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I'm sure Gatlinburg is beautiful for Christmas. Another option along the same lines is Christmas at a place like Leavenworth WA. I've never been but it looks like a wonderful place to spend a few days for Christmas.
I have only been on one cruise and I took my daughter who had just turned 18. I'm not a gambler.
What I liked about the cruise - we just did a 3 day Mexican Riviera cruise on Carnival cruise out of LA - is that there are lots of activities you can sign up for if you want to, but you don't have to. You can also just hang out on deck. And there are good shows you can watch - like musical stage shows. And good food. And they stopped in ports for shopping.
I did experience some sea sickness, as we did hit some rough seas. Also, you need to be health conscious as far as washing your hands, etc., as you will be using the same elevators as thousands of other guests, etc. so you can get sick just from exposure, if you're not careful. I'd get a flu shot before hand, just because of exposure.
But, it's nice to have so many entertainment options and food sources, etc., all right on ship, where you don't have to deal with negotiating figuring all that stuff out like you would if you just went on a trip to a town and had to figure out transportation, ratings, etc., etc.
I had a previous boss who took train trips every year - old guy who loved getting away from his wife LOL. He took Amtrak trains all over the country. A train is similar to a cruise ship - but you'll want to splurge for your own cabin/berth for sure. And paying out of pocket for the dining car is expensive.
Another thought - I don't know about flights from where you are out to California, but wine country is fun, if you're into wine. And even though it would be winter here - our winter is laughable after living somewhere where you have freezing temps and snow.
You could fly into Sacramento or SF and drive to the wine country - Napa, etc. There are spas if you're into mud baths, and of course, lots of wine tasting tours/rooms, etc.
Also, if you like city stuff, San Francisco is always wonderful. Fly into SF, which is often cheaper because it's a major airport, ad there is so much to do in SF and it's so beautiful. I grew up here but I never tire of seeing the city from the water on a SF Bay cruise ship, where they will feed you lunch or dinner. Lots of shows to see like Beach Blanket Babylon, great fun bus tours throughout the city, too. And SF is pretty much always chilly year round, so you need to wear layers, but you won't be dealing with ice or snow.
I’m gonna vote for Chicago. Yeah, it may be cold, but you’re from Michigan so it won’t be anything you can’t handle. There’s the traditional things to see, like the Nutcracker, A Christmas Carol at the Goodman, and afternoon tea by the beautiful tree at The Walnut Room in what used to be Marshall Field’s when I was growing up but now is Macy’s. Michigan Avenue is gorgeous, and then there are the world-class museums you can visit. And don’t forget the Christmas market at Daley plaza. Go. It’s amazing.
My vote is Chicago, there’s so much to do there, the architecture is beautiful & public transportation is easy. The food is great, too.
I’ve been twice, the first time with my daughter just before Xmas, & there wasn’t a bit of snow on the ground. There was cold wind coming off the lake, but being from SoCal, I think I’m probably a weather wimp & I was fine. I guess no snow was probably unusual, but all the public buildings were too hot! The Xmas decorations were beautiful. I don’t usually do tour buses, but we did a Grayline bus tour that gave us a good overview of the city. The driver was a Chicago native who was fun & informative.
The 2nd time was with spouse, who spent his early childhood there & hadn’t been back since. That was in summer...we took the river tour...not sure if that’s available in winter.
I’ve also been to NYC at Xmas & you’re right, hotels were over the top, (Chicago hotels were so much more reasonable, and had great cityscape views). The streets were so crowded in NYC that we could barely walk. We did the shop windows, Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building etc., all very crowded and kind of a letdown.
I love Chicago, and taking the train sounds extra fun.
P.S. - I now live in Washington & have been to Leavenworth. It’s in the mountains & designed to look like a Bavarian town. It’s decked out with colorful lights, but unless you are there to ski or drink a lot of beer, it’s nothing special & super-crowded...once is enough and only if you are already in Washington.
Last edited by MarciaMarshaMarcia; 11-20-2017 at 11:03 PM..
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