thanksgiving vacations

Cozy up under the twinkling lights in Toronto this Thanksgiving. (Photo: Getty Images)

Tips + Trends

Tired of Turkey With the Fam? Plan a Last-Minute Thanksgiving Vacation

We’re already knee deep into fall, and you know what that means—the holidays are right around the corner. But if you’d rather forgo grandma’s house on Thanksgiving or treat yourself to a trip in general, we’ve got you covered.

We sussed out this year’s most popular last-minute Thanksgiving vacations, from the white-sand beaches of Florida to the romantic city lights of France.

Toronto

For an easy weekend of festive fun, head north to Toronto, which puts on an incredible Victorian-inspired Christmas Market in its cobblestoned Distillery Historic District for five full weeks. Expect to find handmade crafts, live music, and many cheerful Canadians drinking mulled wine.

Want to step back in time? Check out the poinsettia floral displays by candlelight at the Allan Gardens Conservatory, followed by a ride in a horse-drawn carriage or a sip of hot apple cider. If it’s too cold to stay outside, book tickets for a seasonal show like The Nutcracker ballet or a Home Alone concert by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

Paris

Paris is romantic no matter what time of year, but there is something truly magical about being there around the holidays—just picture cozy French bistros, boulevards lined with icicles, and snow-dusted cruises down the Seine. Let’s not forget about the shopping: the elaborate window displays at Printemps and Galeries Lafayette rival those along New York’s Fifth Avenue.

Take your s.o. ice skating hand-in-hand in the city or browse the 100 stands of local wares and French wine at the new La Magie de Noël market in Tuileries Garden, next to the Louvre.

Chicago

Despite its frigid temperatures, the Windy City offers plenty of charm over the holidays. Bundle up and join the revelers cheering on the Thanksgiving Parade or wander through ZooLights, where the Lincoln Park Zoo shows off thousands of twinkling lights, ice sculpture carvings, and more.

New Orleans

Sure, you won’t find snow-dusted streets in the Big Easy, but New Orleans is still a spectacle come winter, when lively jazz bars croon holiday tunes, twinkling lights dangle from iron balconies in the French Quarter, and high-end restaurants sling multi-course Cajun feasts. The famous Sazerac Bar even gets into the spirit, serving holiday-themed cocktails alongside intricate gingerbread villages by award-winning pastry chef Deborah Heyd.

Minneapolis

Minnesota gets a bad rap for its frigid, tundra-like winters, but the Twin Cities are quickly shedding the stereotype and becoming the region’s new capital of cool.

thanksgiving vacations
Hit the races in Minneapolis. (Photo: Getty Images)

Don’t miss The Great Northern Festival, a 10-day celebration that represents more than 150 years of local traditions, including urban cross-country ski races; the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships; and the sprawling ice sculptures at the Saint Paul Winter Carnival.

Jacksonville, FL

Trade the snow for sand during a warm beach vacation in Florida. In previous years, tourists have flocked to Miami’s sexy shores or Orlando’s family-friendly parks, but Jacksonville is now garnering attention for its under-the-radar charm.

The city is home to 22 miles of sugar-soft beaches and more than 30 reefs off the Atlantic coast, for those who want to soak up the sunshine. Meanwhile, you can get into the spirit during Winter on the Water, a two-month series involving craft fairs, an illuminated boat parade, and a lifeguard-chair decorating competition.

The highlight, however, is WinterFEST; between November and January, Adventure Landing is transformed into an alpine village with a 130-foot ice slide, an outdoor skating rink, s’mores roasting, and nightly snowfalls.

Singapore

As travelers look east, Singapore is emerging as one of the hottest holiday destinations. The city celebrates with Christmas in the Tropics, a secular festival that revolves around its massive shopping scene.

Entertainment districts like Marina Bay and Orchard Road—a two-mile stretch down Tanglin Mall—shine with light displays, while New Years’ countdown parties feature beachfront dances, fire-eaters, and more than 20,000 wishing spheres (huge floating balls covered with handwritten wishes that are thrown into the river).

Colombia

For this South American country, skip Thanksgiving and plan a trip a bit later because here, the whole month of December is full of fiestas. It kicks off with the Alborada festival in Medellin at the end of November, when thousands of fireworks light up the night. Then, on Dias de las Velitas (December 7), Colombian families set hundreds of little candles along the streets to light the way for the Virgin Mary. (Trust us, the trip is worth it just to see this glowing affair.)

In mid-December, Colombian families hold one of the most famous traditions: novenas, a string of parties where friends gather to sing carols, recite prayers, and dance all evening. Don’t worry if you’re not a local: visitors can still explore some of the outstanding decorations.

In Medellín, 31 million bulbs shine throughout the city and in the capital of Bogotá, there is a Ruta de La Navidad (Christmas Route) that features light shows, performers, and Christmas markets in notable areas like Parque Nacional, Plaza de Bolívar, and Parque de los Novios.

This article was published through a partnership with Jetsetter magazine. Read the original story: 8 Top Trending Destinations to Spend the Holidays, According to Experts by Chelsea Bengier, a regular contributor to Jetsetter.

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