Thanksgiving is one of the best holidays of the year. It’s a great time to reconnect with your family and closest friends. We all can admit, however, that it can also get a bit stressful. As much as you love your nearest and dearest, you might feel like you need an escape before you return to the daily grind. Well, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered! Below are some of our suggestions for a brilliant, post-Thanksgiving escape.
Upstate New York
New York has long been a top winter destination…and with good reason! In fact, this one goes straight to the top of the hub! Thanksgiving here is idyllic. The Adirondack region is home to some of the best winter activities in the whole state. The idyllic village of Lake Placid has the beautiful Mirror Lake, as well as an Olympic ski jump complex and bobsleigh course.
Whiteface Mountain is home to some of the best skiing, snowboarding, tubing, snowmobiling and other winter sports activities in the entire eastern United States. Old Forge offers lake cruises and hiking up Bald Mountain and through the local trails.
Those who want more hiking adventures should check out the New York stretch of the Appalachian Trail.
Phoenix-Scottsdale, Arizona
Phoenix shines in the winter, as its scorching summer weather often puts off visitors. It is an excellent place to relax and unwind. While not known for its nightlife, leisure in this metropolitan area is abundant. Visitors can enjoy a wide variety of shops, golf, and spa days. Phoenix is also perfectly situated for those who want to visit the Grand Canyon.
Moreover, the city is well-known for its array of museums, including the Musical Instrument Museum and the Heard Museum, which displays a range of artworks and historical artifacts. A crowning jewel is the Desert Botanical Garden, where visitors can learn more about the desert fauna of the southwest.
New Orleans
New Orleans truly is a gem. Perhaps best known for Mardi Gras, the city truly is a center of festivities and good cheer, and this is only amplified over the Thanksgiving period. The city hosts a wide range of cultural sites, such as the Saint Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square, and Frenchmen Street.
The city is also home to the National WWII Museum, which has so many exhibits that visitors could easily spend a day there and explains the conflict in an accessible and interesting way. It’s a wonderful place to relax and unwind, too, whether it be on one of the many bridges of the New Orleans City Park or walking amongst the statues and plants of the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden.
San Diego
“Navy Town, USA” is situated in the south of the beautiful Golden State of California. This stunning city is known for its dazzling white sand beaches, parks, and warm climate year-round. It has a thriving cultural scene, which includes many art galleries, artists’ studios, museums, and parks.
Balboa Park hosts the San Diego Zoo, which has existed for over a century and hosts a plethora of exotic animals, including gorillas, eagles, tigers, sun bears, Asian leopards, and polar bears.
Although the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve is located within the city of San Diego, it has some of the state’s most beautiful landscapes, with large stretches of unspoiled beaches, magnificent Torrey Pine trees, and a large lagoon.
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City is situated between the bright blue waters of the Great Salt Lake and the majestic peaks of the Wasatch mountain range. The city is known for its architectural grandeur, with its stunning Capitol building, the nineteenth-century Salt Lake Temple, and the neo-Gothic Assembly Hall.
Zion National Park is an excellent destination for keen hikers and naturalists. The park consists of sheer red cliffs towering over the Zion Canyon. The Virgin River that flows through the canyon leads down to the sparkling Emerald Pools, with their waterfalls and hanging garden.
In addition, there is easy access to the famous Grand Canyon National Park, as well as several ski resorts.
Want more ideas for your post-Thanksgiving escape? Check out our website and blog.
