many options, so many trips to be taken, so many experiences, so many plans to be makin…

Wondering why I am feeling so poetic? It’s National Poetry Month. Whether you are a fan of a respected poet or merely like to recite a line of prose or two, traveling in verse can be a great excuse to plan your next getaway. Here’s some inspiration to support your next poetic sojourn.

Top Poetry Events Around the U.S.

Spoken word and poetry readings used to be limited to a bar or a coffee house that stayed open late once a week for an “open mic” night. However, the art and the appreciation of it have grown that venues are popping up across the country with talent that is screened and qualified before going on stage, ensuring a great entertainment experience. Next time you are visiting, add some flavor to your travel palate and stop by for a stanza or two.

In San Francisco, CA you can embrace your inner beatnik with a visit to The Beat Museum. There you can see a replica apartment that the Beats would have lived in and pose for pictures with the car used in the upcoming On the Road movie starring Kristen Stewart and based on Jack Kerouac’s famous book. You can also spend a day pouring through the shelves of the City Lights Books founded by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and made famous after the obscenity trial of Ferlinghetti for publishing Allen Ginsberg’s poem Howl.

If you take the family to Washington, D.C. this summer for an educational adventure, be sure to visit the American Poetry Museum as you take in all that makes the United States great. It is one of the first museums dedicated to collecting, interpreting, and displaying poetry from American poets.

In Amherst, MA you will find the Emily Dickinson Museum. See the poet’s birthplace and home and read the works of this gifted American poet whose works were widely recognized after her death. And in nearby Pittsfield, MA, you can visit the museum and Arrowhead of Herman Melville.

“Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore” Bring Edgar Allen Poe’s poetry to life when you step inside The Poe Museum in Richmond, VA.

Know of other poetry gems that can’t be missed? Tell us in the comments below!

 

 

Similar Posts:
 

 

Let’s Go to the Movies… Or the Cities Where Movies Are Made!

Tuesday, February 21st, 2012

The 84th Annual Academy Awards will be shown live from Los Angeles on Sunday. I always enjoy watching Hollywood’s elite collect their golden Oscars. I usually try to see all the nominated best picture films (now there are 10 nominees) before the award show season begins; but I must admit that this year I will be playing catch up after the statues are handed out.

It’s always fascinating to me to see not only how the celebrated movies are made but also where the settings of the films are and where they were actually filmed. Every now and then, a movie features such stunning locations or backgrounds that you wish you could be physically transported to those places. This year was no exception!

Paris

Some of this year’s favorites are set in the picturesque streets of France. Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris is centered around a group of Americans visiting the City of Lights for either business or pleasure. Paris is an inspired backdrop that becomes another character in the romantic comedy. And the setting is a Paris railway station in the Scorsese flick Hugo. In fact, many notable films have chosen the romance and intrigue of Paris to play out their tales including Before Sunset, Amelie, The Da Vinci Code and Paris, Je T’aime.

Need some inspiration? Here are some romantic Paris hotels. Hotels.com has an assortment of Paris travel guides to get you started planning your silver screen vacay. And a quick shout out to my friends at Hotels.com – I really like the new tag line “Finding You the Perfect Place”. I couldn’t agree more that where you stay truly impacts your overall travel experience, and hotels.com is a great place to begin that journey.

London

The next destination is across the Channel in Great Britain, which set the stage for The Iron Lady with best actress nominee Meryl Streep. Conveniently, London is less than 3 hours away from Paris via the Eurostar high-speed train. There’s even a tour company dedicated to London Movie Tours from the sites of Harry Potter to Bridget Jones.

If you are going to London be sure to see the inspiration from a 2011 nominee, Sherlock Holmes, 221B Baker Street where Sherlock Holmes spent his time when he was not solving cases. The building houses the Sherlock Holmes Museum and is open every day for visitors.

And don’t forget that London is the site of this summer’s 2012 Olympic Games. Here are a few London travel guides to help you plan your next hop across the pond!

Hawaii

George Clooney and his movie The Descendants are celebrating Oscar nods this year. The dramedy is set on the Hawaiian island of Kauai and is as visually stimulating as the storyline is compelling.  USA Today’s Laura Bly wrote a great article back in November about the movie’s star “Hawaii”. Have a read: http://usat.ly/uLsEy0

As if you need motivation to plan a trip to Hawaii! There is actually a Hawaii Movie Tour that includes visiting the sites in TV such as Hawaii Five-0 and Lost, and films such as Jurassic Park, Mighty Joe Young, Pearl Harbor, 50 First Dates, You, Me and Dupree, Windtalkers, Godzilla, Very Brady Sequel, Snakes on a Plane, Krippendorf’s Tribe, George of the Jungle and others.

And if you still need more to do other than sipping a Mai Tai on the beautiful ocean beaches then here are a few Hawaii travel guides to help you plan your trip.

Hollywood, New York, Savannah, New Orleans…

It’s great that film and television can help us escape to cities never seen and times gone by but it’s even better to visit these destinations ourselves.  As your watching The Oscars this Sunday get inspired by the beauty of the cities in which the films were made. Plan a trip and create your own story lines.

Have you ever taken a movie-inspired trip? Tell us where you went and what sites you visited.

 

 

Similar Posts:
 

 

Hotels.com Romance Survey

Sunday, February 12th, 2012

What’s your ideal Valentine’s Day scenario? Would you rather have dinner at a romantic restaurant, explore a new city, snuggle by the fire or something else entirely? In honor of Valentine’s Day this year, hotels.com asked lovebirds of different ages to weigh in on their secret dreams about the perfect romantic weekend. So take note boys and girls and get ready for some lovin’ on February 14th!




 

 

Similar Posts:
 

 

Travel for Fashionistas – Top Cities for Shopping

Thursday, February 9th, 2012
runway

Can't make it to fashion week? There are plenty of shopping getaways you can take instead. (Photo courtesy of pcmlifestyle.com)

Today marks the start of New York Fashion Week. Lincoln Center is transformed through February 16th into an haute couture paradise. Even if you don’t have front row seats to Christian Dior, there are still many opportunities to attend smaller shows of up and comers or swanky after show cocktail affairs. Visitors can scour local resources like The NY Daily News and pulsd.com to look for events open to the public, within their budget, and even at the last minute.

New York Fashion Week kicks off a global calendar of Fashion Weeks followed by London, Milan and Paris. Fashion is not limited to the runways of these cities. No! No! Many designers are taking their creations to the walls and beds of hotels everywhere. Melanie Nayer shares a few faves for fashionable stays this week on Boston.com.

So if you feel inspired by Spring’s new looks then grab a few friends and plan a girlfriend getaway to a top-shopping destination. I compiled a short list based on cities that have the best mixes of boutiques and shopping malls, haute couture and mainstream fashion.

New York – Obviously NYC is fashion central. Just look at the number of fashion and television shows that use it as their backdrop. The Big Apple is the shopping mecca of the States. It’s filled with fashion designers and those that want to be (the Fashion Institute of Technology is here). Shopping in New York could be couture on Fifth Avenue, boutiques lining the streets of SoHo, Nolita and the West Village, among many other neighborhoods — not to mention the vendors on Canal Street.

Los Angeles – The Fashion District in Los Angeles spans 90 blocks and is the hub of the apparel industry on the West Coast and home to what’s-hot celebrity style. From Rodeo Drive and Wilshire Boulevard, to a good assortment of shopping malls, to the eclectic shops along Abbot Kinney Boulevard, LA has it all from vintage couture to the latest craze.

Las Vegas – Las Vegas may be known for its casinos and nightlife, but it’s also home to a number of well-known fashion trade shows like MAGIC and POOL. From bargains to bling, shopping options abound in Sin City. Not to mention that Las Vegas even has its own Fashion Week from May 14-19th. Tickets go on sale in March.

Miami – With the sun and sand of South Beach, it’s no wonder that Miami is host to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim, which will be May 14-18, 2012.  In fact, the Latin infused city even has its own fashion week in March that celebrates International and Hispanic fashion. Downtown Miami has tons of discount shopping, from luggage to leather, while Coral Gables and Coconut Grove are known for their mix of glamour boutiques, boho shops and chain stores.

Dallas – Home to the first shopping mall in the U.S, shopping is a dress-up affair in Dallas. Even designer department store, Neiman Marcus, was founded in the Big D. There are literally dozens of malls in Dallas, such as Highland Park Village for designer-wear and The Galleria and NorthPark Center for their chain and cosmopolitan shops to smaller clusters such as Mockingbird Station and the funky stores of Greenville Avenue.

Where do you go for your fashion finds?

 

 

Similar Posts:
 

 

Be My Valentine: Five Sweet Travel Deals for Your Sweetheart

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012
Embera Indian tribe

Here I am with my friends at the Embera Indian tribe in Panama.

I have to say that it was fun watching Ben and the girls on The Bachelor last night as they explored Panama, one of my favorite countries. And seeing them visit with my friends at the Embera Indian tribe brought back some wonderful memories.

All that romantic tension in a beautiful destination reminded me that Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. So if you really want to plan a special celebration for that certain someone, here are five travel ideas made for romance.

Valentine’s in Florida

If you want to escape life and embark on a romantic weekend then head to The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. Here you’ll experience luxurious accommodations, fine dining, a relaxing spa and fun activities including a daily class on infusing flavors into salt, wine tastings, bike tours and nature walks.

My favorite touch – a personal fire in the dunes, where a crackling fire, comfy blankets and the sound of soothing waves draw you closer and includes s’mores, a thermos of hot chocolate and high-powered celestial binoculars for star gazing.

This winter, book a Romance Package that includes overnight accommodations, welcome amenities of champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries, rose petal turndowns, breakfast for two, complimentary overnight parking and a 2 p.m. late checkout. Rates start at $379 per night. Please call the resort at 904-277-1100 to book this inviting package.

Valentine’s in New York City

All month, The Kimberly Hotel in New York, New York welcomes romance. The “Romantic Getaway” package includes overnight accommodations in the newly reconstructed luxury one-bedroom suites, Veuve Clicquot champagne and hand-dipped chocolate covered strawberries upon arrival and two plush Kimberly Hotel robes to take home. Guests that book the package on Valentine’s Day, February 14th, will receive the three-course dinner with a special wine pairing at Upstairs. Contact the hotel’s reservation department for additional details and availability.

Valentine’s in San Francisco

In the City by the Bay, you and your sweetie or you and your pal can check in to one of the Personality Hotels: Hotel Diva, Hotel Union Square and Kensington Park Hotel, all centrally located in the heart of San Francisco’s Union Square.

Choose from two packages – “Sweet on You” for couples, and the “Anti V.D.” for a single girls getaway. With True to Personality Hotels’ daring style, this won’t be your typical Valentine’s Day getaway – think candy bras, wine from Ben “The Bachelor” and special treats.

Valentine’s in Chicago

From Friday, February 10th through Sunday, February 19th, Chicago is turning out the Cupid-inspired experiences from special performances and dinner dates, to outdoor fun and picturesque photo-ops. Here are two great options:

Love, Sex & the Second City: A Romantic Dot Comedy presented by UP Comedy Club

Now through February 29th, visit The Second City to enjoy a play about relationships in the age of social networking. There are plenty of fish in the sea, but can we all live in eHarmony? Or are our lives too much of an open (Face)book?

Love Songs and Lights (FREE) Now through February 19th, lovebirds can
enjoy the sights and lights of State Street and the sound of love songs when the Chicago Loop Alliance presents “Love Song and Lights” as part of Lightscape, a multisensory experience.

Affinia Chicago is offering a Kiss & Tell Romantic Getaway Package with rates from $134/night. Guests will enjoy an upgrade to a suite, a list of recommended romantic spots to kiss, Affinia signature “Kiss Me” mints and a “Kisses Goodnight” Turndown with Hershey Kisses and some bubbly to share.

Valentine’s in Napa

Wine and romance are pouring at the Milliken Creek Inn & Spa with The Heart of Napa Authentic Trio package.  Rates starts at $640 per night for two and includes two-night stay in a Milliken room, a five-hour luxury vehicle Wine Tour provided by Peralta Luxury Tours, gourmet boxed lunch, a wine tasting at Crocker & Starr winery, and a romance turndown. The best part is that this deal is good Sunday through Thursday until July 31, 2012.

Anywhere else

Hotels.com is celebrating Valentine’s Day with a bouquet of great deals. Save up to 30% and if you stay two nights, you’ll get a $25 credit toward wine and chocolate.

How are you and your Valentine celebrating this year?

 

 

Similar Posts:
 

 

Top 5 Ways to Be Anti-Super Bowl This Sunday

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

Feeling anti-Super Bowl this year? Grab your friends and head to the golf course, enjoy a glass of wine or both! (Photo courtesy of merveonur.wordpress.com)

Not everyone will be watching the red, white and blue battle on Sunday between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. If you are among the anti-pigskin crowd searching for an escape then consider this: if you aren’t traveling to Indianapolis or Las Vegas the first weekend in February then you can actually score some great deals in cities across the U.S.

Hotels

Don’t know where to go? Check out the last minute deals from hotels.com. Look for deals such as stay two nights, get a third night free, resort credits and savings on up to 30% off your stay.

Airplanes

Not only will you get a seat on the plane, but there might also be an empty one next to you if you are booking a last minute flight on Super Bowl Sunday. JetBlue (JBLU) will be showing the game on DirecTV. The airline is also offering free Snyder’s Buffalo Wing Pretzels and $1 off alcoholic beverages.

Golf

Coveted golf courses will be more like ghost courses around noon on Super Bowl Sunday. Book your tee times now and look for those discounts.

Ski

Colorado is finally getting the fresh powder that ski enthusiasts dream about. Take advantage of 50% off at Copper Mountain. Many of the country’s best ski slopes are expecting to be light on the lifts. Significant savings on lift tickets can be found at Canyons in Park City, Utah at over 30% off and Vermont’s Jay Peak at 39% off. According to Liftopia, the online ski ticket source, expect discounts to average around 40%.

Theatre

According to The New York Times, if you want to score tickets to a Broadway show for less, then Super Bowl Sunday is the day to take in a show. New York City ticket prices for top shows such as “The Book of Mormon” will be 20% less compared with a typical Sunday evening in February. And “Wicked” will average 15% cheaper.

Wine

Why not fill your glass on Super Bowl Sunday…your wine glass that is. Golden Haven is featuring a number of great specials that will give you an added reason to visit Napa Valley and relax with Calistoga spa treatments. Go for the day, or spend the night.

Will you be watching the big game or doing your own thing on Super Bowl Sunday? Let me know in the comments section below!

 

 

Similar Posts:
 

 

A Last Excuse for Travel….This Year. New Year’s Eve Deals

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

Seeing the ball drop in NYC is a great way to ring in New Year's Eve. (Photo courtesy of manhattan2ibiza.com)

I’ve always liked New Year’s Eve. It’s one of those holidays that can be big, celebratory and over-the-top or it can be intimate and removed. I like it so much that one time I actually celebrated it twice in one night, thanks to the proximity of two time zones.

When we were living in Atlanta – Eastern Standard Time – we celebrated with friends and then we (with those friends) quickly jumped in the car and drove to Auburn, AL – Central Time – for another New Year’s Eve celebration. Auburn had been ranked a Rolling Stone top 10 NYE celebrations that year.

The point is that perhaps a NYE trip is the best way to ring in the New Year whether you are looking forward to 2012 or wanting to hold on to 2011 for just a bit longer.

With New Year’s Eve falling on a Saturday, travel-lovers and revelers can extend the festivities for a long weekend, or even a week-long vacation. So take that road trip, try someplace you’ve never been or experience NYC and the most famous New Year’s Eve celebration in the world.

New Year’s Eve Hotel Deals

Omni Hotels are offering a French Toast New Year’s Eve Package; rock it in with Stevie Wonder at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas; celebrate surfside on Panama City Beach with its Beach Ball Drop; or party a mile high at the Grand Hyatt Denver NYE Celebration. How about an impromptu trip to jolly ol’ England for a stay at one of the Cotswold Inns & Hotels?

Hotels.com offers deep discounts on the Deals Page on a variety of hotels and resorts around the world. For that last minute deal or if you need a hotel after that NYE party, use the hotels.com mobile app, and book on the way to the hotel from the convenience of your smartphone, and take advantage of exclusive mobile deals.

No matter what you do, be resolved to have a great time welcoming in 2012. As for my resolutions for 2011, I did pretty well completing them all. I do think the key is to make them motivational yet still realistic and attainable. As for the answer to #5 on my resolution list: It’s definitely me and not the camera. Perhaps this year I will resolve to learn to take better photos!

 

 

Similar Posts:
 

 

Travel for the Season: Christmas Celebrations

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

In my opinion, December is the best time of the year to travel. After all, “tis the season to be jolly!” Practically every city in the world is decorated with lights and garlands and seems a little merrier than usual. And most cities also offer winter and holiday festivals and celebrations that make visiting a place that much more enjoyable.

Whether you are traveling to visit family or friends over the holidays or you are just merely traveling, take advantage of the local merriment and revelry wherever you go. And, if you are looking for a spot that particularly does the holidays well, consider adding one of these Christmas celebrations to your list of must-dos this season.

Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

You won’t find a more festive celebration than at Walt Disney World in Orlando, you can see Cinderella’s Holiday Wish Stage Show at the Magic Kingdom and perhaps get a ticket to the special Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (a special event on select nights in December. You can order tickets online or by calling 407-WDISNEY). Disney’s budget-tier of All-Star family hotels is super kid-friendly! They provide free shuttle access to the parks, themed pools, and cafeteria-style dining options.

Universal Studios Florida

The Macy’s Holiday Parade operates in the late afternoon every day at Universal Studios through Dec. 31. Mannheim Steamroller will perform six Friday and Saturday night concerts, Dec. 10, 11, 17 and 18.

Islands of Adventure guests can see the stage show “Grinchmas Wholiday Spectacular” multiple times daily or see Hogwarts during the holidays at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Consider staying at the affordable Nickelodeon Suites Resort where you can deck the halls in slime green and Nick orange this holiday season. Celebrate with a lineup of holiday events that includes: Visit with Santa, Candy Cane Stroll, Holiday Karaoke inside Studio Nick, Nick After Dark Holiday Style which is where kids play while the parents are away! And, don’t forget the New Years Eve Annual Slime Drop.

LegoLand Florida

LegoLand Florida just opened its doors in October and still has that new theme park smell. Families with children under 12 will be full of glee at the Sunshine State’s newest attraction that features more than 50 million of those multi-colored bricks. During this month all can enjoy Christmas Bricktacular celebration with a tree built from 270,000 Lego bricks. Located in Winter Haven, Lego Land is about an hour drive from both Orlando and Tampa. It is expecting to open a water park for the hot summer days just in time for the summer 2012 season.

New York, New York

New York City is more vibrant and breathtaking during the holidays than any other time of the year. From the tree at Rockefeller Center, to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes, and all the lights and sounds in between, the magic is palpable! Visit Macy’s elaborate Santaland and ice skate and shop in Bryant Park. There are so many holiday events in New York City that the only problem you will have is deciding how to fit it all into your visit.

Southern California

The West Coast celebrates in style with a multitude of Christmas boat parades all month long along the California coast. My favorite is in Newport Beach: The 103rd Christmas Boat Parade is one of the oldest and longest in Southern California. The parade takes place five nights from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 14 through Dec. 18. Yachts to kayaks light up along 14 miles of the harbor starting and ending at Bay Island.

Branson, MO

Anyone that grew up with the Andy Williams Christmas Specials must take a holiday trip to Branson to catch the live show version. And if you didn’t, it might be time for you to experience the sights and sounds of an Ozark Mountain Christmas. Silver Dollar City celebrates the season with four million lights, a five-story, special effects Christmas tree, a parade and an elaborate musical stage version of “A Christmas Carol.” The annual celebration is touted as one of the best in the country by CNN, The Travel Channel and “Good Morning America.”

There are more than 100 stage shows in Branson, performed in 50 theaters. Those theaters contain 64,000 seats, more than all the theaters on New York City’s Broadway combined. Another terrific way to spend a couple of hours is to hop aboard the Branson Scenic Railway. Every night during Christmas, the Polar Express run is fun for kids of all ages.

12 Days of Gifts

Ready to go? When you book your hotel for your holiday stay, be sure to check out the 12 Days of Gifts when you book with hotels.com. You’ll save up to 40% on your stay and receive a gift when you book by December 12th. And be sure to download the Hotels.com mobile app for thousands of last-minute exclusive deals.


 

 

Similar Posts:
 
« Older Entries