I changed course this week to explore where everyone else traveled over this Christmas season, or at least the top travel cities of Christmas 2024.
Orlando, Florida has been a top destination for families this Christmas with Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando being chief among its attractions. All Orlando attractions highlight the holiday season. Disney World features Epcot, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party while Universal Orlando has the Holiday Parade with Macy’s balloons and Grinchmas.
New York City, New York is always a top destination at Christmastime and an institution for many families. NYC has many Christmas traditions including the Rockefeller Christmas tree, the Empire State building red and green lights, the Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular, the window displays at Macy’s and the Nutcracker at Lincoln Center.
Las Vegas, Nevada has been a choice for singles, couples and friend groups who choose a unique way of celebrating the holiday while still being in the festive mood. Some of the most visited places in Vegas for these groups are a three-acre cactus garden with over half a million lights, reindeer and holiday décor called Ethel M’s Holiday Cactus Garden, a holiday display with performances set to classic holiday tunes at the Bellagio Conservatory & Bellagio Fountain, and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway transformed into Nevada’s largest drive-thru light show called Glittering Lights.
Aspen, Colorado is another top choice for families’ trips at Christmas. There are tree lightings and shopping in the seasonally decorated town areas. The highlights of the area include sleigh rides, snowmobiling and then listening to Christmas carolers at the area hotels.
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is a top destination during this season and maybe should be the TOP destination since the city has appropriately been recognized as Christmas City, USA since 1937. The city has many of its own traditions but the Live Advent Calendar is one of the more unique traditions and the only one in the country where visitors and locals participate in the activity nightly. Trombone choirs play holiday tunes on the sidewalks of Main Street and carriage rides throughout the city tour the Christmas lights that decorate the entire town.
Happy 2025! I will return with the Johnson trips to Spain and Portugal in January.
Knox the Fox loves to share your trips so share yours with knoxthefox24@gmail.com.
