Anonymous wrote:Off season at the beach. Head to Rehoboth, OCMD, Bethany, etc.

Agree! We’ve been to Sea Colony in Bethany and it was wonderful. So relaxing to be cozy indoors staring at the ocean.

Honestly anywhere that is currently off-season. Lodging is cheap and so are flights, if you’re not driving. Places that are hospitality towns are still very pleasant off-season. We usually go to HHI in February for example.

Anonymous wrote:Lake cabin in upstate ny

Noooo, the Finger Lakes are so boring in winter. Adirondacks maybe.

Do you have kids? What does relaxing look like if you do?

Not exactly relaxing but I'm debating driving to the Norfolk area, Florida, or NYC. Kids are very into science and military museums right now; beaches and pizza secondary.

Do you have kids? Ages? What do you want to do there? For how long?

I'd suggest Virginia Beach, maybe check out the suites hotels like Residence Inn for space and an indoor pool.
Williamsburg, Outer Banks, Richmond or Philly if you are interested in a city or even Pittsburgh.
There's always Annapolis or Baltimore.

I was also going to suggest deep creek. There are some really nice houses with pool tables, jacuzzis, etc. there are two supermarkets in town — one small expensive one but the other is fine. We also usually stop at the Frederick Costco for gas and the get snacks and some basics on our way.

We went to Williamsburg one year and it was nice but I was surprised some of the most popular things in the historic area were closed for the days after Christmas, so you may want to check the schedules.

Deep Creek. Went last year right before Christmas (came home Christmas Eve). 3 hour drive, significantly colder. Head on over to Wisp if you want to do some ski lessons, or just hang out in your AirBNB and relax. Ours was even decorated for Christmas, which was a nice touch for sure.

If you go, bring as much as you can food-wise. The "normal" grocery store in town is really overpriced and WalMart is the only other option and it's always crowded. I packed a cooler which held for that distance and a few bags of groceries and we were fine.

Lake cabin in upstate ny

Off season at the beach. Head to Rehoboth, OCMD, Bethany, etc.

I also suggest the Canaan Valley/Davis, WV! You *might* be able to find an affordable cabin, but I've found that sometimes their prices are higher than you'd expect!

Check the Black Bear Resort (older cabins but they have a nice rustic vibe and usually have working fireplaces).

I've not been to Deep Creek Lake, MD. but I've heard a lot about it and it looks nice too. I think they get a good bit of snow, though maybe not quite as much as Davis. Worth checking out.

If you want something with a different vibe, more active (probably not since you said relaxing but for some people this would be relaxing lol)....I've heard Williamsburg is lovely and "christmastown" is great.

There's also a lot to do up by Lancaster, PA and Hershey Park at Christmas, so another more active but fun trip.

Personally, I planned a last-minute trip to Philly and we are staying downtown and will walk to lovely christmas activities. It's not like totally relaxing, but it is super festive and nice. It can be relaxing in a different way. I found a room for about $100 a night a few weeks back, so there might be some affordable options still....you just have to account for $60 a night in parking.

Anonymous wrote:Shenandoah - find a cozy cabin or house with a fire pit, hot tub, etc.

WV - further drive but can look for the same. Also maybe cross country skiing like at Whitegrass in Davis. Seems to be more snow than usual for Dec.

You will probably want to bring food and cook for at least some nights at either. Puzzles, games, cards, etc.

We have a place in Davis. You can downhill ski at Timberline or Canaan Valley. I agree that you will want to bring food. Davis has a grocery store but it isn't great. It has the basics. There are a few restaurants in Thomas, the next town over that are good. The selection of restaurants in Davis isn't great but the BBQ place is decent.

If you can find an AirBnB, you could have a fun, relaxing getaway.

Outer banks.

Shenandoah - find a cozy cabin or house with a fire pit, hot tub, etc.

WV - further drive but can look for the same. Also maybe cross country skiing like at Whitegrass in Davis. Seems to be more snow than usual for Dec.

You will probably want to bring food and cook for at least some nights at either. Puzzles, games, cards, etc.

Can anyone recommend an inexpensive but relaxing place to head for the holidays at the last minute?