Yes indeed, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Just thinking about Christmas—falling snow, crackling fires, twinkling lights—brings up all the warm feelings. Some spots take the spirit of the season to its Yuletide max. Here are five of the best places to catch the holiday magic.
Carmel Christkindlmarkt (Carmel, Indiana)
For many centuries, Christmas markets have brought people together to shop, and eat, and celebrate in places like Munich and Dresden and Nuremberg. Carmel, just north of Indianapolis, showcases its German heritage every year at its own Christkindlmarkt. Lace up your ice skates and glide across the glimmering rink. Then browse and sample and sip at the 60 or so huts, where German artisans craft and create beautiful things, right before your eyes.
Polar Express (Durango, Colorado)
Climb aboard and ride right into Christmas Eve. This 65-minute rail journey takes you into the world of the award-winning book by Chris Van Allsburg, and the film of the same name featuring Tom Hanks. As this vintage steam train chugs along, you can sip hot chocolate all the way to the North Pole. The best part? You’re encouraged to wear your pajamas to complete the whole comfy-cozy experience.
National Gingerbread House Competition (Asheville, North Carolina)
In 1992, in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, members of the local community gathered to show off their gingerbread houses. Fast forward to today: This get-together has evolved into the Omni Grove Park Inn & Spa National Gingerbread House Competition, one of the most competitive festive events in the world. Altogether, $40,000 in cash and prizes are up for grabs. But you don’t have to make anything—just swing by between Nov. 18 and Jan. 4 to see many sweet creations.
Reindeer Walks (Fairbanks, Alaska)
You can’t have Santa without his faithful reindeer. And Running Reindeer Ranch gets visitors up close and personal with these iconic creatures. Take a Reindeer Walk with the resident herd, led by naturalist and lifelong Alaskan Jane Atkinson. You may not meet the real Rudolph, but guests are treated to homemade cookies, reindeer games, and lots of interesting facts about the magical birch forest that surrounds them.
Local Tree Lightings
A Christmas-tree lighting is really the perfect way to kick off your holiday season. We all know the most famous ones. The tree at Rockefeller Center in New York was first lit in 1931 when workers pooled their money to buy a 20-foot balsam fir. In Boston, the big tree between Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market lights up in late November.
Check local listings for one in your community. Some of these trees are truly unique, showcasing local touches. There is Sandi, the desert sand tree in Palm Springs, California, as well as a glittering tree created entirely from 2,000 handmade glass ornaments located in Corning, New York. Near Phoenix, in Chandler, Arizona, the Tumbleweed Tree stretches some 35 feet tall and 20 feet wide, comprised of some 1,200 Wild West tumbleweeds.
This article was originally published in American Essence magazine.
