Five ways to make a dollar go further in New England this holiday season

by Tom Johansmeyer on

New England was made for the holiday season. Sure, it’s a bit chilly up there in the winter, but bundle up, and it’s impossible not to be sucked in by the charm of one of the oldest corners of America. If you’re looking for a great way to maximize your spending power this Christmas (who isn’t?!), check out five great ideas from New England Inns and Resorts. There’s plenty of variety … but little room for Scrooges.

Cut your own Christmas tree
This is a tough one if you’re traveling any distance, and trying to cram a fir into the overhead bin will not help you win friends and influence others. But, if you’re within driving distance, check out The Beachmere Inn in Ogunquit, Maine. The holiday package gets you two nights in an ocean view room and a fresh-cut Christmas tree from nearby Bragdon Farms. Fortunately, they’ll wrap it and fasten it to your car. Back at the inn, you’ll also get two hot chocolates and use of the sauna and spa – you’ll need this to warm up a bit; Maine gets pretty cold.

Shop ’til you drop
At the White Mountain Hotel & Resort in North Conway, New Hampshire, you’ll be close to the outlet stores (famous to anyone who grew up in an adjacent state). The package includes discount coupons to make the savings even greater, and you’ll also get breakfast every morning (two-night stay required). So, instead of cramming into the local mall, dash off to do your shopping this year, and make it an experience worth remembering.

No stress involved
Up in Lyndonville, Vermont, The Wildflower Inn wants to make your holiday season as easy as possible. Rather than worry about fold-out couches and relatives lurking in your kitchen in the middle of the night, invade the Wildflower and occupy its 570-acre resort. Stay for three nights, get a full breakfast every day and unwind. Every room has a Christmas tree that’s ready to be decorated. And, the inn will serve dinner on Christmas Eve and Christmas day itself. Don’t worry: Santa goes to Vermont (hell, he doesn’t live far from it). Every room can be expected to have packed stockings!

Movie marathon by the sea
Meadowmere Resort in Ogunquit, Maine is offering a low-key holiday that will make any holiday host drool. Instead of fussing over guests, take advantage of the “Ho-Ho-Ho Package,” and enjoy a holiday movie marathon, caroling and a visit from Santa himself (he doesn’t live far from Maine, either). Bring an unwrapped gift for Meadowmere’s Toys for Tots tree (do it), and relax be the fire.

Think past Christmas
There’s more to the holiday season than Christmas. For the next big event, skip the mayhem of Times Square (or the boredom of watching the ball drop on television), and go to Adair Country Inn & Restaurant in Bethlehem, New Hampshire. Spend two or three nights at the inn, and sit for a four-course dinner on New Year’s Eve. Bring your tux; formal attire is encouraged. A party will follow, with dancing, champagne and a fireworks display. When the festivities are over, scarf down a late-night snack. Drag yourself out of bed the next day for high tea.

Put your Paws Up for the holidays this year

by Tom Johansmeyer on

While the rest of the world is trekking out to Rockefeller Center to see the tree or hanging around Times Square while waiting for the ball’s big drop, head the other way. “The Last Best Christmas Vacation” package from the Paws Up resort in Montana pulls together everything you’d want in a traditional winter holiday celebration … along with the luxurious touch that you’d expect at a remote, upscale and high-touch destination.

From December 22 – 29, 2009, you can hole up in one of the Paws Up villas, dash off on snowmobiles or push yourself along on cross-country skis, while the world continues its rush without dragging you along. As part of this six-day/five-night package, you’ll also be able to enjoy sleigh rides and an old-fashioned tree-trimming party. The basics are covered, too, such as breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, a half-day winter adventure, a decorated Christmas tree (and some egg nog, of course!), nightly ice skating and an open fire nearby. If you have some talent, take part in the Gingerbread house building contest … while wearing the Paws Up wrangler stockings you’ll be given.

Christmas Eve, of course, is when the magic will happen. A special menu will be put together in Pomp, the Paws Up restaurant, and the highlight of the party for the kids will be a special visit from Santa Claus.

So, put civilization behind you this December, and create a vacation experience that will stay with you for the rest of your life. Enjoy nature, and frolic in the snow … and eat, sleep and relax at a resort that will positively blow your mind.

Coolest plastic Christmas tree in America to be lit Nov 30

by Tom Johansmeyer on

More than 30 feet tall and made of a quarter of a million forest green DUPLO® bricks, the LEGOLAND® Christmas tree is by far the most fun in the United States. Regular trees die, and most plastic trees are so … well … plain – they just look like trees. The LEGOLAND tree, on the other hand, is something to be celebrated. At 5:30 PM on November 30, 2009, Tori Spelling McDermott (of 90210 fame, and some other stuff) and Dean McDermott will be the featured guests. They’ll share some holiday cheer, as well, with a donation to the Ronald McDonald House.

A kids band called The Jumpitz® will be performing. I’ve never heard of them, but since I’m staring down the barrel of fatherhood, I imagine that my ignorance is doomed to have a limited life.

Of course, for those of us who grew up on LEGOs, the plastic building blocks are the main event. The tree will sport more than 240 ornaments – all crafted in the medium of LEGO – and will be the centerpiece of LEGOLAND Holly Jolly Holidays. After Christmas is over (from December 26 – 30), there will be nightly fireworks displays. Of course, a full-sized LEGO Santa will be on hand from the moment the tree is lit through the duration of the festivities.

Feeling lucky? Let’s hope so. From December 3 – 24, one kid will be chosen randomly every day to light the tree!

World’s tallest water ride open for thrill seekers at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari

by Scott Carmichael on

Several days ago I wrote about Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, in Santa Claus, Indiana. At the time of writing, I knew they had some cool rides, but it wasn’t until I took a closer look at their site that I noticed they just opened the highest water ride in the world – The Pilgrims Plunge.

You really need to see the video to get an idea just how insane this thing is – 10 passengers at a time will drop 135 feet down a water slide, at over 50 mph.

After the jump, a second video showing the ride. Holiday World is now home to two record holding attractions – the park is also where you’ll find the top “air time” wooden coaster in the world.

Budget summer vacation from Chicago – road trip to Santa Claus, Indiana

by Scott Carmichael on

Chicago is in the unfortunate position of being surrounded by a whole lot of nothing. It doesn’t matter which direction you are heading, you’ll need to drive several hours till you finally reach something that isn’t in the Chicagoland metro area, or anything remotely fun (Sorry Milwaukee, but I don’t consider you to be that cool a destination, unless it is during Summerfest).

If you are looking for a fun weekend away (way, way away) from it all, but still within driving range, head down south to Santa Claus Indiana. This quaint little village is home to Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari.
Holiday World is where you’ll find 4 roller coasters, including the #1 rated wooden coaster in the world, but you’ll also find loads of family friendly rides, plus some just for toddlers.

In addition to the rides, Holiday World also offers one of the largest water parks in the Midwest with 16 different rides and attractions.

Admission to Holiday World is $40 for adults and $30 for guests under 54 inches. The admission price includes free soft drinks all day long.

When you are in Santa Claus, the most appropriate place to stay is of course at Santa’s Lodge.

This Christmas themed hotel is decorated for the Holiday season year-round. Rooms start at just $79.95 a night.

The hotel offers several indoor and outdoor pools, 2 restaurants and a mini-golf course.

Planning this trip wouldn’t be fun if you didn’t take advantage of some of the great other attractions on the way to Santa Claus. Your halfway point is Indianapolis, home to the largest children’s museum in the world.

Admission to the museum is $14.50 for adults and $9.50 for kids. Be sure to leave enough time in your schedule to see this place, as your kids will need several hours to visit all the exhibits.

With a little bit of luck, younger kids will be so tired from their visit, that they’ll sleep for the rest of your drive.

If you don’t have any kids (or you left them back home), then you can schedule your halfway stop at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in (where else) Speedway, IN. Just be sure to stay far, far away from this area on race days. The Speedway is home to a museum and “behind the scenes tour”, but only on select dates, so be sure to check their schedule.

Finally, adults will be happy to know that the last part of the drive to Santa Claus passes through Louisville, home to the recently renovated Louisville Slugger museum. For $10 ($5 for kids), you get to see where this world famous baseball bat it made, plus you’ll be able to visit their factory outlet for some discounted Slugger gear.

Baseball not your thing? The Louisville Museum Row has 8 other attractions all within walking distance.

It would be considered a crime to drive to Louisville without stopping for some authentic Kentucky barbecue! A lineup of some of the best meat in the city can be found here.

So, there you have it – an affordable roadtrip from Chicago to Santa Claus, with 2 awesome stops on the way. Total distance from Chicago to Santa Claus is 360 miles.

Be sure to check out more budget summer vacations here!