Holiday Flotilla, Wrightsville Beach,
North Carolina
NORTH CAROLINA HOLIDAY FLOTILLA
10 Holiday Road Trips
Start new family traditions in new places this season.
By Jason Frye
The holidays hold nothing but excitement for kids, from the special foods and far-flung relatives returning home to the gifts and time out of school. Why not capture some of that joy and add a little excitement, sparkle and shine to your family get together by doing something new in someplace new? As you’re planning your family gathering, keep the season bright with a little easy holiday travel. Here are 10 ideas for festive getaways—whether you like snowy and sublime or beachy and bright.
Aerial view of Mackinac Island
GETTY IMAGES
Mackinac Island, Michigan
Fill your family holiday getaway with nostalgia on Michigan’s quaint Mackinac Island. Delight in exploring this 4-square-mile island via horse-drawn carriage, with snowshoes or cross-country skis, on foot, or by fat-tire bike (if you’re feeling adventurous). Once October hits, fewer visitors call on the island, but that means more space and solitude for snow-lovers to enjoy. Winter holidays bring memory-making events like the annual tree lighting on the town square and the Christmas Bazaar in early December, the New Year’s Eve turtle drop (don’t worry, it’s not a real turtle), and a charming peek at the history and culture of Mackinac Island found on one of Chad’s Wonderful Walking Tours.
Battleship North Carolina at sunset,
Wilmington
ERIC ALTER / BATTLESHIP NORTH CAROLINA
Wilmington, North Carolina
Winter in Wilmington, North Carolina, means carriage rides through the Historic District, where you can admire the decorations on stately homes centuries old; a visit to the Battleship North Carolina, a vessel that served in WWII and that gets dolled up for the holidays; holiday shopping at boutiques and galleries; and opportunities to explore outdoors. Try kayaking trips in blackwater swamps, ecotours on the Cape Fear River, and even a festive Holiday Flotilla at nearby Wrightsville Beach, for example The Island Festival of Lights, in Carolina and Kure beaches make for a monthlong holiday celebration; and festive lights and decorations at the Burgwin-Wright House, Bellamy Mansion, Latimer House, and St. James Episcopal Church blend history and holiday fun.
Silver Dollar City, Branson
SILVER DOLLAR CITY
Branson, Missouri
Branson delivers big family fun year-round with a seemingly endless lineup of live shows and plenty of delights for visitors of all ages, but when it comes to the holidays, the town does it right. From November 1 through the first week of January, “Christmas Tree City” lives up to its nickname, thanks to the 32-stop Christmas Tree Trail and 1,000 decorated trees at Silver Dollar City. But there’s more. Elaborate drive-through light displays; walk-through wonderlands of holiday lights; dozens of Christmas-themed shows with country, gospel and bluegrass renditions of classic and contemporary carols; abundant shopping opportunities; and, of course, hot cocoa and cookies on Branson Scenic Railway’s Polar Express-themed rides.
Maggie Daley Park ice skating, Chicago
MAGGIE DALEY PARK
Chicago, Illinois
Big cities offer a lot for holiday visitors, and Chicago knows how to celebrate. The city is known for its huge Saint Patrick’s Day festival, but from Thanksgiving through New Years, the town is festive and bright. The Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival sees this famed stretch of waterfront full of holiday lights, a parade and tree lighting, photos with Santa, and live music. Over at the historic Lincoln Park Zoo, more than 2 million lights blaze and twinkle during ZooLights. Outdoor skating rinks lend an air of yesteryear holidays to your visit, but the Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza—an authentic German Christmas market—delivers a bit of Old-World holiday joy with handmade gifts, mulled wine and tasty holiday treats.
Dollywood chapel with Christmas lights
and Nativity display
Dollywood
Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tennessee
In Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains, three towns offer family-friendly holiday fun from November to mid-February. Gatlinburg, near Great Smoky Mountains National Park, shines with Winter Magic—millions of lights, a scavenger hunt, and Santa visits. Early December brings the Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade, while Anakeesta’s Enchanted Christmas offers lights, fires, cocoa and more. In Pigeon Forge, Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas features holiday shows, decorations and rides, and downtown Winterfest boasts a stunning drive-through light display. Sevierville, Dolly Parton’s hometown, sparkles with lights, a tree lighting and a Christmas parade. Events at SkyLand Ranch and Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland keep the festive spirit alive.
Aerial view of Blossoms of Light, Denver
Scott-Dressel-Martin / Denver Botanical Gardens
Denver, Colorado
Skiers know Colorado makes for a fine and festive winter getaway, but even if you’re not into hitting the slopes, Denver has the makings of a fantastic family holiday. The Mile-High City is awash in lights, from the 7-story Mile High Tree to the spectacular Blossoms of Light at the Denver Botanical Gardens to the Cherry Creek North Winter Wonderland. At Cherry Creek, find a multi-night Chanukah celebration, a holiday market with “Giving Machines”—vending machines that dole out gifts and goods for the less fortunate—and plenty of opportunities for holiday treats and family photo ops. Don’t miss the Christkindlmarket, Denver’s version of a traditional German Christmas market.
South Carolina Aquarium, Charleston
SOUTH CAROLINA AQUARIUM
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston charms in any season, and for the winter holidays, it’s positively adorable. During Aquarium Aglow at the South Carolina Aquarium, find the whole place lit up with holiday lights and decorations, and a diving Santa. Downtown, meet another Santa at Charleston Place, the town’s holiday headquarters. Decorations inspired by The Nutcracker, plus a festive holiday train, dances and performances, holiday snacks, and a nightly “snowfall” make for a special experience. Best of all is The Charleston Santa at the Best Friend Train Museum. Home to America’s first passenger locomotive, which debuted on Christmas Day 1830, the train museum invites you to learn a little more about this famed locomotive, meet Santa and donate to Toys for Tots, getting into that generous holiday spirit.
Omaha holiday lights
ADOBE STOCK
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha comes alive with holiday lights every night from the end of November through New Year’s Day, and the display is dazzling. The RiverFront, a 72-acre park, is full of illuminated displays, decorations, hundreds of perfectly trimmed trees, and even a 70-foot-tall tree that’s wow-worthy from any angle. Don’t miss the multimedia show on Friday and Saturday nights when music and a video wall help make the moment merrier. The Lighting Ceremony on November 30 and the KETV Family Festival on December 8 draw big crowds. And at the Holiday Poinsettia Show at Lauritzen Gardens, see a 20-foot-tall poinsettia “tree,” holiday-themed model trains and places to get cozy with a cup of cocoa.
Garrison, North Dakota
Garrison is the official Christmas Capitol of North Dakota thanks to the Dickens Village Festival. On Thanksgiving weekend and for the next two weekends, this small community transforms into a Victorian town that seems like it jumped from the pages of a novel by Charles Dickens. A lighted parade, horsedrawn carriage rides, live music and activities like top hot decorating and a lively fruit cake toss are popular, but the event's star is the Queen Elizabus. Ride this authentic 1961 double-decker English bus, and soak up the surrounding Christmas cheer. While you’re in town, do a little outdoor ice skating, prove you’re no Scrooge by visiting the local boutiques and tuck into some tasty holiday food.
Dahlonega’s historic public square
decorated for Christmas
Dahlonega, Georgia
You’re in for an old-fashioned Christmas in Dahlonega, Georgia. This town in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains transforms into a storybook Christmas Village from the day after Thanksgiving to mid-January. The Lighting of the Square kick things off as the town square glows with lights and horse-drawn carriages add to the yesteryear feel of the season. The lighting of the town’s Christmas tree, the popular Christmas Parade, and festive food trucks decked out with lights and decorations continue the fun. Check out the Festival of Trees in Hancock Park, do a little holiday shopping at Dahlonega’s collection of boutiques, and snap and share your family photos at several too-cute-to-be-true locations across town.
Enjoy a visit to one of these towns this holiday season. Visit AAA.com/RoadTrips for maps and reservations.
