Over the top Christmas destination within 5 hours

[Anonymous]

Gatlinburg. They decorate over the top downtown and in 3 minutes you can be in a cabin in the Smokies that are gorgeous. Snowed last year on Christmas Day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A close suggestion would be the Canaan Valley in WV though you might have a hard time finding a rental at this point. We went last year with kids 2 & 5 and it was wonderful!

Tons to do:

Timberline Ski resort

Canaan Valley Ski Resort: downhill skiing/tubing/snowboarding/some cross country skiing/snowshoeing/hiking

White Grass (cross country skiing, very fun, snow pile area for kids to hang when needing a break, local beer outside, fire pits, lots of friendly local people.

Blackwater Falls State park: amazing sled run (our favorite part!!!), can rent xc skis or snowshoes, snow hiking.

That's about 2.5-3 hours from DC.

Beyond that....Williamsburg is delightful, NYC is super busy but lovely, Lake placid may be a little too far with your range but is supposed to be one of the best spots for a snowy, christmas, hallmark-like trip. Personally, we are traveling to Quebec City by car and it's like Christmas heaven lol so we are pumped but you would want to go for prolly a week if driving as it is quite far.

I was in West VA last month and NO ONE (including employees in our hotel) had masks on. Not one guest at the breakfast buffet had a mask on. Same with those in elevators. And the hotel staff informed us that they were not vaccinated. I am not sure if this matters to you but it made us on edge.

This is true, most do NOT mask but we have very limited contact with anyone as we stayed in our own cabin and did not eat out so the kids didn't go inside at all. This was also the benefit of White Grass as everything was outside except for where you get your boots fitted but they had open windows and everyone was masking last winter. TipTop bakery, people masked, a few stores in Davis/Thomas people did mask if it looked like more of a "progressive" store...

Also, if you choose other areas of VA, be aware that in the Shenandoah Valley, most people are NOT masking anymore even at some very progressive spots. This is part of my motivation for picking Quebec....everyone is masked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Richmond.

Google tacky Christmas light tour; I think this is last year's list: https://richmond.com/holiday/tacky-lights/

You can also search for this on YouTube. There are even private tour companies that will drive you around to all of them. Tacky Christmas lights have been a thing in Richmond since I was a kid growing up there and many of the same houses do it. I mean like millions of lights on one house. And it's more than one house, much more.

The Discovery channel even did a special on them years ago.

My extended family did this a few years ago and had a ball (admittedly all adults who went out for a few drinks first, so they had a driver).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Richmond.

Google tacky Christmas light tour; I think this is last year's list: https://richmond.com/holiday/tacky-lights/

You can also search for this on YouTube. There are even private tour companies that will drive you around to all of them. Tacky Christmas lights have been a thing in Richmond since I was a kid growing up there and many of the same houses do it. I mean like millions of lights on one house. And it's more than one house, much more.

The Discovery channel even did a special on them years ago.

My extended family did this a few years ago and had a ball (admittedly all adults who went out for a few drinks first, so they had a driver).

this is a serious thing in Richmond, in many different neighborhoods and it is extremely family friendly.

Here is last year's list the RTD compiled. Make sure you scroll all the way down, the homes are divided by neighborhood. It is really a lot of fun.

https://richmond.com/entertainment/tacky-lights-list-2020/article_9f1ba7f2-07ef-579d-8618-b26b17b86a1a.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A close suggestion would be the Canaan Valley in WV though you might have a hard time finding a rental at this point. We went last year with kids 2 & 5 and it was wonderful!

Tons to do:

Timberline Ski resort

Canaan Valley Ski Resort: downhill skiing/tubing/snowboarding/some cross country skiing/snowshoeing/hiking

White Grass (cross country skiing, very fun, snow pile area for kids to hang when needing a break, local beer outside, fire pits, lots of friendly local people.

Blackwater Falls State park: amazing sled run (our favorite part!!!), can rent xc skis or snowshoes, snow hiking.

That's about 2.5-3 hours from DC.

Beyond that....Williamsburg is delightful, NYC is super busy but lovely, Lake placid may be a little too far with your range but is supposed to be one of the best spots for a snowy, christmas, hallmark-like trip. Personally, we are traveling to Quebec City by car and it's like Christmas heaven lol so we are pumped but you would want to go for prolly a week if driving as it is quite far.

I was in West VA last month and NO ONE (including employees in our hotel) had masks on. Not one guest at the breakfast buffet had a mask on. Same with those in elevators. And the hotel staff informed us that they were not vaccinated. I am not sure if this matters to you but it made us on edge.

Welcome to most of the country, where life has moved on.

[Anonymous]

Bethlehem, PA. I've never been but sounds over the top christmas-y.

https://www.discoverlehighvalley.com/blog/post/welcome-to-the-christmas-city-an-itinerary-for-visiting-bethlehem-during-the-holiday-season/

https://uncoveringpa.com/things-to-do-in-bethlehem-at-christmas

https://www.christmascity.org/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A close suggestion would be the Canaan Valley in WV though you might have a hard time finding a rental at this point. We went last year with kids 2 & 5 and it was wonderful!

Tons to do:

Timberline Ski resort

Canaan Valley Ski Resort: downhill skiing/tubing/snowboarding/some cross country skiing/snowshoeing/hiking

White Grass (cross country skiing, very fun, snow pile area for kids to hang when needing a break, local beer outside, fire pits, lots of friendly local people.

Blackwater Falls State park: amazing sled run (our favorite part!!!), can rent xc skis or snowshoes, snow hiking.

That's about 2.5-3 hours from DC.

Beyond that....Williamsburg is delightful, NYC is super busy but lovely, Lake placid may be a little too far with your range but is supposed to be one of the best spots for a snowy, christmas, hallmark-like trip. Personally, we are traveling to Quebec City by car and it's like Christmas heaven lol so we are pumped but you would want to go for prolly a week if driving as it is quite far.

I was in West VA last month and NO ONE (including employees in our hotel) had masks on. Not one guest at the breakfast buffet had a mask on. Same with those in elevators. And the hotel staff informed us that they were not vaccinated. I am not sure if this matters to you but it made us on edge.

Yeah, I have a parent in the hospital in WV and have been here a lot over the past month and even hospital staff are walking around with their noses out of their masks and sharing their anti vaccine theories with me. Plus they won’t give patients COVID boosters, no matter how vulnerable they are/how long their hospital stay is. WV is not a good place for the COVID cautious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bethlehem, PA. I've never been but sounds over the top christmas-y.

https://www.discoverlehighvalley.com/blog/post/welcome-to-the-christmas-city-an-itinerary-for-visiting-bethlehem-during-the-holiday-season/

https://uncoveringpa.com/things-to-do-in-bethlehem-at-christmas

https://www.christmascity.org/

This sounds PERFECT, thank you!
-OP