Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It's been a rough year for me. I lost both my parents and recently my husband which was unexpected. My son who is a young adult (21) still lives at home while going to school. Christmas is going to be hard for us and my son mentioned it would be nice if we traveled somewhere instead of staying home. I agree but i'm having a difficult time deciding where. I have only gone on vacation once during Christmas and that was Walt Disney World when my son was 8 yrs old. My son isn't interested in going to Orlando which seems like a popular choice at Christmas.
For those of you that are seasoned travelers during Christmas, do you have any suggestions? Here are a list of places I have considered but have doubts. I have time off work from Dec. 22 - 26th. I'd prefer a place that is not closed up on Christmas day because I'm not sure what we would do and sitting in a hotel room seems kind of pointless.
New York City - Love the city and we have been there before. I'm concerned about it being a bit overwhelming during the holidays but know a lot would be open.
San Francisco - Son is only interested in Alcatraz and has talked about it for years. I was going to hold off on this until next year as I'm not sure how the weather is during December and if options would be limited on Christmas day. I haven't been to San Fran for about 25 yrs. Wouldn't mind going back.
Key West - Never been, interested in the architecture but seems overly pricey and most of the comments I've read on forums seemed geared toward partying. Most reasonable hotels are already booked.
Charleston - Never been and have read some forums about Christmas events but not sure if and what would be open Christmas day.
Our interests are museums, architecture, history. We do not have passports yet so leaving the country isn't an option at this time, plus I only have 5 days.
It's been a rough year for me. I lost both my parents and recently my husband which was unexpected. My son who is a young adult (21) still lives at home while going to school. Christmas is going to be hard for us and my son mentioned it would be nice if we traveled somewhere instead of staying home. I agree but i'm having a difficult time deciding where. I have only gone on vacation once during Christmas and that was Walt Disney World when my son was 8 yrs old. My son isn't interested in going to Orlando which seems like a popular choice at Christmas.
For those of you that are seasoned travelers during Christmas, do you have any suggestions? Here are a list of places I have considered but have doubts. I have time off work from Dec. 22 - 26th. I'd prefer a place that is not closed up on Christmas day because I'm not sure what we would do and sitting in a hotel room seems kind of pointless.
New York City - Love the city and we have been there before. I'm concerned about it being a bit overwhelming during the holidays but know a lot would be open.
San Francisco - Son is only interested in Alcatraz and has talked about it for years. I was going to hold off on this until next year as I'm not sure how the weather is during December and if options would be limited on Christmas day. I haven't been to San Fran for about 25 yrs. Wouldn't mind going back.
Key West - Never been, interested in the architecture but seems overly pricey and most of the comments I've read on forums seemed geared toward partying. Most reasonable hotels are already booked.
Charleston - Never been and have read some forums about Christmas events but not sure if and what would be open Christmas day.
Our interests are museums, architecture, history. We do not have passports yet so leaving the country isn't an option at this time, plus I only have 5 days.
I saw a former coworker last year who had just lost her mother. She is in her 40s, single and without children, and she and her father were going to take a cruise over the holidays because they did not want to be home, either.
New York City would keep you busy and it's great at Christmas, but it would also be very expensive.
I'm thinking more about places with things that are 'different' and have ACTIVITIES for your son. I think New Orleans might be perfect - historic, great architecture, the weather will be fine and it NEVER closes.
DC is certainly a possibility. Maybe Charleston or Savannah. NYC Yes, but you've been before, it's expensive (and the 9-11 museum and empty sky where the Towers used to be. . . Umm, not at this times in your lives.). Unfortunately, the weather won't be great in any of those. A cruise would be an option, but Christmas tends to be high priced and only five days leaves pretty bad choices.
Branson? Nashville/Opryland? Memphis/Elvis?
Santa Fe would be better weather, but it's not my thing. More artsy and shopping related. I'm concerned your son would not be too happy unless he enjoys SW art and crafts.
Phoenix/Scottsdale had a gem for anybody with even a passing interest in music - Musical Instrument Museum. Seriously - it's wonderful and can take up a whole day. Seeing the Christmas lights on cactus and in the desert landscape is unusual and surprisingly pretty. With just a little research, I'm sure you can find restaurants open an Christmas and Christmas Eve is a pretty big deal there. Several of the resorts really do it up for the holidays.
You might even consider a beach resort city in Mexico. You don't necessarily have to have a passport (though you still have time to get one by Christmas.). There are other documents that suffice - including an enhanced driver's license which you already may have! https://www.tripsavvy.com/documents-...travel-3150203. Puerta Vallarta would be a great choice.
I would save SF for another trip. It deserves to be a purely pleasure trip.
My sincere condolences to you and your son for your terrible 2018. My prayers and positive thoughts for a MUCH better 2019 filled with peace and laughter.
Last edited by Jkgourmet; 08-15-2018 at 08:29 AM..
First, so sorry to hear about the loss of your family members. I think the idea of travelling over the holidays would be a wonderful idea for you and your son.
New York City is a great choice. There are so many different things to do that every interest or whim could be met. We've never been on Christmas day but have been there on the 26th and beyond. Its somewhat crowded but the vibe is fun. While it may be cold there is plenty to do inside and the subway is easy to use. Plus the holiday decorations are amazing.
Santa Fe and Charleston are other good choices and would have good/great weather.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
