Some families choose to spend Christmas vacation on snowy mountaintops.
Sometimes it seems like Christmas becomes a long list of chores to be ticked off without much cheer or enthusiasm: stringing up the Christmas lights, hauling home the Christmas tree, wrapping millions of presents and nursing kids through inconvenient winter colds. Before switching to permanent Grinch status, swap your traditional Christmas routine for a vacation somewhere out of town. The welcome break in holiday routine will leave you refreshed and ready to greet the season with more joy next year. Choose from popular Christmas vacations to ensure good tidings and merry moments for your family. Does this Spark an idea?
Tropical Christmas
Tropical Christmas vacations are especially popular for families accustomed to shivering through winter snowstorms during the holiday season. Forget the coat, mittens and wooly scarf and reach for coconut-scented sunscreen when planning a Christmas vacation in the tropics. Hawaii, Mexico and the Caribbean are popular destinations. Kids can snorkel, play beach volleyball and sip tropical smoothies while the adults swim in the pool, lounge on the beach or clink chilled bottles of beer. A few drawbacks to consider: prices for tropical destinations can be higher during Christmas because many families opt for island holidays, and your family may find it strange to eat fish tacos, luau-style pig or conch strew instead of traditional holiday foods.
Ski Vacation
Dive into the snowy fun of the Christmas season with a vacation destination in the mountains. Serene meadows of fallen snow, fragrant live pine trees, roaring fireplaces and cozy ski resorts make for a picturesque vacation. Kids will toast marshmallows before the fire, sip hot cocoa and ski down the bunny slope. Parents can ski, snowboard, lounge in the hot tub or soak away Christmas stress in resort saunas. Some resorts offer traditional Christmas dinners with turkey and holiday pies; families may also choose to rent mountain cabins for a more intimate experience. Potential complications include traveling during inclement weather or the high expense of lodging during Christmas.
City Christmas
There's something magical about big cities during Christmas time: civic decorations, large-scale Christmas productions, gleaming department stores and all the twinkling lights. New York City remains a popular Christmas vacation for people seeking an urban experience. Go ice-skating in Central Park, watch workers hoist the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree into place and attend vibrant Winter Solstice festivals featuring music and theatrical performances. Stop off at Macy's Department store to visit Santaland and relive memories of the Christmas movie classic, "Miracle on 34th Street." This vacation works best for high-energy families; not everyone appreciates trundling in and out of subways and cabs in the snow.
Hometown
Whether you're visiting the in-laws or parents living in your own hometown, going home for the holidays is a classically popular Christmas vacation. Grandparents will knock themselves out entertaining your kids with quiet nights at home, storytelling, driving past neighborhood Christmas lights and continuing longstanding family traditions. You'll have fun showing off your favorite childhood haunts, whether it's the lot where the family always chooses Christmas trees or the old church where everyone attended Christmas morning services. Drawbacks might include tension between family members and crowded living quarters, but this popular vacation option leaves plenty of time for spending time with loved ones.
Tags: Christmas vacation, during Christmas, popular Christmas, Christmas lights, Christmas tree