Last-Minute Gift Ideas for Travelers
Are you still looking for the perfect gift for the traveler in your life? Or maybe you just want to treat yourself this holiday season? We have rounded up the best (and some of our most favorite) gifts for those who love to travel.
Road Trip Recap: Asheville and Blue Ridge
While 2020 may have cancelled or postponed many of our travel plans, we weren’t about to let it ruin our last chance to get away, just the two of us. We figured out over the summer how to take a road trip while pregnant, so once again, we decided to hit the road with our two dogs in tow. Our first stop? Asheville, North Carolina, by way of Atlanta, Georgia.
New York City at Christmas
I may be biased, but I think I had the best first trip to New York City, hands down. During my senior year of college, my two best friends and I took a 4-day trip to the Big Apple right after finals week and a few weeks before Christmas. Five years later, I have been back to NYC a handful of times, but nothing beats the city at Christmas time while enjoying a whole bunch of firsts with your college besties.
Winter Must-Do: Visit Ice Castles
When Liz coordinated our visit to Copper Mountain for snow tubing, she also suggested we look at Ice Castles. The award-winning ice attraction has four locations in North America, one of which is in Dillon, Colorado; the other Ice Castles can be found in Lincoln, New Hampshire; Midway, Utah, at the Homestead Resort; and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, at the Geneva National Resort & Club. A quick look at the images tagged with #IceCastles was enough to sell me on a visit.
It’s Snowing in Florida!
Attention: Florida is having snow! Real snow! Snowcat Ridge is Florida’s own recently opened winter wonderland; it's located in Dade City, about an hour outside of the Tampa city center.
Stay Gold at Copper Mountain
Saturday morning, we took off for Copper Mountain. About an hour and a half away from Boulder, Copper Mountain is a great spot for both winter sports enthusiasts and people who just like to play in the snow. They have tons of activities, like the Rocky Mountain Coaster and free snowshoe tours, as well as plenty of shopping and dining. Another key activity at Copper Mountain? Tubing.
Black Friday Travel Deals
While we all know Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping days of the year for clothes and electronics, did you also know it is a great time to book travel at a discount? Megan has snagged some great hotel deals during Black Friday in the past, like a half-off booking for the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa through Hotels.com. Here are some of the top travel-related deals happening right now!
Getting Away: Is the Away Bag Worth It?
Many of you have heard of Away and seen it around airports. After all, their signature shell is hard to miss. But is it really worth it to get an Away bag? After doing a lot of research (and mourning the official “death” of the carry-on that took me on my study abroad to Paris), I purchased the Bigger Carry-On in “Coast” with the ejectable battery. I then promptly packed up my new bag and took it to Copenhagen, Hamburg and London on our “spring break” trip.
On My Bucket List: St. Augustine’s Nights of Lights
One of my bucket list experiences is to travel to our oldest city during the holidays for their famous Nights of Lights celebration. Running from mid-November through the end of January every year, the historic town of St. Augustine has every corner decorated in dazzling lights.
Not Going Home for the Holidays
Tyler and I hadn’t planned to be around for the holidays this year. Instead, we were going to be spending three weeks bopping around South America. This would have marked the third year in a row of us traveling over Christmas and New Years, rather than spending it at home in Florida with our extended families. While that might not have worked out the way we’d initially planned (surprise, surprise), it’s likely that many of you will not be going home for the holidays for the first time this year due to coronavirus concerns. I certainly cannot tell you what makes the most sense for your specific situation; however, I can tell you that it’s possible to celebrate with your family and have a great holiday, even if you’re not physically together.