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Destination: Christmas

Destination: Christmas

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It’s almost Christmas? Already? Get out of town! Seriously – get out of town! There are dozens of festive Christmas destinations for you to visit for a truly spectacular holiday season, and we’ve curated a list of some great options for families with little kids.

That Warm Christmasy Feeling

If you need to warm up for Christmas, you might head south to Walt Disney World or west to Disneyland. There are even-more-spectacular-than-usual Christmas parades and events, and the parks are beautifully decorated for the season.

Or, skip Disney and just head to the beach so you can have a White Christmas. Well, a White Sand Christmas, at least. Take Beach Christmas to the extreme by booking a special holiday cruise. Christmas-themed cruises are no joke with amazing menus, décor, special events, and holiday entertainment. The best part of a warm weather Christmas is enjoying all the trappings of a typical Christmas in shorts and flip flops!

White Christmas Weather

If you don’t mind the cold, head to Chicago for Christmas. The Magnificent Mile, along with being home to fantastic shopping, is decked out with millions (seriously) of holiday lights. There’s also a large outdoor crafts market called Christkindlmarket and a special holiday-themed amusement park at Navy Pier complete with indoor skating rink.

Speaking of skating, there’s none better than the Rink at Rockefellar Center in New York City! After you skate and visit the huge Christmas tree, warm up with hot chocolate – surely there are at least 35 Starbucks within 10 feet. Of course you know about the amazing restaurants, fantastic shopping, and over-the-top Broadway shows, but don’t forget to put the Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring the world-famous Rockettes on your to-do list!

Full-blown Spectacles

Want to go where they really love Christmas? Try these ideas! McAdenville, NC, is so crazy about this holiday, they change their name to Christmas Town USA every December. You’ll find it 20 minutes outside of Charlotte – just look for the 450,000 lights and 375 trees decorating the town.

Or, visit Koziar’s Christmas Village in Bernville, PA, for one-stop Christmas everything. This popular Christmas destination boasts a million-plus light display, Christmas scenes (e.g., Christmas Beneath the Sea, Christmas in Other Lands), holiday-themed shops, and, of course, visits with the Big Man himself – Santa!

Ogden’s Christmas Village in Ogden, UT, is a particularly kid-friendly spot to celebrate. The whole family will love the winter wonderland theme complete with Santa’s North Pole Village comprised of over 50 elf-sized cottages with themes like The Elf Workshop, The Grinch, and Santa’s Castle (guess who’s there!). The village has its own Polar Express Train (AND IT’S FREE!) that passes through a glow-in-the-dark tunnel. Christmas: Made.

Holiday Spirit Close to Home

Need somewhere closer to you? Check out: Georgetown Glow in Washington, D.C.; Nevada City Victorian Christmas in Nevada City, California; Charlottesville’s Historic Downtown Mall in Charlottesville, Virginia; Ozark Mountain Christmas in Branson, Missouri; or Wisconsin’s Elkhart Lake Christmas in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Have you been to an awesome Christmas Destination? Let us know!

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Kristen Berthiaume is a clinical psychologist whose other day job is as mom to three willing product testers. Find her articles on all things child-wrangling at “Parenting with a Ph.D.” over on birminghammommy.com.

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