We may have up to 17 people, and we are looking for ideas. Youngest kid is freshman in HS, and oldest just started grad school. 4 couples, 50-60. Skiing is not really an option. Williamsburg is a possibility we are considering. Gettysburg has been suggested.
Thanks in advance
Colonial Williamsburg is beautiful at Christmastime. Lots of natural decorations on all the houses and single lights in all the windows.( I used to live there a long time ago.) But maybe too far to drive from NY?
What about Washington, DC? So many wonderful things to do and see that are free! Lodging isn’t cheap but you may be able to get some deals or even check out airbnb.
Cape May is lovely at Christmas time.
Thanks everyone. Cape May is an unexpected suggestion, and I’ve been wanting to go there. DC is not for this crowd at this time. Nor is NYC, which wouldn’t be cheap but I think could be fun.
Cape May is lovely at Christmas! They really decorate and light up the town beautifully. Here’s a link that shows a lot of what is going on as far as activities:
http://www.capemaymac.org/toursevents/christmasincapemay.html
And of course winter is a beautiful time for a walk on the beach!
Boston, Cape Cod, Manchester VT. If you don’t ski, it seems to me that you would need to go someplace that has other attractions and events to keep a crowd of 17 happy for an entire week. What type of budget are you working with?
Cape May is a good idea. Lovely place.
You could potentially break up a trip to Williamsburg with a day or two in the Charlottesville area-Monticello, etc.
If you are considering Gettysburg, what about Lancaster, PA? The Fulton Theater always has a good show at Christmas time, and there isn’t a bad seat In the house. A vist to Central Market will delight all of your taste buds. If you’re into shopping, you could do the outlets. You could visit James Buchanan’s house which is decorated beautifully for Christmas. And then there are all the Amish tourist attractions. Lancaster would be considerably cheaper than the other places mentioned. Search Vrbo.com for houses.
A 20 minute drive north of lancaster is Lititz, PA, voted #1 coolest small town in America. Spend a day there enjoying the Wilbur Buds factory, small shops, and a good selection of excellent restaurants. Or, if it were me, rent the house that is listed near Lititz and use that as your quaint, cozy central location to explore Lititz, Lancaster, and Hershey.
Hershey Park is open at Christmas time and renamed Candy Lane. A portion of the rides are available and then you need to take the chocolate tour as well.
Williamsburg seems like a long drive from NY.
Hershey , PA . The Hershey Hotel is beautiful - indoor pool, good restaurants, great spa. May be $$ Christmas week and possibly not enough to do in the local area depending on how many days you want to be away.
Mystic Seaport/Foxwoods Casino?
Atlantic City?
The Poconos?
Thanks everyone. As far as budget, we don’t really know. There are 4 families involved. I suspect a resort will be too expensive for at least one family.
It is mostly a trip for the family to visit, etc., but we will need some activites/attractions.
I think the idea of Cape May is a good one but am thinking that a full week there in the winter just might be too long. You could start off with a visit to the Princeton and Lambertville, NJ area and then cross over into New Hope, PA. They have a great gingerbread house exhibit at Peddler’s village and those 3 towns are very walkable with plenty of restaurants. Then maybe do 3 days in Cape May. All those towns are “done up” for the holidays and I know there are a couple of farms in the Bucks County, PA. area that offer sleigh rides. McCarter theatre at Princeton University will also have Christmas performances.
Have you considered Niagara on the Lake in Ontario? There are quite a few charming B&Bs, as well as good food and nice wineries. Are you and your gang wine lovers? Are S & GF old enough to drink in Canada? We spent a few days there and some time in Niagara Falls, Ontario. It was a nice visit. We’re not happy driving on snow and ice, which would be a barrier for us driving in snowy, winter areas. We visited in September. Trios Winery has a nice tour, tasting and noted restaurant.
Montreal if a 6ish hour drive isn’t too much for the group.
You mentioned cost concerns, at least for 1 family. Check out vrbo, homeaway or airbnb for house/apt. rentals. It’s also nice with a big group not having to eat all meals in a restaurant.
New England & Canada is miserably cold for outdoor sightseeing in January! If it MUST be east coast, then I vote for Mid-Atlantic or further down the coast for that time of year.
Williamsburg, VA is nice, but too far to drive easily from NY. It shouldn’t be too cold – we’ve been there in Nov/Dec. Great for history buffs and interesting food.
I personally liked the Cape May idea, plus Williamsburg or Ashville. But someone found a place in Gettysburg, and I think that’s where the group will be headed. This is a “smile and nod” trip for me. Actually, it will be great to visit with family, but the idea of spending those dates in Gettysburg does not appeal to me. Thanks for all the suggestions.
You should be able to escape for a day with your smaller group, or just your H, if you really need to. Washington DC, Baltimore, Lancaster, Shepherdstown, WV, maybe even Pittsburgh and Falling Water aren’t too far.
Fallingwater and Pittsburgh are about 3 hours from Gettysburg. Gettysburg is nice but I’ve been there 3 or 4 times so it would not have made my final list for this either. But there are nice things there and in that area in general. About an hour north- Lititz, Lancaster, Hershey (already mentioned). About an hour south- Shepherdstown (just mentioned) and Harpers Ferry. I hope you’ll have a great time.