Travel with Terri
Traveling for the holidays: Seven destinations to search for your holiday spirit
By Terri Marshall
Have you lost the holiday spirit? Often it seems we are so busy shopping, baking, decorating and tending to a myriad of overwhelming details that we miss out on the true spirit of the season. Check out these special holiday events at seven destinations across the country. You never know – the holiday spirit you have been missing may be waiting for you at one of them!
Seattle
Occasionally Santa and his Elves leave the North Pole and when they do, you will find them at Seattle’s iconic Space Needle – the home of an ultra cool Santa’s Out-of-this World Workshop! When Santa visits the Space Needle he wears flashy new threads and rides in a shiny new ride. Little ones can tell Santa all about their Christmas wishes and have their picture made with him in his cool ride on the Observation Deck. There is also an arts and crafts station where children can make a special holiday keepsake to take home.
During the holiday season the Spirit of Seattle – the Official Christmas Ship from Argosy Harbor Cruises – leads a flotilla of brightly-lit boats as she sails to a different Puget Sound waterfront community each night. Onboard choirs sign 20-minute performances to these communities which are broadcast via a state-of -the-art speaker system. http://www.downtownholidays.com
Chicago
A stroll down Chicago’s Michigan Avenue known as the Magnificent Mile is an excellent way to get into the holiday spirit! Get to know the city with a Magnificent Mile InstaGreeter. Every Friday and Saturday through December 31st, local residents lead free, one-hour walks down North Michigan Avenue and its surrounding area. Visitors will gain information and insights on landmarks, historic hotels, cathedrals and the best bets for holiday shopping. Departing from the Water Works Visitor Information center all InstaGreeter walks are first-come, first-served and limited to groups of six or less.
Holiday traditions vary all over the world and the Museum of Science and Industry brings these traditions to visitors during the holiday season with its Christmas Around the World exhibition. This time-honored celebration exhibits more than 50 trees and displays decorated by volunteers from Chicago’s ethnic communities to provide an authentic reflection of the various holiday traditions around the world. The museum also features Holidays of Light – a multicultural display of holiday traditions that celebrate light or enlightenment such as Diwali and Hanukkah. http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en.html
Colorado Springs
Situated amidst the grandeur of the Colorado Rockies, Colorado Springs offers Christmas classics in a truly spectacular setting. A Colorado tradition for over 20 years, Glen Eyrie Castle hosts a Renaissance Castle Christmas with a gourmet five-course feast, songs, dance and tales presented by the Lord and Lady of the Castle. Cap off your experience by spending the night in the castle and be transported to centuries past. http://www.visitcos.com
We all know Santa Claus lives at the North Pole but you may not know that you can ride with Santa to the North Pole on the Royal Gorge Railroad Santa Express Train! The Santa Express is a winter wonderland where little ones are encouraged to wear their cozy pajamas on board. In this special place Santa’s Elves will read classic Christmas stories while everyone sips hot cocoa. Through the train’s windows the beauty of the Rocky Mountains Royal Gorge is revealed. At the end of this special journey awaits a very special Christmas town – the North Pole! http://www.royalgorgeroute.com
New York City – The Bronx
Holidays in New York City conjure up images of ice skating and a massive Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, but beyond Manhattan there are special seasonal events just a subway ride away. New York’s Botanical Gardens located in the Bronx is the setting for the annual Holiday Train Show. Now in its 20th year, the Holiday Train Show is a spectacular exhibit filled with over 140 recognizable New York buildings and landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building – even Yankee Stadium. Each structure is hand crafted from 100% natural items like bark, twigs, stems, fruit, seeds and pine cones. Charming model trains weave throughout the display to bring the exhibit to life. Visit during the day to explore the intricate architecture, but stay after dark to watch a miniature New York City cast in an amber glow from thousands of miniature lights. The Holiday Train Show is a perfect family holiday event but also a fantastic date night with the Bar Car Nights which include cocktails for the over 21 crowd.
In the Children’s Adventure Garden your little ones will explore the spices that make up a classic gingerbread recipe. They can step inside a child-sized gingerbread playhouse and also decorate a gingersnap cookie with frosting and candies. All ages will enjoy viewing a display of gingerbread houses made by New York City-area bakers. http://www.nybg.org
Lancaster County
A truly magical and imaginative place, the National Christmas Center in Paradise, Pennsylvania seems the perfect setting to unwrap the spirit of the season. As the world’s only Christmas museum, the National Christmas Center showcases the holiday season like no other place. Intrigued from childhood with the wonder of the Christmas season, founder, Jim Morrison – affectionately dubbed “Santa, Jr.” – has spent his life keeping the magic of the holidays alive. Exhibits depicting holiday scenes of villages from across the world including Germany, Russia, England, Poland, Sweden and Norway will intrigue and delight you as you learn about seasonal customs near and far.
Experience the spirit of the first Christmas as you travel the road from Nazareth to the manger in Bethlehem through streets lined with life-sized wax figures. There are 150 folk art nativities in the museum’s collection along with hundreds of thousands of Christmas treasures spanning over 200 years.
Walk into a F. W. Woolworth’s 5&10 Cent Store created straight out of a child’s imagination. This tribute to Frank W. Woolworth who opened his first successful store in Lancaster in 1879, will transport you to simpler place and time. Find the child within you and you just might find the spirit of the season! http://www.nationalchristmascenter.com
Frederick, Maryland
“The clustered spires of Frederick stand, green-walled by the hills of Maryland”, reads John Greenleaf Whittier’s Civil War-era poem, “Barbara Frietchie”. The churches of Frederick, Maryland stood as silent witnesses during the Civil War – many serving as Civil War hospitals after the battles of Antietam and Monocacy. Today the church spires highlighting Frederick’s skyline are a symbol of its distinguished heritage and beauty. For the past 25 years, these historic churches have provided residents and visitors with a divine destination during the holidays. Celebrate the 25th annual Candlelight Tour of Historic Houses of Worship this season in Downtown Frederick on Monday, December 26th from 4 to 9pm. As the sun sets, the candlelight begins to glow as you tour over a dozen historic worship sites of representing faiths. You can expect to be greeted with the sounds of angelic choirs, instrumentalists and interpretations. Your path will be guided by luminaries from one site to the next as you experience three centuries of American architecture and history and perhaps find a bit of that seasonal spirit you were missing. http://www.fredericktourism.org
Orlando
It may be warm and sunny outside, but the two million pounds of ice used in the carving of Gaylord Palms ICE! make Orlando one of the coolest holiday traditions in the Sunshine State. Through an alliance between the resort and DreamWorks Animation, this year’s ICE! features those lovable green ogres, Shrek and Fiona, their adorable ogre babies and that crazy Donkey in “Shrek the Halls.” Put on the parka provided at the entrance – over your short sleeved shirt – and step inside a winter wonderland filled with brilliantly colored ice sculptures.
This walk through exhibit created by artists from Harbin, China transports you to Shrek’s chaotic house where everyone is telling their distorted version of the story of The Night Before Christmas. There is an ice banquet table complete with an ice turkey, an ice fireplace – even an ice outhouse! And then there are the five ice slides just begging the kid in each of us to climb up and slide down. You may find the spirit of the season on your way down the icy cold slide – or you may find (as I did) that you are not quite as young as you used to be!
Extend your holiday celebration at Gaylord Palms Orlando with The Christmassy Dreamworks Experience package which includes lodging, priority access to ICE!, ShrekFeast Interactive Character Meal and Puss in Boots Quest for the Magic Beans Scavenger Hunt. http://www.gaylordhotels.com
No matter where your travels take you this holiday – here’s wishing you success in finding the spirit of the season! Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Terri is a freelance writer with regular columns on travel, chocolate and bar reviews. She is busy each month visiting new places to bring unique travel destinations and events to you. Yes, it is a sacrifice – but she is willing to do that for her readers! You can see more of Terri’s writing at www.examiner.com where she is the National Chocolate Examiner and at www.barzz.net. You can contact Terri at [email protected].