Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
The winter season is your best bet for experiencing what Yellowstone was like before cars came along. Most park roads are closed to regular traffic starting in early November, leaving many areas accessible only to “oversnow” modes of transit such as cross-country skis or guided snowmobile and snow coach tours. Smaller crowds than in summer and scenes of frozen lakes, white-frosted forests, and steaming geysers are worth the extra effort (which also involves braving frigid temps). After a snowshoe trek or ranger-led nature program at Yellowstone, head to nearby Jackson Hole to hit the slopes at one of three mountain resorts, sample a lively après-ski scene, and find lodgings ranging from cozy log cabins to four-star hotels.
Key West, Florida
While those in northern climes shiver through the coldest part of the year, the weather is pretty much perfect in the Florida Keys, where the average high temperature in January is 74 degrees Fahrenheit (eat your heart out, Buffalo). Of course, this isn’t exactly a secret—winter is typically Key West’s busiest and most expensive season. But that means you can experience the party atmosphere when it’s at its height on lively, quirky Duval Street (pictured) and during the nightly Sunset Celebration in Mallory Square. More laid-back pursuits include dining on fresh seafood, catching sight of the famous six-toed cats at the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum, and simply lounging on sandy beaches.
Minneapolis
That’s right: Minneapolis. While it’s true that this bafflingly underrated Midwestern metropolis gets frigid in the wintertime, Minnesotans embrace the season in a way that would make many a Scandinavian forbear proud. The city’s top cold-weather outdoor events have been combined to form a 10-day superfest called the Great Northern, featuring family-friendly winter carnivals, ice sculptures, the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships on Lake Nokomis, and the beloved City of Lakes Loppet Ski Festival. The highlight of the latter is the magical Luminary Loppet (pictured above), when cross-country skiers traverse a frozen Lake of the Isles illuminated by torches, lanterns, candles encased in blocks of ice, and the occasional fire dancer. Among Minneapolis’s many indoor delights: thriving arts and culinary scenes as well as the Skyway System, 11 miles of climate-controlled pedestrian footbridges connecting dozens of buildings downtown.
Pasadena, California
Every January 1, Pasadena's Rose Parade heralds the new year with marching bands, teams of clip-clopping horses, and elaborate floats festooned with several botanical gardens' worth of flowers. A beloved tradition in Southern California, the parade is surrounded by related events such as Deco Week, during which you and your family can volunteer to help adorn floats with blooms; Bandfest, showcasing the parade's participating marching bands from across the country; and, of course, the Rose Bowl college football game.
Magic Mountain Ski Area, Vermont
Opened in 1960, this New England classic in Londonderry, Vermont, is a throwback to the small-scale ski resorts of the era before wide, treeless trails became the norm. Consequently, the terrain can be difficult for those unaccustomed to steep, winding slopes through wooded areas. But intermediate-and-above skiers are likely to welcome the challenge—as well as the smaller crowds and lower prices for lift tickets compared to mountain resorts elsewhere in New England and in the Rockies. Perfect for purists, the place has a learning center for kids and beginners as well. Post-slope drinks in the tavern come with live music, views overlooking the mountain, and a chance to confab with the resort’s devoted fans.
New Orleans
The indisputable highlight of a New Orleans winter arrives in February with the city’s annual Mardi Gras celebration—the mother of all street parties held the day before Ash Wednesday. There’s more to the festivities than beads and booze (though if that’s what you’re after, get thee to Bourbon Street). A rich and colorful tradition of parades, pageantry, krewes, and king cakes surrounds the event, not just on Fat Tuesday but in the weeks leading up to it as well. Hotels are booked solid during the long weekend before Mardi Gras, so start planning well in advance; there’s no such thing as too early. Slightly less hectic weeks in January and February are also good times to visit the French Quarter and jazz-rich historic neighborhoods like the Marigny and Treme. Temperatures are far more pleasant than in the scorching summer, and the good times roll year round.
Fairbanks and Anchorage, Alaska
Yes, it’s cold and the nights are long. But for fans of winter sports and snowy scenery, Alaska is a must-visit. There are a slew of ways to explore your frosty surroundings in Anchorage, from glacier hikes to dogsledding tours (the famous Iditarod race kicks off here every March). Take a ride further inland aboard the Aurora Winter Train, chugging through a Christmas-card landscape characterized by heavy snow and the occasional moose, to reach Fairbanks. Here you can learn all about Alaska's human and natural history at the Museum of the North, and feast your eyes on the Northern Lights, which are often visible between September and March.
St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
The smallest of the Caribbean’s three U.S. Virgin Islands is also the most untouched. There’s no airport and no pier for cruise ships (most visitors arrive by ferry from St. Thomas), and a lush national park occupies more land than resorts do. Day trippers as well as overnighters are treated to turquoise waters great for snorkeling, pristine beaches such as Trunk Bay, emerald peaks, verdant groves with hiking trails, and close-up views of tropical flowers, pelicans, turtles, and other denizens of paradise. One thing to keep in mind about traveling to the Caribbean in winter: That’s right after hurricane season, so some locales might still be recovering. Before traveling to an area affected by storms, check in advance to make sure hotels, restaurants, and other businesses have reopened.
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan
Named for a set of imposing, multicolored sandstone cliffs along Lake Superior in Michigan’s remote Upper Peninsula, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is transformed by snow and ice into an otherworldly landscape recalling Elsa’s arctic castle in Frozen. Caves covered in icicles feel like crystal ballrooms, while enormous frozen waterfalls and towers of ice prove irresistible to climbers equipped with picks and cleats. As a matter of fact, this is where the annual Michigan Ice Fest is held for ice climbers each February. Fans can watch from the scenic sidelines or get in on the action with free classes for visitors of all skill levels.
Death Valley National Park, California and Nevada
Travel writing on summer trips to Death Valley reads like post-apocalyptic fiction, outlining dangerous desert treks past landmarks with ominous names like Coffin Peak and Devil’s Golf Course in the hottest, driest, godforsakenest spot on earth. Visit in the winter months, though, and you’ll find that those punishing temps of 120 degrees Fahrenheit have dropped to a downright pleasant range in the 60s and 70s. That turns hiking and backcountry camping into non-life-threatening pursuits—and we find that it’s easier to appreciate scenery when it’s not trying to kill you. The park certainly has some stunning sights, from the expansive salt flats of Badwater Basin (at 282 feet below sea level, the lowest point in North America) to far-reaching mountaintop vistas overlooking sand dunes and badlands in shades of red and gold.
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