5 Fun and Food-Filled Places to Spend Thanksgiving Weekend
See the Sights and Let Someone Else Do the Cooking!
Turkey, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Friends and family joining in mutual celebration (and perhaps a few good-natured disagreements!). Familiar settings and old haunts as backdrops for it all.
When Abraham Lincoln set aside the last Thursday in November “as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise,” he couldn’t have foreseen that Americans would honor it by consuming mass amounts of poultry and watching grown men boot a pigskin around a field.
Of course, Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be the same year after year. Want to inject more than just marinade into the holiday? Then check out these four exciting Thanksgiving weekend getaways you can enjoy.
Historic Pomp and Pageantry: Philadelphia
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City may be the country’s most famous festival of floats, marching bands and performers. But it’s not the oldest. That honor goes to Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which has wowed audiences since 1920.
Like its Big Apple Counterpoint, Philadelphia’s parade includes lots of choirs, marching bands and outlandishly large inflatables. Bring a thermos of coffee to ward off the chill and stake out a spot on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art or Logan Circle for an ideal view.
Once the parade has passed, wander the historic section of the City of Brotherly Love to see Elfreth’s Alley (the nation’s oldest continually inhabited residential street), the United States Mint (watch the production of your pocket change), and National Constitution Center (a highly interactive history museum).
Shopping fanatics should enjoy browsing the boutiques lining the Third Street Corridor. Visitors who prefer appetizers to antiquities might want to visit South Philly. Forget famous landmarks: here you can get a real cheese-steak and your beverage of choice.
A Cajun Culinary Experience: New Orleans
Speaking of parades, you could do worse than New Orleans’ Bayou Classic Parade. But that’s not really why you’d head to The Big Easy for the holiday. Rather, you’d come for the food.
As the home of the turducken (a deliciously decadent abomination combining three types of fowl), NOLA knows great grub. Forget about cooking your own Thanksgiving dinner and tuck in at Arnaud’s, a high-end French Quarter institution that serves up genuine Creole cuisine like Gulf fish amandine and slow-roasted ham.
The Grill Room ups the ante with a four-course meal. Want a less traditional — and less pricey — option? Sylvain serves up sophisticated takes on pub favorites along with exotic in-house cocktails.
Once you’ve slept off the inevitable culinary overindulgence, head to City Park for the opening of the annual Celebration in the Oaks. There you’ll see the park’s trees swathed in over a half-million lights and watch the kids go wild on any of the numerous rides.
Sometimes you have think outside the box! These unusual winter travel destinations are sure to give you a unique experience and brighten up the season.
Nature and Nurture on Southern Salt Flats: Bluffton, South Carolina
For most, lowcountry luxury means Hilton Head, that incredibly expensive barrier island off of South Carolina’s southeastern coast. But that’s far from the only way to enjoy this unique slice of Southern culture. Located slightly inland, Bluffton, South Carolina, provides much of the same charm, and the nearby Montage Palmetto Bluff has all the pampering you could desire.
While no one would accuse Palmetto Bluff of being a bargain, rooms can be had at surprisingly reasonable rates in the winter months. So can a stunning Thanksgiving Day spread and 20,000 acres of gorgeous coastal marsh.
Cruise the salt flats on paddleboards or take jump in a kayak for a tour with a local guide. Bike down forested trails overhung with gnarled, moss-swathed boughs. Blast away at clay pigeons on the shooting range. And when evening rolls around, enjoy s’mores or sip single malt by the fire pit.
Snow, Slopes and Shopping: Park City, Utah
In 2015, readers of Conde Nast Traveler named Park City, Utah, the friendliest city in the United States, calling it a “beautiful small town with a big presence.” Indeed, not only are the people warm and welcoming, this small western city has lots to offer winter sports enthusiasts around Thanksgiving.
Numerous restaurants have Thanksgiving Day offerings, but you should opt instead for the the Rocky Mountain Sleigh Company’s traditional meal where you’re ferried to your food through snowy forests in a Clydesdale-drawn sleigh. Speaking of snow, Park City traditionally starts getting snowfall in mid to late November, and has plenty of options for skiing snowboarding and the like.
For those who like a lot of slopes, Colorado-based Vail Resorts has opened a 7,000 acre multi-site behemoth dubbed Park City Mountain Resort. Meanwhile, Montage Deer Valley goes the extra mile with Thanksgiving-related activities.
In addition to cookie decorating, family photos and a rec room stuffed with games, the property provides transportation to local stores so you can stock up on Black Friday.
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Utter Elegance in the Mountain State: Sulfur Springs, West Virginia
Yes, the words “West Virginia” don’t exactly conjure up thoughts of glamorous getaways. But that’s simply because most aren’t familiar with The Greenbrier.
Situated on 10,000 acres of gorgeous Appalachian wilderness, this historic resort not only teems with engaging activities and chic appointments, the gorgeous 710 room property also once served as a secret bunker for members of Congress.
As you might expect, The Greenbrier has a lavish Thanksgiving Day spread, an expansive brunch that offers artisanal breads, omelets, pasta, and an abundance of meats such as turkey (naturally), prime rib, salmon, fried chicken, lobster, shrimp, and mussels — and those are just the eats.
Study mixology with a cocktail specialist, try your hand at painting, and see simulated stars in the on-site planetarium.
Outdoor activities are every bit as engaging as those under air conditioning. Burn calories on a 5K fun run before tucking in to your meal. Try your hand at falconry. Mount up for horseback riding among the Allegheny Mountains. Take a jeep or an ATV out for a little off-roading. Or learn how to toss a tomahawk. The possibilities are almost endless!
