Last Minute US Travel Destinations for a Magical Winter Holiday

Being a college town, Boulder is an amazing last-minute holiday destination. Around mid-December most students empty out of their dorms for winter break, meaning the town and surrounding area are much less-crowded to explore than usual. And hotels that typically cater to visiting parents have many more vacancies for those looking for the perfect winter wonderland getaway.

Boulder is located only about an hour from Estes Park, the “base” of the Rocky Mountain National Park where you can enjoy winter activities like sledding, snowshoeing, snow tubing, ice climbing and skiing! And if you’re an animal lover, be sure to keep an eye out for elk, ptarmigan, snowshoe hare and mule deer!

And after you’ve had your share of outdoor activities, cosy up at The Hotel Boulderado. The historic hotel hosts holiday teas and a Christmas feast each year.

A stone’s throw from Lake Tahoe, Truckee is another snowy last minute holiday destination. While most flock to the cabins just around the lake, Truckee is just as wonderful.

Take a step back-in-time by visiting Truckee’s historic downtown. my favorite shops include Cooking Gallery, Word After Word Bookshop, and Tahoe Oil & Spice.

Or get into the spirit of the season by spending a day at one of the area’s many ski resorts. Northstar and Sugar Bowl are two popular options within 15-20 minutes of the historic downtown area.

Experience the magic of the holidays with the whole family in Austin, Texas. Because what they don’t have for in winter weather, they make up for with spirited seasonal events and venues.

If you’re visiting with family, the Circuit of the Americas’ annual Peppermint Parkway is a wonderful drive-thru holiday experience, especially for children.

And Austin’s annual German-Texan Christmas Market provides an authentic experience with items and gifts imported from Erzgebirge, an East-German region known for it’s Christmas traditions.

And if you’re looking for a more adult holiday activity, head on down to Lala’s Little Nugget, a year-round Christmas themed bar with a vintage jukebox.

For a historic December escape, check out Newport, Rhode Island. With lots of charming cottages and downtown apartments, there are plenty of landmark vacation rentals, even for the last-minute traveler.

Feel like American royalty by spending the Holidays at the Newport Mansions. Learn more about how Christmas has been celebrated over the years with one of the Newport History Museum’s annual Holiday Lantern Tours. And enjoy Gilded Age glamour with a cosy meal in the Dining Room of the Vanderbilt.

And last but not least for late U.S. holiday travel plans: Charleston, South Carolina. This historic city is known for their southern hospitality and, during Christmas, this is no different.

Tour operators like Bulldog Tours offer Holiday Walking Tours that take visitors where carriage and motorcoach tours cannot. Visit popular locations like The Battery and Four Corners of Law as well as secret residential streets dressed in their holiday finery.

At night, head to a festive southern dinner at spots like Magnolia’s and Poogan’s Porch before viewing Charleston’s Annual Holiday Festival of Lights which illuminates the sky with about 2 million twinkling lights.