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Thanksgiving means turkey and pumpkin pie, household Thanksgiving traditions, and early-bird buying on Black Friday. But it’s also a uncommon break within the college schedule the place conventional education households discover themselves with 5 or extra days off. So if you wish to ditch the annual Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma’s, or simply benefit from an opportunity to get away with out pulling the children out of faculty, listed below are just a few Thanksgiving getaways that you could squeeze into a vacation break.
When placing collectively this record I relied alone expertise and suggestions from others to search out locations, each home and worldwide, that met the next standards:
- The vacation spot may be explored in 5 days, together with journey time assuming households may depart both the Tuesday night earlier than Thanksgiving and return by the Sunday night time after Thanksgiving.
- Since many college districts give a full week off and a few households are happy with children lacking 1-2 days of faculty, I’ve additionally included some locations which may require a bit extra journey time however this can be a nice time to go to widespread worldwide locations when the airfare is cheap and the locations aren’t crowded since they don’t have fun this U.S.-based vacation.
- The climate on the vacation spot is mostly nice in November. This doesn’t imply laying out on the seaside or carrying shorts, nevertheless it isn’t too snowy or wet (no ensures in fact!) I’ve included some locations the place the climate is colder or presumably snowy, however I’ve famous that because it provides to the attraction or the actions at the moment of yr.
- Where attainable, I attempted to incorporate locations which have particular actions or occasions taking place throughout that point of yr.
10 Thanksgiving Getaways within the United States
Note: This put up could comprise affiliate hyperlinks. If you click on a hyperlink and make a purchase order, I could obtain a small fee. All opinions are my very own.
While you may typically discover low-cost flights to Europe, and even Asia, throughout this time of yr, relying on the place you’re touring from you might choose to remain home for a Thanksgiving getaway.
1. New York City, New York
If you need to see the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, you’ll need to bundle up and stake out a spot alongside Central Park West or sixth Avenue. However, my favourite factor to do once we spend Thanksgiving in NYC is to go over to the Museum of Natural History within the afternoon earlier than Thanksgiving and watch them inflate the balloons within the late afternoon and night.
While you’re on the town, it’s best to plan on catching a Broadway present. Our favorites for youthful children have been the Lion King and Wicked (not a giant fan of Alladin however I’d wish to see Frozen) and for teenagers, Hamilton and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
If you intend on exploring a number of the primary vacationer points of interest and museums, just like the Empire State Building, 9/11 Memorial, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Natural History, I might suggest grabbing a New York CityPASS to economize on these points of interest — and get to skip the road at many!
Where to Stay
2. Jamestown & Williamsburg, Virginia
Did that Virginia lays declare to the primary Thanksgiving? There you may have fun the vacation the place Colonists first settled in America and be taught just a little historical past on the similar time. You can get pleasure from a Thanksgiving feast the way in which the unique settlers did, on the Foods & Feasts of Colonial Virginia occasion on the Jamestown Settlement and American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.
At Jamestown Settlement, children can find out how meals was gathered, preserved, and ready by Powhatan Indians and English colonists with clay pots and iron kettles. Historical interpreters will bake bread and reveal open-hearth cooking of pudding, pies, and pottage, primarily based on historic recipes of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.
For these in search of a conventional dinner, Williamsburg has loads of eating places at Colonial Williamsburg together with Williamsburg Lodge and Christiana Campbell’s Tavern, the place friends can expertise historic eating traditions.
While within the space, households can get pleasure from exploring Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown Settlement, Busch Gardens, and different points of interest in close by Newport News and Hampton. Hamilton followers will even respect the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, which tells the tales of residents and troopers throughout the nation’s founding with complete indoor reveals and out of doors residing historical past areas.
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3. Boston, Massachusetts
Most folks affiliate the primary Thanksgiving with New England. Of course, we now know extra concerning the legends and myths surrounding this vacation, however Boston continues to be a fantastic spot to have fun Thanksgiving and be taught some actual historical past when you are at it.
Unfortunately, you’ll have simply missed the prettiest of the autumn foliage and Boston shall be beginning to settle in for winter. Luckily there are many methods to heat up together with the Museum of Science, Boston Children’s Museum, the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum, the Museum of Fine Art, and the New England Aquarium.
While you’re there, plan some day journeys from Boston together with Plymouth to go to Plymouth Rock and perhaps even have Thanksgiving Dinner on the Plimoth Patuxet Museums in a recreated seventeenth Century village. Other widespread day journeys embody Salem and Gloucester.
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4. Hilton Head, South Carolina
Hilton Head Island in South Carolina is a superb household vacation spot at any time of the yr, however throughout Thanksgiving, the warmth and humidity have subsided and it’s the tail finish of hurricane season, making the climate often pleasant.
The dwell oaks draped in Spanish moss give the island its lush really feel. Beneath the bushes, vacationers can trip alongside miles of motorbike trails, kayak via the marshes and waterways, or go horseback using. Of course, there are seashores, golf programs — conventional and putt-putt relying in your talent, and the Pinckney Nature Preserve to fill sunny days with enjoyable.
Restaurants on the island focus on seafood, low-country delicacies, and barbecue. But that doesn’t imply you may’t discover a conventional Thanksgiving meal. In reality, Hilton Head celebrates the vacation with a Thanksgiving scavenger hunt, a Turkey Trot race, and Caramel Apple Festival. And there’s an annual group dinner at Hudson’s Seafood House on the Docks.
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5. St. Augustine, Florida
I do know there are lots of claims to the First Thanksgiving, however St. Augustine, Florida has documented that the primary Thanksgiving befell there on September 8, 1565, years earlier than the Pilgrims. Spanish explorer Don Pedro Mendez de Aviles got here ashore in 1565 to say Florida for Spain and established the primary St. Augustine settlement alongside the shores of what’s now the Fountain of Youth Archeological Park.
The land was the house of the Native Timucua Indians within the village they referred to as Seloy. One of the primary issues the Spanish explorers did was serve a meal of celebration they usually invited the Timucua Indians to hitch them. The adjoining Mission Nombre de Dios, celebrates the touchdown with a recreation of the formal mass of Thanksgiving.
During Thanksgiving, St. Augustine additionally shines brightly with the glow of three million tiny white lights throughout St. Augustine’s “Nights of Lights” celebration. There are some ways to benefit from the metropolis right now of yr, from Old Town Trolley excursions, carriage rides, harbor excursions, or guided walks.
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6. Orlando, Florida
I do know it looks like theme parks can be overcrowded and loopy throughout the Thanksgiving Weekend. However, we went to Universal Orlando at Thanksgiving just a few years in the past and we have been shocked that it wasn’t practically as crowded as we anticipated, particularly on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Even for those who aren’t into theme parks, there are many different Orlando points of interest (each indoor and out of doors) that may make for a enjoyable trip. Plus it’s good to go to when the climate isn’t sweltering!
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7. Chicago, Illinois
Why head to the Windy City in November? To get into the vacation temper and to discover this dynamic metropolis with out the summer season crowds or (hopefully) the winter snow. Chicago actually does it up huge relating to Christmas and all of it begins in November, giving loads to do in Chicago at Christmas.
But earlier than Christmas will get into full swing, the Windy City has among the finest Thanksgiving Day parades within the U.S. Be positive to bundle up and stake out a spot alongside State Street for this three-hour-long spectacle that includes huge balloons, marching bands, equestrian models, drum traces, dance troupes and native and nationwide celebrities.
Chicago lights up for the vacations and you’ll see Christmas bushes from all over the world on the Museum of Science and Industry, go ice skating on the Maggie Daley Skating Ribbon, have lunch on the well-known Walnut Room at Macy’s, catch a parade, and store on the Chicago Christmas Market.
There is a lot else to see in Chicago that I might suggest grabbing a Chicago CityPASS and maximizing your time. Take within the view from the SkyDeck on the Willis Tower, watch the Beluga whales on the Shedd Aquarium, and take a look at the dinosaur bones on the Field Museum.
Where to remain
8. Western Montana
If you’re in search of a western Thanksgiving with stunning views underneath the large skies of Western Montana, The Paws Up Resort has put collectively a Thanksgiving Vacation Inclusive Package. The Resort at Paws Up is Montana’s premier luxurious ranch resort, set on 37,000 acres within the Blackfoot River Valley.
The Thanksgiving Feast for All Five Senses at The Paws Up Resort contains hearth s’mores, soccer video games, wagon rides, and naturally, the grand Thanksgiving feast. Extended households can unfold out in a luxurious house within the Wilderness Estates with three grasp suites, a loft sport room, a cook dinner’s kitchen, and a pure timber hearth.
Family actions embody hayrides, horseback using, ATV excursions, laser tag, contact soccer, climbing, arts and crafts by the fireplace, and even a petting zoo. Foodies will get pleasure from wine tasting and the Turkey day delicacies of Executive Chef Sunny Jin and visitor chef and BBQ legend Sam Huff.
9. Santa Monica, California
With sandy seashores, clear out of doors areas, and temperatures reaching a excessive of 67 levels in November, Santa Monica is a perfect household vacation spot for a Thanksgiving break. There is an abundance of actions for households for a Thanksgiving vacation break, together with the well-known Santa Monica Beach and Pier.
Families with younger youngsters will get pleasure from exploring the Cayton Children’s Museum, splashing round on the Annenberg Community Beach House or Tongva Park, or exploring the Heal the Bay Aquarium. Third Street Promenade options road musicians, dinosaur fountains, buying, and the Downtown Santa Monica Farmers Market.
Older youngsters will get pleasure from bike using alongside the beachfront path and strolling via the artwork and structure on the Getty Center. Nearby, thrills await at Disneyland and California Adventure, or Warner Bros. Studio.
Where to remain
10. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
I’ve skilled firsthand how Philadelphia offers New York a run for its cash relating to Philadelphia at Christmas. But do you know that Philly additionally has the longest-running Thanksgiving Parade within the nation at practically 100 years?
The 6abc Dunkin’Thanksgiving Day Parade begins at twentieth Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard and ends on the Philadelphia Museum of Art on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The parade contains huge floats, choirs, dance teams, marching bands, and extra. It finishes off with the arrival of Santa to kick off the vacation season.
While in Philadelphia, it’s also possible to soak in the entire historical websites and plan a day journey to Longwood Gardens to see the lights and vacation flower arrangements.
Where to remain
10 International Thanksgiving Getaways
Thanksgiving week may be a superb time to take a world trip, particularly if you’ll be able to swing a full week off. Most of those locations additionally work effectively for a five-day journey. This yr particularly I’ve seen a ton of fantastic flight offers to Europe from main U.S. cities.
I subscribe to Scott’s Cheap Flights to get every day alerts on flight offers. Sign up for the free or premium subscription to search out out about nice flight offers too!
1. Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Three to 5 days is the proper period of time for exploring Amsterdam and surrounding cities. Temperatures are often within the 40s, with an opportunity of rain, so costume appropriately, however you gained’t run into the identical crowds right now of yr. Given the over-tourism that’s impacting the town, visiting throughout the off-season is far most well-liked, even when the climate isn’t excellent.
There is loads to do in and round Amsterdam with teenagers, however youthful children will even get pleasure from feasting on pancakes throughout a canal cruise and exploring the NEMO Science Museum.
Where to remain
2. Aruba
Last Thanksgiving we had a household trip in Aruba and it was a wonderfully stress-free, tropical getaway and a good way to decompress after a busy fall. With direct flights from many U.S. cities, you may be on the seaside in a matter of hours to maximise your trip time.
The inns alongside the two-mile Palm Beach supply stunning oceanfront seashores and lots of have water actions like wave runners, windsurfing, parasailing, and paddleboarding. You may also schedule excursions comparable to snorkeling or scuba diving, or discover the desert facet of the island on off-road adventures.
Just keep away from leaving on Saturday as you might discover lengthy traces on the airport as a result of cruise ship schedules. Either means, we suggest being on the airport three hours early as you’ll clear the U.S. border and passport management in Aruba.
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3. Azores
Halfway between the U.S.’s East Coast and Portugal, the archipelago of the Azorean Islands is a brief direct flight from Boston. The jetstream retains the waters across the islands temperate, even when the air temperatures are just a little cooler. This journey paradise provides scenic views and a singular model of Portuguese tradition.
São Miguel is the biggest island and it’s simple to spend a full week there, exploring the totally different areas. If you’re actually bold, it’s also possible to spend a day or two on Pico (wonderful wines!), São Jorge, and/or Terceira. See my tips on planning a visit to the Azores.
Where to remain
4. Bermuda
Bermuda could not supply tropical climates in November, however you may get pleasure from its stunning pink sand seashores even when it isn’t sunbathing climate. Plus its location off the coast of North Carolina means you will discover quick, direct flights from Boston, New York, Washington DC, and Atlanta.
If you keep at a seaside resort, you may e-book excursions to see the historic components of the island, benefit from the aquarium, go to a number of the many caves, or take a guided bike tour. Even although non-residents can’t hire vehicles, you may hire small little electrical automobiles if it is advisable to get round.
Where to remain
5. Dublin & Northern Ireland
Ireland is a brief hop from the U.S. east coast and you’ll often discover inexpensive flights into Dublin or Shannon. It is straightforward to do three days in Dublin after which add in a few days for a stunning fort or property keep, comparable to on the Mount Juliet Estate close to Waterford.
Alternatively, you possibly can spend two days in Dublin after which cross over to Northern Ireland (particularly nice for Game of Thrones followers) and go to Belfast and the attractive Causeway Coast.
Where to remain
6. London, England
Five to seven days is an ideal size of time to spend in London. From palaces to museums to all kinds of Harry Potter experiences, themed afternoon teas, and big toy shops, there’s something for everybody.
Late November is a superb time to go to London as a result of U.Ok. colleges aren’t on break and inns shall be extra inexpensive. Also, all of London’s vacation festivities are simply kicking in, like Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. You get all the benefits of London at Christmas with out the crowds.
Where to remain
7. Paris, France
Paris in November is sort of energetic, with new artwork reveals on show and theater performances within the night. While the times are shorter and it’s a little cool, the temperatures are hotter than NYC and there’s loads to do inside.
With direct flights from many U.S. cities, it’s the good time to benefit from the City of Light when lodge room costs aren’t as outrageous and the streets aren’t swarmed with vacationers. And for those who get chilly, simply pop into Angelina’s for a sizzling chocolate and discover a number of the off-the-beaten-path museums.
Where to remain
8. Reykjavik, Iceland
In November, the times are quick in Iceland and the air is chilly, however you might have an opportunity to see the Northern Lights. There are nonetheless loads of out of doors adventures to get pleasure from from ATV using on black sand seashores, to tremendous jeep excursions, to glacier hikes and exploring ice caves.
If you go to Iceland within the winter, it’s higher to base your self in Reykjavik and take day journeys or take guided excursions vs. self-driving, as circumstances may be extraordinarily unpredictable. Book a bunch tour with my accomplice Hidden Iceland and save 10 % with code WE3TRAVEL.
Where to remain
9. Quebec City, Quebec
You don’t need to cross the pond to get some European aptitude. Quebec City is a superb metropolis for youths as a result of it’s so walkable and charming within the Old City. It could also be too early for the Ice Hotel, however there are nonetheless museums, retailers, and waterfalls to discover, all whereas training your French.
Keep in thoughts that Quebec City can get very chilly so be ready and costume in layers! But you gained’t be competing with Canadians on vacation and the costs are to your benefit if you’re coming from the United States.
Where to remain
10. Marrakech, Morocco
Morocco might sound far for a Thanksgiving getaway however with direct flights from New York to Casablanca in seven hours, it’s nearer than you suppose. From Casablanca, it isn’t far to the cosmopolitan metropolis of Marrakech, the place you may soak in Moroccan meals and tradition.
If you might have per week to spend, it’s also possible to match a go to to both Fes or in a single day within the desert into your Morocco itinerary. For assist planning your journey, contact my accomplice EPIC Travel and obtain a free VIP welcome present whenever you point out you have been referred by WE3TRAVEL.
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