Thanksgiving is usually a time where many people pack up their cars and head towards family for the holiday weekend. Switch things up this year and meet your family for a Thanksgiving weekend getaway.
Many destinations have parades, festivals, and holiday themed events taking place where you are sure to find something for the whole family to enjoy. The possibilities are endless!
Plymouth, Massachusetts
Watch history come alive at Plimoth Plantation, just south of Boston. Learn about 17th century colonists while you feast on a Thanksgiving buffet with the family. Explore the Mayflower II and Wampanoag Homesite among other amazing historical sites.
New York City, New York
Experience the larger-than-life balloons up close and personal at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. With dazzling performances and extravagant floats, everyone in the family will be entertained. While you are in the city, take advantage of world famous shopping and dining. Do beware of the Black Friday crowds as shoppers flock to the city for great deals before Christmas.
Washington, DC
Visit the nation’s capital for a truly unique getaway and watch the official pardon of the turkey at Mount Vernon. Explore the city’s historical sites or enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving dinner at Georgia Brown’s, voted one of the top places to eat Thanksgiving dinner in the US.
Photo credit: Marit & Toomas Hinnosaar via flickr cc
Chicago, Illinois
Between Thanksgiving parades and unlimited Black Friday shopping options, Chicago is a perfect city to visit this time of year. Catch the McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade over weekend or the Christkindlmarket Chicago, an open-air German holiday market featuring hand-crafted items, gifts and authentic German cuisine. Millennium Park also hosts caroling and ice-skating.
Photo credit: JTOcchialini via flickr cc
Orlando, Florida
Take on Thanksgiving weekend Disney-style by celebrating at the Happiest Place on Earth. Watch the magic unfold during holiday themed parades and activities at both the parks and resorts. Once Thanksgiving ends, you may be able to catch the park transform into a winter wonderland, decorations usually debut over the weekend.
Photo via New Orleans City Park
New Orleans, Louisiana
Savor a local tradition: turducken – a chicken stuffed into a duck stuffed into a turkey – and watch the Thanksgiving parade featuring some of the country’s absolute best marching bands. On Friday, experience the magical winter spectacle, Celebration in the Oaks in City Park where hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights and breathtaking light displays are scattered throughout 25 acres of the Park, including the Botanical Garden, Storyland, and Carousel Gardens.
Photo via Keystone Resort
Keystone, Colorado
Hit the slopes at this family friendly destination! During this time of year, the Keystone Resort offers everything from skiing, ice skating, snow-tubing, wagon rides, Thanksgiving dinner and a Tree Lighting Celebration. Bonus – kids under 12 ski free all season long.
Grapevine, Texas
Grapevine is often referred to as the “Christmas Capitol of Texas” and residents know just how to celebrate the holidays. Thanksgiving is the kick-off weekend for the Carol of Lights where the city will be illuminated with more than one million lights along Main Street in Historic Downtown Grapevine.
Photo via Paws Up/Facebook
Missoula, Montana
Spend an unforgettable Thanksgiving weekend at The Resort at Paws Up. Stay cozy inside with family movie nights, football, and parade viewing parties, or satisfy your appetite for outdoor adventure with a petting zoo and pony rides, touch football, bird watching, or fireside s’mores among other activities. Enjoy sumptuous, locally sourced fare for an epic Thanksgiving dinner.
San Francisco, California
Cool weather and beautiful autumn leaves makes San Francisco a picturesque location this time of year. Enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner sailing by the Golden Gate Bridge on a Hornblower Cruise, participate in the Turkey Trot 5K, or ice skate at Union Square. After shopping on Black Friday, grab a seat and watch the Macy’s Annual Tree Lighting event in Union Square.
Start a new family tradition this year by getting out and vacationing together!
Read on for the best time to book Thanksgiving travel.
