It’s already been a hard winter in a lot of the country. If all that snow, freezing rain, grimy slush, and cold, cold temperatures have been getting you down, it’s time to think sun and sand. There are some great deals out there from airlines and hotels trying to shore up (sorry, bad pun) business.
Hawaii is always a favorite destination for Pacific Northwest travelers with convenient direct flights. Right now is high season but there are ways to make your mid-winter escape more affordable. Travel agents and on-line travel sites are offering plenty of flight and hotel bundles that make the trip less of a splurge. You can look for hotels that are not right on the beach for savings. Convince some friends to split a condo rental with you. Use the kitchenette that comes with your room to keep the cost of eating out to a minimum. And don’t forget to get insider tips from Simone, our resident expert. She’s great at recommending islands, beaches, and the best place to get shave ice.
Searching the internet for best beaches to visit in January, I kept coming across recommendations for Puerto Rico. At Rincon Bay you can choose between world-class surfing and windsurfing on the Atlantic beaches to the north or the gentler white sand of the Caribbean to the south. The temperature hovers around 80 degrees and it’s a mecca for Humpback whale watching in February. With the added interest of the island’s Spanish colonial heritage and no need to worry about customs or passport control, you’ve got yourself a pretty awesome winter destination.
Looking for something a little more exotic, I followed the recommendation of those celebrity-sighting travel mags to the island of Zanzibar off the coast of Tanzania. The beach pictures looked fabulous and the January weather sounded perfect but most of the resorts sounded both too expensive and too generic for my taste. With a little more research I realized that there are plenty of small, family run hotels like The Shooting Star Lodge right on white sand beaches with very reasonable rates. They may lack air conditioning and definitely won’t have room service but you’ll be a lot closer to an authentic African experience. The new Bradt Guide to Zanzibar comes out in March.
If you’re not partial to water but still would like to visit sun and sand, you should know that Yuma, Arizona is one of the sunniest places on earth. Not that we’re really advising a vacation in Yuma but there are plenty of great winter vacation spots in Arizona, Southern California and Nevada and many of them come with bargain flights and hotel rates this year. Las Vegas isn’t for everyone (me included) but it can be very entertaining and-provided you gamble prudently–inexpensive. A quick check on Expedia showed a variety of flight/hotel packages for a week in January at less than $500. Nadia can tell you about her rock climbing trip to Joshua Tree National Park which is a major winter destination for that sport. Wildflowers start blooming in the Arizona deserts as early as February. Hiking and biking opportunities abound, of course, along with more golf courses and tennis courts than you can shake a stick at. And I’ve always said that if I ever win the lottery, my first destination will be Canyon Ranch.
On the other hand…
We know that some of you would rather go play in the snow. When you’re not trying to get to work or make a plane the white stuff certainly can be tons of fun. So where are the best places to schuss and skate?
The upside to Seattle’s horrible December weather is that all the local runs are open for business. If you’re trying decide which ski area to head to, bookmark the Seattle Times’ snow sports page. They’ve got snow reports, price comparisons and links to web cams in a well-organized format. The local papers are also a great way to find last minute package deals on rooms, rentals and lift tickets. If you’re heading north to Whistler-Blackcomb-which has already completed much of its preparation for the 2010 Olympics-you can check out the brand new peak-to-peak gondola while you’re skiing a few of their 76 runs. When my brother, who wouldn’t be caught dead on skis, accompanies his downhill demon kids to Canada he takes advantage of the resort’s guided snowshoeing tours. Much more his pace and he can indulge his passion for photography. For spectator winter sports, Vancouver’s Pacific Coliseum will host the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships the first week of February.
If you’re ready to ski other parts of the country, take a look at the 21st edition of Ski Snowboard America by Charles Leocha. There are so many places to choose from, it’s great to have advice from an experienced source. On the web, onthesnow.com seems to have the most comprehensive list of ski options and snow reports along with links to deals on ski packages, passes and lift tickets. They also offer user reviews of runs, lodging, night life and snow-related products. The New York Times has upped their game on snow reporting this year with some excellent, opinionated writing on both famous and not-so-famous destinations. Alta, Utah sounds particularly intriguing for ski purists.
Between improving exchange rates and cheaper winter airfares-I found a flight from Seattle to Munich for $650-Europe is suddenly looking like a great deal. I came across this picture on Flickr recently, which made me think a trip to Germany should be in my near future. Füssen is at the end of the “Romantic Road” that connects the castles of Mad Ludwig. A spa town, Füssen is also home to a Gothic castle, a lakeside music center, and an historic violin making industry. Winter sports fans can choose between skating on frozen alpine lakes, tobogganing, winter hiking and a downhill region that includes Innsbruck, home of the 1964 and 1976 winter Olympics. And there are plenty of inexpensive pension-style accommodations. If Bavaria isn’t your stein of beer, check out Europe-Mountains.com for up to date ski reports from Scandinavia to Italy. Frommer’s Munich and the Bavarian Alps is due out in February.
Visit the most European city in North America to see the world’s largest winter carnival. Quebec’s annual party in the snow begins January 30th and continues for two weeks of masquerades, dog-sled races, snow carving contests and (brrr) outdoor dancing. Don’t miss the wonderful food the city has to offer while you’re there. Can’t get enough snow and ice? Then book the ultimate cold weather attraction, the Hotel de Glace, not far from Quebec City in Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier (seriously). Staying in a hotel built annually out of ice with an ambient temperature of 25 degrees should be a chilly enough experience to satisfy the hardiest adventure traveler.
Whether you choose sand or snow, enjoy your winter break!
