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Find your ideal destination in our annual roundup of travel fun.
Go Oahu
Even as frost gathers on the mainland, tropical breezes caress the island of Oahu and sunbathers bask on fabled Waikiki Beach. Kick off your getaway by establishing a base at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach (from $189 for AAA members); its backyard is the ocean. Then sign up for a lesson at Hans Hedemann Surf School, where the namesake surf legend teaches newbies to hang ten.
After your workout in the waves, you’ll want to unwind with a hot-stone massage at the Moana Lani Spa. Then light out for a luau at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Held under the stars, it begins with a banquet and closes with a Samoan fire knife dance. If you’re wearing more than shorts and a T-shirt, you’re overdressed. visit-oahu.com [2].
Warm Up
Peak Experiences
First the ears pop, and that’s good. You’re gaining altitude. Everything you want to see and experience, the widest vistas, the freshest powder, the purest air: It’s all up there. In the West, we’re famous for our up there: hundreds of mountains, whole ranges with momentous names—Cascade, Olympic, Rocky, Ruby, Sawtooth, Sierra Nevada, Siskiyou—stretch from Alaska to southern Mexico, the result of a tectonic game of Tetris that has been in progress for some 500 million years. Go on, conquer a trail, a ski run, or a cup of cocoa atop your favorite summit. Here are a few good reasons to keep climbing.
Winter Fun
My husband and I love to travel up to the Shaver Lake area northeast of Fresno, Calif., and stay at a cute bed-and-breakfast called Elliott House. It’s run by a married couple who make delicious breakfasts, such as omelets and baked apple pancakes. From there we’ll head out for a day of skiing or snowboarding at China Peak. —Elisabeth Lee, Santa Clarita, Calif.
Gone Fishing
Our favorite spot for winter fun is just across the street from our house: Duck Lake is renowned for its ice fishing, and the Babb volunteer fire department’s fishing derby (info at babbstmaryvfd.org [22]) draws enthusiasts from all over the West and Canada. We catch five- to eight-pound trout—tasty when fried up with a breading of crushed saltine crackers. —Greg and Courtney Fullerton, Babb, Mont.
Go Hope Valley
Just 30 miles from South Lake Tahoe, this pristine pocket of California embraces 2,400 acres of public forest and meadow wide-open for winter fun. Strap on snowshoes or cross-country skis to explore 60 miles of marked trails maintained by Hope Valley Outdoors or swoosh down the slopes at Kirkwood Mountain Resort, which gets annual snowfall of more than 500 inches. At Sorensen’s Resort, curl up with a book in a pine-paneled cabin, relax in the wood-fired sauna, or dine on hearty beef burgundy stew and five-berry cobbler. At nearby Grover Hot Springs State Park, the steamy outdoor soaking pool comes with a bonus: a view of 10,000-foot peaks. alpinecounty.com/kirkwood.html. [23]
Go Sandpoint
Location, location, location, you say? This Idaho burg of 7,800 has three reasons to brag about its prime neighborhood: To the west are the Selkirk Mountains, to the east lie the snowcapped Cabinets, and twisting southward is 43-mile-long Lake Pend Oreille. Skiers skim the cross-country trails at Priest Lake State Park or swoosh down the slopes at Schweitzer Mountain Resort, with its 92 runs and sweeping views. In town, visitors can shop for locally produced baskets, jewelry, or huckleberry treats at Cedar Street Bridge Public Market or savor homemade biscuits at the Blue Moon Cafe. And don’t miss the 1927 Panida Theater, a 550-seat Spanish mission jewel. visitsandpoint.info [24].
Go snow king
Snow King Resort is easy to overlook. Not literally, of course—its 400 acres loom large over downtown Jackson, Wyo., especially Tuesdays through Saturdays, when the lower half of the mountain is lit for skiing and tubing at dusk. But statistically the King’s 16 runs and four lifts can’t compete with Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, 12 miles away. All the better for Snow King’s loyal subjects, who come for the wide-open, crowd-free runs and reasonably priced lift tickets (adults $41—or $25 if you stay in the resort’s hotel or condos). Snow King also trumpets the area’s only indoor ice arena, and its summit has the best view of the Tetons around. snowking.com [25].
Get Out
Robert Frost’s little horse didn’t stop for roasting chestnuts. Cold weather is best greeted under an open sky with snow-muffled landscapes, air you can taste, and great adventures for those who strap things to their feet. For nature’s rebuttal to computer special effects, ski the Spiral Stairs run into the magical town of Telluride, Colo. tellurideskiresort.com [26].
Stay In
As days shorten and the sun hangs thin in a darkening sky, the pleasures of the hearth sound sweeter than the call of the wild. Where best to hibernate? Oregon’s Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood seduces with roaring fires and the Cascade Dining Room’s sumptuous cuisine; its wine list features some 300 Oregon pinot noirs alone. timberlinelodge.com [27]. The Snug Bar at Montana’s Whitefish Mountain Resort also proves the perfect spot to hibernate: Ten stools in a tiny wood-paneled room and elegant comfort food, from oyster gratin to roast quail. kandaharlodge.com/snug.htm [28].
Cool Down
Get a Rush!
The tiny organs just north of your kidneys—those are your adrenal glands. Put them to work by enjoying a pinch of speed and adventure with your travel. Adding a little juice to a jaunt can make a great trip out of a merely good one. After all, getting away can mean getting away from mundane thoughts and asking deep, philosophical questions such as “Why walk from one tree to the next when I can zip through the canopy like Indiana Jones?”
Do More
Squeeze the most out of even a short trip:
Do Less
You can find endless ways to lounge, linger, and lollygag:
Go Santa Cruz
The UC students are gearing up for finals, but everybody else in California’s funky Shangri-La seems to be taking a lesson from the sea lions lolling under the wharf: They’re unhurried. Pull on a wool beanie to blend in with the townies and enjoy a gentle bike ride on a rented beach cruiser up West Cliff Drive, past Steamer Lane’s surfers. Continue to Natural Bridges State Beach to watch monarch butterflies clustering—or, if the timing is right, sipping nectar from winter-blooming eucalyptus. Back in town, settle into a beach-facing chaise on the Dream Inn’s pool deck and contemplate a sinking sun, then join locals at the Crêpe Place for cheese-centered comfort food. Santa Cruz benefits from a late summer, so in the daytime you might not even need a sweater. santacruzca.org [59].
Slow Down
At the North Rim of the Grand Canyon my 6-year-old granddaughter, Ally, worked on a Junior Ranger activity book, staying quiet for 15 minutes while writing down what she saw and heard: “I see birds, ants, orange rocks. I hear pinecones falling and lizards running.” The book asked her to answer the question, “How do you feel?” Ally wrote, “HAPPY!” I felt “HAPPY!” too. —Laurie Wu McClain, Berkeley, Calif.
Silver Falls
When the weather turns gray, Silver Falls State Park—the largest state park in Oregon—seems even greener. Dense moss blankets tree trunks and stately firs rise dramatically from tangles of ferns, the whole show fed by an abundance of water, the main attraction on the site’s Trail of Ten Falls. For a leisurely day of basking in extraordinary natural beauty, walk the mostly flat seven-plus-mile loop to visit all 10 cascades, ranging from the rushing, 93-foot-high Lower South Falls to the soft cliffside spray of Winter Falls; or take shorter cutoffs to see just a few. For a more immersive encounter, you can meander behind four of the falls (South, Lower South, Middle North, and North) to feel the mist from the pounding flows and hear a quiet roar like no other. oregonstateparks.org/park_211.php [60].
Splurge!
With all departures come chances to indulge in something special and make your break from routine more memorable. Whether you’re forking over dough for a regional flavor or for an unparalleled view, a well-placed splurge can make a ho-hum trip sparkle.
Go Seattle—Two Ways
In this cosmopolitan town, you can go either upscale or economical, depending on your mood. visitseattle.org [72].
Posh
If you want swank, stay at the renovated Alexis Hotel (from $140 for AAA members) near Pike Place Market and dine on a $75 seven-course French tasting menu with Northwest ingredients at Chez Shea. Savor a bit of liquid elegance—maybe the Vessel 75, a $12 blend of Woodford Reserve bourbon and Peychaud’s Bitters topped with maple syrup foam and orange zest—at the chic bar Vessel.
Prudent
To enjoy the city just as much while spending a little less, pinch pennies pleasantly in the Capitol Hill neighborhood at the sweet, friendly 11th Avenue Inn (from $69), a bed-and-breakfast with each room named after a gemstone. From there, stroll to In the Bowl, a casual vegetarian noodle bistro, where every dish costs less than $11. Nearby, take a $10 salsa lesson at Century Ballroom.
Affordable Fun
Lake Berryessa, in Napa County, is one of California’s low-cost delights. Try the affordable Cucina Italiana (and play bocce!) at Spanish Flat. —Shelley Simmons, Cotati, Calif.
Soak It Up
I slow down at Chico Hot Springs in Pray, Mont., where I can sip a frozen margarita in a thermal pool, splurge on a meal in the award-winning Dining Room at Chico, and still afford an excellent bottle of wine. Rooms vary from inexpensive antique digs with shared bath to high-end cabins. To fully relax, I make advance dinner reservations and request a quieter room away from the pool. —Rebecca Huntington, Jackson, Wyo.
Go BIGFORK
Art, food, beer, and views—the high points of Bigfork, Mont., are always in season. Crowds, however, remain a summer thing. In winter, this small town where the Swan River spills into Flathead Lake shifts into quiet mode. Icy mountain water flows past shuttered vacation homes, and the boats are under wraps. Snow may be scarce, but ice crystals on the pebble beach at Wayfarers State Park are almost guaranteed. Downtown, it’s a short walk from risotto with shrimp and saffron at La Provence to warm brie salad and roasted duck breast at Showthyme. The bear sculptures and oil landscapes at Eric Thorsen Art Studio—just one corner of the eclectic art scene—break expectations for Western style. The crowds will return, but no rush: you have Bigfork to yourself for now. bigfork.org [73].
Photography by Tony Novak Clifford [74]
This article was first published in November 2010. Some facts may have aged gracelessly. Please call ahead to verify information.
Links:
[1] http://www.viamagazine.com/2010/novemberdecember
[2] http://www.visit-oahu.com/
[3] http://www.sayulitalife.com/
[4] http://www.visitmarinadelrey.com/
[5] http://www.sonomacounty.com/
[6] http://www.santafe.org/
[7] http://www.visitpalmsprings.com/
[8] http://www.scottsdalecvb.com/
[9] http://www.lajolla.com/
[10] http://boulderhotsprings.com/
[11] http://www.wasatchmountainclub.org/admin/menu.php?
[12] http://www.nps.gov/mora
[13] http://www.mttam.net/
[14] http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/index.htm
[15] http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_197.php
[16] http://www.visitmaui.com/
[17] http://www.nps.gov/grba/planyourvisit/lehman-caves-tours.htm
[18] http://www.shastaguides.com/node/43
[19] http://www.us-parks.com/idaho-scenic-byways.html
[20] http://www.skimba.com/
[21] http://www.alyeskaresort.com/index.aspx
[22] http://babbstmaryvfd.org/
[23] http://www.alpinecounty.com/kirkwood.html
[24] http://www.visitsandpoint.info/
[25] http://snowking.com/default.aspx
[26] http://tellurideskiresort.com/TellSki/index.winter.aspx
[27] http://www.timberlinelodge.com/
[28] http://kandaharlodge.com/snug.htm
[29] http://www.sunriver-resort.com/
[30] http://www.skilasvegas.com/winter/index.html
[31] http://royalgorge.com/
[32] http://bridgerbowl.com/
[33] http://mountainmancountry.com/
[34] http://www.goldennugget.com/amenities/pool.asp
[35] http://www.treetotreeadventurepark.com/
[36] http://www.silvermt.com/
[37] http://www.mastermindhunts.com/
[38] http://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/hike_day_kilaueaiki.htm
[39] http://www.soldierhollow.com/
[40] http://www.catalinaadventuretours.com/
[41] http://www.wildlifesafari.net/
[42] http://kennicottguides.com/
[43] http://www.yellowstoneadventures.com/index.htm
[44] http://www.albatrosspub.com/
[45] http://www.slcpl.lib.ut.us/index.jsp
[46] http://www.yummywinebarbistro.com/
[47] http://www.highlandshollow.com/
[48] http://www.poorboyssteakhouse.com/
[49] http://www.citylights.com/
[50] http://www.elliottbaybook.com/
[51] http://www.grassrootsbookstore.com/
[52] http://www.iconoclastbooks.com/
[53] http://mtbookco.com/
[54] http://hearthsidebooks.com/
[55] http://www.rodkey.net/sunset_drivein.htm
[56] http://www.cinemalovers.com/
[57] http://www.westwinddriveins.com/view_theater3.php?id=5703
[58] http://homertheatre.com/
[59] http://www.santacruzca.org/
[60] http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_211.php
[61] http://missionpie.com/
[62] http://www.deuxchats.com/
[63] http://www.keokisparadise.com/
[64] http://www.steinlodge.com/
[65] http://www.claremontresort.com/
[66] http://www.hotelhealdsburg.com/
[67] http://www.shibuispa.com/
[68] http://www.redmountainspa.com/
[69] http://www.helitour.com/
[70] http://www.flyprecision.com/
[71] http://www.channelislandsheli.com/
[72] http://www.visitseattle.org/
[73] http://bigfork.org/
[74] http://www.tonynovak-clifford.com/