End the year in sporting style
October 16, 2007
Filed under Xmas Travel America North Central
Tags: Christmas, Cincinnati Bengals, Dolphin Stadium, Miami dolphins, USA, Xmas Travel America
Event: Miami Dolphins versus the Cincinnati Bengals
Date: December 30th 2007
December and 2007 could end in style for football fans by staying in a luxury hotel and heading to Dolphin Stadium to catch the Miami Dolphins host the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Miami Dolphins are one of the world’s best-known sports teams, with their illustrious history featuring legendary players such as Dan Marino and a perfect season where they won every game including the Super Bowl in 1972. December 30th sees the Dolphins play the Bengals in the final game of 2007 for both teams, with Dolphin Stadium providing a great setting for early end-of-year celebrations.
Opened in 1987 and formerly known as Joe Robbie Stadium, the arena is currently undergoing a transformation to make it “the most-inspired and unmatched stadium experience in the world”, according to the Dolphin Stadium website. Currently more than 75,000 fans can pack into Dolphin Stadium for a football game, with around 24,000 car parking spaces on hand for fans.
Get the New Year’s celebrations underway early with a luxurious stay at The Chesterfield Palm Beach.
Related Links >
http://www.dolphinstadium.com
It’s time to make those holiday plans
September 23, 2007
Filed under Xmas Travel America North Central
Tags: Christmas, Christmas Travel, Holiday Plans
The leaves haven’t even begun to turn, but Thanksgiving and Christmas are in the air. Will you be too?
With people planning holiday travel early, it might pay to start your holiday shopping with your airline tickets.
Best Holiday times to fly > If you’re going to grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving or Christmas, you’d better start making plans. Americans are booking their holiday travel earlier this year than usual, according to Priceline. Here are some of the key dates, from Priceline’s Best Days to Fly Calendar.
*The lowest fares for Thanksgiving are for travel on November 19, 22, 23 and 27. Thanksgiving day is November 22.
*The lowest fares for Christmas are for travel before December 19 or on December 24, 26, 27, 28 and 31. Christmas and New Year’s Day are on Tuesdays this season.
Russian Winter Celebrations > All Power to the Parties
January 13, 2007 
Everyone knows that Russian winters are brutal. Perhaps that’s why, as anyone who knows Russian culture can attest, the winter season is also famous for fun, a festive time for Russians to stave off cold-weather blues.
Although Russians officially switched to the Gregorian calendar after the revolution of 1917, the Russian Orthodox Church has maintained its holiday schedule using the Julian calendar, meaning Christmas is celebrated on the day the Gregorian calendar calls January 7 and New Year on January 14.
Christmas is mostly a family affair, but come New Year, it’s party time. A few weeks later comes the traditional celebration of Maslenitsa, a last-chance party before Lent, like Mardis Gras or Carnival. And because Russians seem to find their holidays too good to leave behind, even if you can’t make it all the way to Russia this winter, you can find opportunities to join the celebration.
London, for example, will hold the third Russian Winter Festival this year on January 13, the eve of Orthodox New Year, in Trafalgar Square. And on February 9 in New York, just before Maslenitsa, February 12 to 18 this year, the Russian Children’s Welfare Society will hold the 42nd Petroushka Ball. It’s a traditional Russian ball, with fine dining, dancing and music at the Waldorf-Astoria. Originally a small, invitation-only charity benefit, the ball, though still formal and rather expensive, is now open to anyone who wants to buy a ticket.
In San Francisco, the Russian Center sponsors a less formal but more open winter festival, now in its 19th year. It’s roughly scheduled to coincide with Maslenitsa in Russia, where the tradition is for people to take to the streets in brightly colored costumes and masks for bonfires and effigy burnings, sanctioned group fistfights and other alcohol-fueled merriment. Everyone eats the traditional Maslenitsa food: blintzes with butter, jam, caviar and other toppings. Organizers in San Francisco expect to have everything but the fighting for their three-day event, which usually draws about 4,000 people.
”Maslenitsa actually means something having to do with butter,” said Zoia Choglokoff, and vice president and director of programs at the center, the Russian word for butter is maslo. ”It means you can have blintzes and butter and drink and so on, and then for six weeks you have to stop it,” she said. ”It’s an old Russian tradition.”
The Slavic Festival this weekend in Eugene, Ore., though not exclusively Russian, is held in conjunction with the Russian holidays and features traditional food, dancing, music and art that is mostly Russian. It is sponsored by the Slavic Home, a nonprofit cultural organization.
Of course, one of the most recognizable elements of Russia’s culture is its rich legacy of symphonic music. The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra is taking Russian culture on the road this winter with its Russian Romantics Festival, beginning next week. In a series of concerts around the state, the orchestra will feature the music of Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Borodin and other Russian composers.
Also holding a Russian winter festival is the Tucson Symphony Orchestra: four concerts will feature the music of Prokofiev, Mussorgsky and Shostakovich, among others. George Hanson, the symphony’s music director and conductor, has long had an interest in Russian music.
Mr. Hanson, who won an ECHO-Klassik award in 2003 in Germany for recordings of works by Anton Rubinstein, finds a passion in Russian music that may be echoed in the enthusiasm the country shows for its holidays. ”When a Russian plays the violin, you never have to wonder if it’s a Russian,” he said. ”They dig in. The hairs on the bow start flying onto the floor. A great performance of a Russian work will draw you into a world where the colors are more vivid and the emotions are more keenly felt.”
DETAILS >
LONDON > Trafalgar Square; (44-207) 183-2560; www.eventica.co.uk/events/rwf/2007. What: Russian Winter Festival; free. When: January 13.
NEW YORK > Russian Children’s Welfare Society, (212) 473-6263; www.rcws.org. What: Petroushka Ball, with dinner, dancing and vocal and balalaika performances; admission from $375. When: February 9.
SAN FRANCISCO > Russian Center of San Francisco, (415) 921-7631; www.russiancentersf.com. What: Russian Festival in Maslenitsa tradition, $10. When: February 9 to 11.
EUGENE, ORE. > Slavic Home, (541) 510-7651; www.slavichome.org. What: Slavic Festival, $5 a night. When: Tomorrow and Sunday.
NEW JERSEY > New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, (800) 255-3476; www.njsymphony.org. What: Russian Romantics festival; most tickets from $20. When: January 9 to 28.
TUCSON, ARIZ. > Tucson Symphony Orchestra, (520) 882-8585; www.tucsonsymphony.org. What: Russian Festival; from $18. When: February 8 to March 11.
New York City > New Year’s Eve
December 29, 2006
Filed under NEWS America North Central, Xmas Travel America North Central
From Times Square and beyond, New York City is the place to be on December 31
The world celebrates New Year’s Eve with New York City as millions of people worldwide watch the countdown and famous ball drop in Times Square. But the Times Square festivities are just the beginning of what’s happening in the Big Apple this New Year’s Eve. From dramatic fireworks displays to special concerts, there is no place like New York to ring in the New Year.
Celebrate at the Cross Roads of the World > More than 750,000 people pack into the blocks surrounding Times Square (www.timessquarenyc.org, 212-768-1560) on December 31 for the famed New Year’s Eve celebration. For over 100 years, this celebration has been an annual tradition and the epitome of New Year’s celebrations. Revelers will be covered with 2,000 pounds of confetti as they watch the Waterford Crystal Ball descend atop One Times Square as the clock strikes midnight. Visitors wanting to be a part of the action should plan to arrive no later than 3pm to stake out a spot. The best places to view the Times Square celebration are along Broadway from 43rd to 50th Streets and on 7th Avenue from 43rd to 59th Streets.
Hotels and Happenings > Celebrate the new year in style with a party at one of New York City’s top hotels. The Mandarin Oriental, New York (80 Columbus Circle at 60th Street, www.mandarinoriental.com, 212-805-8800) will host a party at the 35th floor lobby lounge overlooking Columbus Circle and Central Park. Guests can enjoy spectacular city views dance to live music as they celebrate 2006. The hotel’s restaurant Asiate will have a special New Year’s menu with seatings at 5:30pm (3-course prix-fixe, $75) and 9pm (7-course prix-fixe $255). Admission to the lobby lounge party will be free to guests of the hotel and Asiate; non-guests will pay a $125 cover charge.
Enjoy the Times Square celebration from high above the crowd at the Marriott Marquis (1535 Broadway, www.nymarriottmarquis.com, 212-398-1900) Broadway Party featuring champagne reception, four-course dinner, open bar, live DJ and special entertainment. Located on Broadway, just north of Times Square, the Marriott Marquis offers a prime viewing location to watch the New Year’s festivities. Tickets for the Broadway party are $899 per couple, and $999 or $1400 per couple for premium seating.
Ring in the new year with a bang at the Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery (2 West Street, www.ritzcarlton.com, 212-344-0800) offering exclusive viewing of spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks over the Statue of Liberty and New York Harbor. The Bubbles & Sparks package ($1095 per couple) include luxury accommodations in a City View room, entry into the private party at the 14th floor Rise Bar, premium open bar, hors d’oeuvres, champagne toast and midnight fireworks from the Grucci family. Lovebirds can spend New Year’s Eve together with the Fireworks Romance package ($1250 per couple), which includes a Harbor View room offering private views of the midnight fireworks, dinner and dancing at 2 West restaurant, a champagne toast, party favors and an in-room bottle of champagne and strawberries.
Eschew the traditional raucous New Year’s Eve partying and start the new year off with a relaxing spa getaway at the Westin New York Times Square (270 West 43rd Street, www.westinny.com, 212-201-2700). The Spa Inspired New Year’s Package ($619 per person, December 29 – January 2) allows guests to relax and renew for the new year with a two night minimum stay in a Spa Inspired Guest Room, a bottle of champagne, a 50-minute Swedish spa treatment, full American breakfast, spa amenities and free access to the health club. The hotel’s new Spa Inspired Guestrooms feature electronic Shiatsu massage chairs, aromatherapy bath amenities, bottles of water, fruit and a mini bar with healthy snacks.
Feinstein’s at the Regency (540 Park Avenue, www.loewshotels.com, 212-759-4100) will host a special New Year’s celebration featuring an exclusive performance from legendary singer Michael Feinstein. Guests can enjoy a three-course dinner and open bar, and have the opportunity to meet Mr. Feinstein after the show ($650/per couple). At midnight there will be a champagne toast, and partygoers will receive a half bottle of champagne to take home.
Party like it’s 2006 > There’s no place like New York City for parties on New Year’s Eve. Take to the water on December 31 with an electrifying 3-hour cruise with Circle Line Sightseeing (Pier 83 West 42nd Street, www.circleline42.com, 212-563-3200). Enjoy dazzling skyline views, live DJ and dancing, an open bar, hors d’oeuvres, party favors, and a midnight champagne toast. Boarding begins at 9pm and the boat sails from 10pm – 1pm, the price is $120 per person. Or go upscale with a luxurious World Yacht (Pier 81 West 41st Street, www.worldyacht.com, 212-630-8100) cruise, including a five-course dinner, open bar and live band. Both vessels will offer the perfect vantage point of New York Harbor to view the midnight fireworks by the Grucci family.
Greenwich Village’s Mannahatta (316 Bowery, www.mannahatta.us, 212-253-8644) offers a sleek multi-level space for guests to enjoy. The New Year’s Eve Package ($150 per person) includes premium open bar from 9pm – 2am, gourmet hors d’oeuvres from 9pm – midnight, a midnight champagne toast, party favors and live entertainment featuring DJs and go go dancers. The fun only begins at midnight as the bar is open all night until 10am when breakfast will be served.
Spend New Year’s Eve in bed with a party at of one of the city’s most unique nightclubs, BED NY (530 West 27th Street, www.bedny.com, 212-594-4109), where you can sip cocktails while relaxing on an oversized bed. This party will be no sleepy affair with a top shelf open bar, appetizers by Chef Vitor, midnight champagne toast, and special entertainment ($150 per person). Stay up all night and enjoy an early morning “breakfast buffet”, detox cocktails and essential hangover helpers as you view the first sunrise of 2006 from the 7th floor enclosed rooftop deck.
For the ultimate guide to New Year’s Eve parties check out www.newyears.com (212-843-2400) where partygoers can search for a variety of parties hosted at restaurants, clubs, bars and lounges throughout the city and purchase advance tickets. The site provides details about the party including pricing, venue information and photographs. Another top party resource is www.joonbug.com (212-255-4223) offering information and tickets to the city’s hottest places to ring in the new year.
Fantastic Fireworks > What better way to celebrate the New Year than a spectacular display of fireworks above the city skyline? Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza at Prospect Park (www.prospectpark.org, 718-965-8999) will be alight with colorful fireworks at midnight to welcome 2006. The best locations for viewing the fireworks are at Grand Army Plaza, on the Prospect Park’s West Drive, and along Prospect Park West between Grand Army Plaza and 9th Street. Guests are encouraged to arrive early to secure a prime viewing location. Fireworks from the famous Grucci family will light up the sky above the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island at the stroke of midnight. The best viewing locations include Battery Park and Wagner Park. Central Park (www.centralparknyc.org, 212-794-6564) will also host a midnight fireworks display. Tavern on the Green and Sheep’s Meadow, as well as high rises surrounding the park are among the best spots to watch the fireworks.
Other events in Central Park include a costume contest and dancing at the Central Park Bandshell plaza. Athletes who want to ring in the New Year by breaking a sweat can take part in a four-mile run through Central Park hosted by New York Road Runners (www.nyrrc.org, 212-860-4455) or join the cyclists and in-line skaters of Time’s Up and ride from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village to Central Park’s Belvedere Castle.
Performing Arts > Culture vultures can celebrate the New Year with a special music or dance performance. Mambo in the New Year at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola (33 West 60th Street, www.jazzatlincolncenter.org, 212-258-9800) with legendary Cuban musician Paquito D’Rivera and his Panamerican Ensemble. Located in the Jazz at Lincoln Center complex in the Time Warner Building, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola will serve guests a three-course dinner to enjoy during the set ($155 per person for the 10pm set).
Dance aficionados will enjoy a special New Year’s Eve performance from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (405 West 55th Street, www.alvinailey.org, 212-405-9000) at New York City Center. The special performance will feature the world premiere of Ife by Ronald K. Brown, the Ailey classic Revelations and the highly anticipated new ballet, Reminiscin’.
Live from Lincoln Center presents the New York Philharmonic (10 Lincoln Center Plaza, www.newyorkphilharmonic.org, 212-875-5000) in its annual New Year’s Eve Gala. This festive evening of music will ring in the New Year with a program of Italian opera featuring world renowned soprano Angela Gheorghiu. Tickets for the live performance are available for $80 – $235.
Enjoy a free concert at St. Bartholomew’s Church (109 East 50th Street, www.stbarts.org, 212-378-0200) starting at 11pm. Fanfares, Fugues and Finales: A Concert to Usher in the New Year will feature organist William K Trafka performing works from Bach, Tchaikovsky, Widor and Langlais. Earlier in the evening the church will present Bachworks: The Brandenburg Concerti, a performance of six of the most exuberant classical musical pieces ever written. Tickets are $20 to $100 and the concert starts at 8pm.
Start the new year off with a laugh at one of New York City’s comedy clubs. The Comic Strip Live (1568 Second Avenue, www.comicstriplive.com, 212-861-9386) offers a 10:30pm show including an all-star line up of comedians, a three hour open bar, munchies, party favors, champagne toast and live broadcast of the celebration in Times Square ($90 per person). The National Comedy Theater (347 West 36th Street, www.manhattancomedy.com, 212-629-5202) will present its New Year’s Eve Spectacular starting at 9:30pm ($75 per person). The comedy troupe will present an improvised show based on audience suggestions, followed by a New Year’s countdown. Located on Broadway just north of Times Square, Caroline’s on Broadway (1626 Broadway, www.carolines.com, 212-956-0101) is a popular destination for New Year’s Eve revelers. The 10:30pm show will feature acts from top stand-up comedians, a live broadcast of the ball drop in Times Square and DJ and dancing after midnight ($90 per person plus two drink minimum). Chicago City Limits (318 W. 53rd Street, www.chicagocitylimits.com, 212-888-5233) will ring in the new year with a special New Year’s Eve show that takes aim at the places, faces and events of the past year, with songs and improvisations. Shows at 8pm & 10:15pm and tickets are $35 & $45 plus 2-drink minimum.
Family Friendly Celebrations > Raise your non-alcoholic sparking cider and toast these family friendly New Year’s Eve options. The Big Apple Circus (www.bigapplecircus.org, 212-268-2500) will offer a New Year’s Eve performance starting at 9:30pm and ending just in time for a midnight countdown led by ringmaster Paul Binder.
Celebrate with dancing, live music, and special goody bags with hats streamers and noisemakers. Tickets are $45 to $125 for the circus performance and New Year’s celebration.
Little ones who can’t make it to midnight can celebrate with the New Year’s Dance Party and countdown at 2:30pm on December 31 with the Brooklyn Children’s Museum (145 Brooklyn Avenue, www.brooklynkids.org, 718-735-4400). Impack II, an eclectic band that plays hip-hop, reggae and soca-inspired tunes, will provide music to dance to at this Caribbean-themed celebration. Noisemakers and party favors will be provided for kids to enjoy. Admission to the museum is $4.
The Bronx Zoo (2300 Southern Blvd., www.bronxzoo.com, 718-367-1010) will be shining bright this holiday season with the Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights, presented by Hess. December 31 is the last night to enjoy this festive celebration of more than half a million mini-lights and more than 150 lighted sculptures. Families can enjoy the lights from 5-9pm and tickets are $10 for adults, $7 children and seniors and free for children under two years old.
Restaurants > A number of New York City restaurants are celebrating New Year’s Eve with prix-fixe menus and special entertainment. Some of the highlights are Garage Restaurant’s (99 Seventh Avenue South, www.garagerest.com, 212-645-0600) three-course menu including champagne toast and dancing ($95 per person), Sal Anthony SPQR’s (133 Mulberry Street, www.salanthonys.com, 212-925-3120) gala cocktail hour and four-course dinner menu including open bar, champagne toast and party favors ($125 per person) and Remi’s black-tie New Year’s Eve gala (145 West 53rd Street, www.remi.citysearch.com, 212-581-4242). For those who want to enjoy the ambiance of the Times Square celebration without the crowds, there are a number of restaurants in the vicinity offering special New Year’s menus.
La Prima Donna (163 West 47th Street, www.laprimadonnany.com, 212-398-3400) offers a three-course dinner including a bottle of champagne and live entertainment ($125 per person) and Joseph’s by Citarella (1240 Avenue of the Americas, www.josephscitarella.com, 212-332-1515) has a four or five-course dinner including champagne toast ($125 per person).
Head downtown to Tribeca Grill (375 Greenwich Street, www.myriadrestaurantgroup.com, 212-941-3900) for the annual New Year’s Eve Gala. This year’s festivities include a five-course feast of holiday favorites and live entertainment from Ron Sunshine and his band ($150 per person). Or have dinner before heading out on the town with Tribeca Grill’s a la carte menu offered from 5:30 to 8:45pm.
Barbetta Restaurant (321 West 46th Street, www.barbettarestaurant.com, 212-246-9171) will host its most spectacular New Year’s Eve in a century as the restaurant kicks off its 100th anniversary. Dinner, dancing and midnight toast are included for $250 person. Planet Hollywood (1540 Broadway at 45th Street, www.planethollywood.com, 212-333-STAR) parties with buffet, hors d’oeuvres and open bar ($225 per person, $275 VIP) and T.G.I. Friday’s (761 Seventh Avenue, www.tgifridays.com, 212-767-8349) offers entertainment, champagne toast, buffet, dessert and open bar for $225 per person.
A two-day Western Canadian rail journey
Looking for a quick and easy escape from the seasonal rush or better yet a great way to get into the holiday spirit? Western Canadians should think outside the Christmas gift box and treat themselves to a getaway this December with Rocky Mountaineer Vacations. Departing conveniently from Vancouver and Calgary, the relaxing Christmas-themed two-day Rocky Mountaineer train takes guests through the picture-perfect winter landscape of the Canadian Rockies.
“With only two weeks until Christmas, finding the perfect last minute holiday can be challenging,” says James Terry, Executive VP and C.O.O. of Rocky Mountaineer Vacations. “If you live in B.C. or Alberta the solution is close to home with the Rocky Mountaineer winter train. There are no line-ups, no long flights, no heavy luggage to carry and no loose ends. It is truly a seamless travel experience.”
Two-days of winter fun and relaxation await onboard the world-renowned Rocky Mountaineer train which features Christmas with all the trimmings. With no cell phones, computers or crowds to deal with, the train offers a cozy, relaxing and pampered experience as it travels eastbound or westbound between the coastal city of Vancouver and the world-class ski resort town of Banff, in the Canadian Rockies. Guests may choose to travel in either GoldLeaf or RedLeaf Service with prices starting at CDN $549 per adult (based on double occupancy) and CDN $259 per child (2-11 years). The journey includes two breakfast and lunch meals, one dinner, overnight hotel accommodation and rail station transfers in Kamloops, B.C. Getaway before or after Christmas with travel departure dates from Vancouver, December 19 or 27 and from Banff, December 21 or 29. Motorcoaches connect guests between Banff and Calgary.
Whether seated in RedLeaf or GoldLeaf Service, adult guests are invited to visit the specialty lounge car which features live jazz, dancing, and a bar serving such holiday favourites as mulled wine and eggnog laced with dark rum. In the coach next door, children are kept busy by an onboard entertainer who leads the group in carolling, decoration making, fort building and a variety of games. Amidst the food and fun, Santa Claus makes an appearance and delivers gifts to all when the train meets his broken down sleigh mid-route.
For additional information or to book a getaway on the Rocky Mountaineer winter train, contact your local travel professional or Rocky Mountaineer Vacations directly at (800) 665-7245. You may also visit the website at www.winterrailvacations.com
Rocky Mountaineer Vacations offers year-round vacation packages to the most unique regions of Canada and four spectacular rail routes through British Columbia and Alberta. Best known for the world-acclaimed Rocky Mountaineer train, a two-day, all daylight rail journey between Canada’s West and the Canadian Rockies, the company also offers trips onboard the new Whistler Mountaineer train, which is a daily three-hour experience between North Vancouver and Whistler, B.C. Since its inception in 1990, the company has grown to become the largest privately owned passenger rail service in North America and has hosted over 900,000 guests from around the world. In 2006, RMV was honoured with a World Travel Award as “World’s Leading Travel Experience by Train” for the second consecutive year. Rocky Mountaineer Vacations, one of Canada’s leading tourism providers, is a proud partner of Gray Line West motorcoach operations in Banff, AB and Vancouver, Whistler and Victoria, B.C.
Take time for a holiday break
Get away from all the seasonal craziness by taking a Michigan trip that’s easy on your wallet
It’s that time of year again, time to get into the Christmas Spirit, or, depending on your mood, time to get away from all the seasonal craziness. We’ve discovered a couple of budget-friendly outings in Michigan that can help you do both.
Through the woods
If you’re tired of sandwiching your annual foray to the Christmas tree lot between never-ending errands, mad dashes to shopping malls and obligatory open houses, consider an overnight escape to Dowagiac, 40 minutes southwest of Kalamazoo.
There, at the Butler Tree Farm & Campground, travelers can spend the night in a rustically cozy log cabin and take a wagon ride through pine-scented countryside to find just the right tree from 30,000 fresh specimens. After the ritual tree-cutting, everyone gathers at a log cabin to warm up around a bonfire.
“It’s very simple, down-to-earth,” says Brenda Butler, who runs the farm with her husband, Sam. “We’ve created an environment where people have an excuse to come spend time and bond with their families. It takes you back to a very simple time.”
Rather than waiting in line for Santa in an overcrowded mall, children may chance upon him and Mrs. Claus around the farm, riding in the tractor-drawn wagon, tending animals (including llamas, Belgian horses and miniature goats), or sipping cider in the craftshop, by the wood-burning stove.
Deck the halls
Another kind of old-fashioned Christmas awaits northbound travelers in Traverse City, where the elegant Antiquities’ Wellington Inn gets all decked out for its holiday open house, Dec. 1-3.
Built by a wealthy mill owner, the restored Victorian mansion turned bed-and-breakfast brims with holiday trim and floral arrangements that are being installed this week and next by local designers and florists.
“It’s different every year,” says Barb Rishel, who spent four years restoring the inn with her husband, Hank, a political science instructor at Macomb County Community College. “Every room is decorated, including the (12) bathrooms. The light fixtures are dripping with decorations, and all the tubs and the mirrors. It’s gorgeous, just over the top.”
The weekend open house, which benefits the Grand Traverse Historical Society, is staffed by 70 volunteers and draws about 1,000 visitors, including busloads from downstate who often stay overnight elsewhere in the area, she says of the fourth annual event.
After touring the mansion, guests relax in the third-floor ballroom listening to live music and nibbling gourmet hors d’ouevres supplied by local restaurants, wineries and caterers. Music ranges from festive tunes on the grand piano to students singing Christmas carols.
The inn, with nine rooms and two carriage-house apartments, is in Traverse City’s Boardman Historic District two blocks from downtown and within walking distance of six restaurants.
On typical weekends, overnight guests rave about the inn’s breakfast, which may include peach-stuffed French toast or flaky quiche.
If you go
Butler Tree Farm and Campground , Dowagiac: Through Dec. 23, the farm’s three log cabins, complete with bedding, rent for $55 to $65 per night. The choose-n-cut tree is extra. Check www.butler trees.com or call (269) 782-4650. For a list of other Christmas tree farms, check www.michigan.org or call (888) 784-7328.
Antiquities’ Wellington Inn , Traverse City: Tickets for the Dec. 1-3 holiday open house are $15. Hours are 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Dec. 1 and 2 and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Dec. 3. Nightly rates start at $170. Check www.wellingtoninn.com; call (877) 968-9900.
Seek out the celebrations > US
Why stay home for holidays? The countdown is on to Christmas, but the fun already has begun. Here is a sampling of festivities that you may want to put on your calendar.
San Antonio
· Highlights: Almost 125,000 twinkling lights will form a canopy over San Antonio’s River Walk beginning at 7 p.m. Nov. 24, when the Paseo Del Rio Holiday Festival commences. A one-hour parade will include illuminated floats, bands and holiday revelers in elaborate costumes. More than 150,000 people are expected to attend. The light display continues through Jan. 1. Beginning Dec. 1, the Fiesta de las Luminarias symbolically lights the way for the Holy Family by candlelight along the River Walk. Market Square also is decked out for a fiesta with music and food every weekend. Its popular Blessing of the Animals is Dec. 9.
· Information: www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com and www.sanantoniovisit.com; 210-227-4262
Texas Hill Country
· Highlights: The communities of Boerne, Burnet, Dripping Springs, Fredericksburg, Goldthwaite, Johnson City, Llano, Marble Falls, New Braunfels, Round Mountain and Wimberley will participate in the Texas Hill Country Christmas Lighting Trail beginning this week. Each town plans signature displays and special events – from costumed shopkeepers and horse-drawn carriages in Boerne to ice skating in Fredericksburg’s Market Square. Johnson City presents one of Texas’ most lavish displays, with 100,000 lights on the Blanco County Courthouse. Fredericksburg’s ninth annual Weihnachten festival and market is Dec. 1-3 with free admission.
· Information: Town-by-town details and an area map are available at www.tex-fest.com or by calling 866-839-3378. Fredericksburg information is at www.fredericksburg-texas.com; call 888-997-3600.
Galveston
· Highlights: Moody Gardens’ fifth annual Festival of Lights run through Jan. 6. The event includes indoor and outdoor fun ranging from ice skating to interactive IMAX movies. The Garden Restaurant offers a holiday buffet 4-9 p.m. throughout the festival. Packages are available that include lodging at the Moody Gardens Hotel plus tickets. The island’s 33rd annual Dickens on the Strand Festival is Dec. 2-3.
· Information: www.moodygardens.org, www.dickensonthestrand.org and www.galveston.com; 800-582-4673 (Moody Gardens) and 409-765-7834 (Dickens on the Strand)
Dallas
· Highlights: The Dallas Arboretum’s annual Holiday at the Arboretum exhibit spotlights 500 creations that depict the Nativity. The calendar includes Family Fun Sundays with horse-drawn carriage rides and reindeer in a petting zoo. The Neiman Marcus Adolphus Children’s Parade, featuring patients at Children’s Medical Center Dallas, starts at 10 a.m. Dec. 2. Pop music group Avalon will entertain at City Hall Plaza afterward.
· Information: www.dallasarboretum.org, www.childrensparade.com and www.visitdallas.com
Fort Worth
· Highlights: Christmas in the Stockyards, featuring daily entertainment and activities, begins Dec. 2. Sundance Square welcomes Santa Claus on pre-Christmas December weekends.
· Information: www.stockyardsstation.com and www.fortworth.com
New Orleans
· Highlights: Christmas New Orleans Style includes more than 100 events throughout December. Among popular activities: a Dec. 7 tour of historical homes by candlelight; a Garden District home tour Dec. 8-9; Merry Fishmas Dec. 16-17 at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas; caroling in Jackson Square Dec. 17; and bonfire festivities along the Mississippi River Dec. 24. Celebration in the Oaks, the city’s premier light show, continues through Dec. 30 (except Dec. 24-25) at the New Orleans Botanical Garden. Numerous restaurants have created special Reveillon menus that combine traditional Creole recipes with contemporary New Orleans staples. Many hotels offer Papa Noel rates during the holiday season.
· Information: www.frenchquarterfestivals.org and www.neworleansonline.com; 504-522-5730
New York City
· Highlights: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade celebrates its 80th anniversary on Nov. 23, of course. The Rockefeller Center tree-lighting ceremony is Nov. 29; the center’s skating rink already is open. The 74th Annual Radio City Christmas Spectacular continues through Dec. 30 at Radio City Music Hall. Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s Herald Square will try to outdo each other in presenting lavish holiday display windows. The World’s Largest Menorah will shine for eight nights at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 59th Street starting Dec. 15, the first night of Hanukkah. The Central Park Conservancy plans a musical Kwanzaa Celebration at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center on Dec. 26. And there are few more heralded places to be on Dec. 31 than Times Square.
· Information: www.nycvisit.com, www.rockefellercenter.com, www.radiocity.com and www.timessquarenyc.org
Lafayette, La.
· Highlights: The Cajun & Creole Christmas celebration begins Nov. 24 and continues through Dec. 31 with concerts, tours of historical homes plus several festivals and lighting events. A parade with floats and bands Dec. 3 begins at the Cajundome and ends at Blackham Coliseum.
· Information: www.lafayettetravel.com
Asheville, N.C.
· Highlights: Christmas at Biltmore Estate, an annual tradition, continues through Jan. 1 with decór including about 100 decorated trees, more than 1,000 wreaths and bows, 1,450 poinsettias, miles of evergreen garland and thousands of ornaments. Candlelight Christmas Evenings are conducted nightly through Dec. 31, with reservations required. The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa will showcase entries in the National Gingerbread House competition through Jan. 7.
· Information: www.biltmore.com, www.groveparkinn.com and www.exploreasheville.com
Branson, Mo.
· Highlights: The Branson Festival of Lights, which opens Dec. 1 and continues all month, illuminates the Branson Hills Parkway with 500,000 bulbs, requiring 9 nine miles of electrical lines. Silver Dollar City theme park’s annual An Old Time Christmas Festival continues through Dec. 31 and features 4 million lights, 1,000 decorated trees, a nightly parade and multiple musical performances. The 700-seat Showboat Branson Belle presents holiday cruises on Table Rock Lake through Dec. 31. Most of the town’s favorite entertainers already have debuted special holiday-theme shows.
· Information: www.bransonchamber.com, www.silverdollarcity.com and www.showboatbransonbelle.com
Orlando, Fla.
· Highlights: At Walt Disney World, former San Antonio Spurs basketball star David Robinson will be the first of 12 guest narrators Nov. 24 for the annual Candlelight Processional. The extravaganza also features a 50-piece orchestra and a choir. It’s the centerpiece of Holidays Around the World festivities at Epcot and continues through Dec. 30. Disney-MGM Studios’ Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights continues through Jan. 7 and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is planned on 16 evenings through Dec. 22. At Universal Orlando, Macy’s Holiday Parade will take place daily at dusk beginning Dec. 8.
· Information: www.disneyworld.com, www.universalorlando.com and www.orlandoinfo.com
