14 of the Best Places in the U.S. to Spend Thanksgiving Weekend
If you haven’t made your plans for Thanksgiving yet, and the thought of cooking up a huge meal makes you feel more weary than excited, you might want to consider spending the weekend elsewhere. Among these 14 destinations across the U.S., you’re sure to find something that appeals.
Gatlinburg, Tennessee (Hotel Prices & Photos)
Thanksgiving in the Smokies might be ideal if you’re looking for a mountain getaway. Gatlinburg is a beautiful gateway to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and a popular destination for families all year long. You’ll find a wide range of vacation rentals, from cozy cabins to mountain chalets as well as numerous activities and events. The Great Smoky Thanksgiving Arts & Crafts Show is scheduled [November 22 through November 27, 2016], offering a perfect place to pick up unique holiday gifts. Winter sports enthusiasts will want to drive to the top of Mount Harrison, or take the aerial tramway that departs every 20 minutes from downtown to Ober Gatlinburg. Here you’ll find an ice skating rink, nine ski trails and a snow tubing lane, as well as gear available to rent.
After all of that activity you’re sure to work up a bit appetite for a Thanksgiving meal, and both The Old Mill Restaurant and Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant serve up a spectacular feast.
Hawaii (Hotel Prices & Photos)
While any time of the year is a great time to go to Hawaii, November is particularly good as it tends to be less over run with tourists, offering a quieter time while still allowing you to enjoy that fabulous turkey dinner as most resort restaurants offer special meals for the holiday. While it does tend to be a rainier month, by choosing destinations on the dry side of the islands, generally the southern or western coasts of Kauai, like Poipu, Wailea on Maui, Kailua-Kon on the Big Island or Waikiki on Oahu, you’re likely to experience more idyllic weather. If you visit Waikiki, you can even watch its holiday parade, held annually the Friday after Thanksgiving each year. The parade commemorates Pearl Harbor by honoring survivors and veterans in memory of the attacks on December 7, 1941, with local Hawaiian bands, marching bands from the mainland and more.
Orlando, Florida (Hotel Prices & Photos)
While theme parks do tend to be jam packed during holiday weeks, including Thanksgiving, when most kids are out of school, many, like Disney World and Universal Studios, have extended hours that makes it easier to enjoy the rides and shows without battling massive crowds. Plus, at Disney World you’ll find all sorts of options for Thanksgiving meals so you don’t have to miss out on the traditional feast. They’re typically offered at restaurants inside Downtown Disney as well as many of the Disney resorts. Disney Cruise Line even hosts a special Thanksgiving at Sea Cruise that includes a traditional turkey dinner, Disney characters in holiday-themed costumes, seasonal décor and live football broadcasts.
New York City, New York (Hotel Prices & Photos)
If you really want to do it up right, head to the Big Apple, famous for its Thanksgiving Day Parade, attracting thousands of participants and over three million spectators each year, plus more than 50 million viewers that watch from home. This annual pageant is made up of massive balloons, floats, cheerleaders, marching bands, clowns, Broadway shows and loads of celebrities. If the crowds turn you off, consider staying at one of the hotels along the parade route where you can watch the festivities from the comfort of your room. And, be sure to stay for Black Friday if you like to shop – that’s when the city’s many amazing retailers begin their holiday sales. Just keep in mind that if you’d like to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant here, you’ll need to make your reservation now.
Chicago, Illinois (Hotel Prices & Photos)
While you’ll have to bundle up and endure some chilly temperatures, Chicago offers all sorts of free holiday activities and attractions that make it a great place to be on Thanksgiving weekend. The festivities begin on Wednesday night, when the mayor lights up the official Christmas tree. The next morning, the three-hour long annual Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off. One of the largest in the country, you’ll need to arrive early for a good spot as it starts at 8 a.m. on State Street, working its way to Congress Parkway and Randolph Street, with a spectacle of giant helium balloons, award-winning marching bands, performance groups, equestrian units, dance troupes, local and national celebrities, rhythmic drum lines and more. Friday features the “wreathing of the lions” at the Art Institute of Chicago, when the museums two lion statues are covered with evergreen wreaths, followed by a party inside. Over at Millennium Park, visitors can enjoy free ice skating and caroling.
New Orleans, Louisiana (Hotel Prices & Photos)
New Orleans is a renowned place for partying and fabulous food, so it’s no surprise that they do up the Thanksgiving holiday right too. Along with po’ boys, crawfish and vignettes, New Orleans gave birth to a modern Thanksgiving tradition, the turducken. This triple-poultry dish is a chicken stuffed into a duck, stuffed into a turkey, and it can be savored at a number of local eateries. Deep-fried turkey is commonly served here too. You can also take in a great parade, with the Bayou Classic Thanksgiving Day Parade that kicks off at 3:30 pm. The parade travels down Decatur Street, passing Jackson Square and Washington Artillery Park, ending at The French Market, where kids (and the kid at heart) can have their photo taken with Santa afterward. The next day, walk off all that food by attending the opening of Celebration in the Oaks at City Park, when trees are draped with hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights, and a train traverses for two miles through 25 acres of brilliant displays.
Santa Barbara, California (Hotel Prices & Photos)
Santa Barbara is a beautiful vacation destination in every season, with its mild, year-round Mediterranean climate. Nestled between the dramatic Santa Ynez Mountains and the glistening blue expanse of the Pacific, it’s been dubbed the “American Riviera.” Not only will you find a multitude of fantastic restaurants serving Thanksgiving dinner, but most pair them with outstanding local wines from the area’s notable vineyards. In fact, located in Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country, this is an especially ideal destination for vino enthusiasts. Home to a diverse array of wines, made from grapes near the ocean in Lompoc up to the inlands of Happy Canyon, you can take a short scenic drive to Los Olivos to visit more than a dozen wine tasting rooms, and even more in places like Solvang and Buellton. In town over the weekend, be sure and take a walk down State Street to visit the Funk Zone for wine tasting and gallery browsing too.
Santa Fe, New Mexico (Hotel Prices & Photos)
While most places across America focus on Pilgrims at Thanksgiving, in Santa Fe, you can learn more about Native American culture through its world-renowned museums and art galleries. Attend the annual, three-day Winter Indian Market, held Friday, Saturday and Sunday on Thanksgiving weekend each year. It features over 200 artists, as well as native dance groups and music. During the afternoon, locals gather at the historic plaza to enjoy entertainment and watch the Christmas tree lighting. If you’re up for a day on the slopes, head to Ski Santa Fe, which opens on Thanksgiving Day.
Plymouth, Massachusetts (Hotel Prices & Photos)
Celebrate Thanksgiving where the first historic gathering happened by heading to Plymouth, Massachusetts, about a 45 minute drive south of Boston. Here, you can truly experience history brought to life. At Plimouth Plantation, explore outdoor living exhibits, including a 17th-century English village, the Mayflower II, the Wampanoag Homsesite and the Plimoth Grist Mill. You can even enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner here, complete with roast turkey and all of the traditional New England trimmings – plus, Pilgrim role players and Native interpreters will greet you and talk about the 1621 feast that inspires today’s modern celebration.
In the town of Plymouth itself, an entire weekend of festivities takes place every year, with Pilgrims, soldiers, patriots and Native Americans all climbing out the pages of history books and onto the streets to bring stories of the founders to life. Friday night brings an illumination ceremony and a festival in the streets that includes a free concert, while Saturday features the historic parade, a chronological walk through the history of the nation with custom built floats, equestrian groups, fife and drum as well as renowned drum corps.
Keystone Resort, Colorado (Hotel Prices & Photos)
Colorado is world-famous for its perfect, powdery slopes and abundance of sunshine that makes for some of the best skiing on the planet. And, here, Thanksgiving means the start of the ski season. If you’d like to bring your whole family, Keystone is a great option as kids ski free all season long. On the holiday, get up early and head to the slopes where you’ll often find wide open runs and lines that are pretty much non-existent, with so many others spending the day cooking and watching sports inside. While Keystone boasts a multitude of condos and private homes with kitchens for those who want to cook, many restaurants will be serving up Thanksgiving dinner, including Keystone Ranch, Alpenglow Stube, Der Fondue Chessel and Ski Tip Lodge.
Williamsburg, Virginia (Hotel Prices & Photos)
In another one of America’s most historic towns, you can watch history come alive. In Colonial Williamsburg, costumed characters act out the details of life in the early years of America, and for the holiday it offers a host of spectacular events. You can enjoy the annual tradition of bountiful feasts which features southern delicacies and a bounty of family favorites in a unique garden-to-table feast. Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center features a special three-day Thanksgiving event in which visitors can learn more about 17th and 18th century cuisine during “Foods & Feasts of Colonial Virginia.
This year, Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg is also offering a special Thanksgiving holiday package, starting at $339 a night for a family of four. It includes accommodations and a traditional Thanksgiving buffet dinner with all the fixings as well as complimentary transportation to Colonial Williamsburg.
Las Vegas, Nevada (Hotel Prices & Photos)
While Las Vegas doesn’t seem like the most family-friendly spot, many people head to Sin City to get away from it all over the Thanksgiving weekend, including families with children. These days, Vegas isn’t just for adults, with its multitude of amusement park-style attractions, indoor skydiving and zip line that soars high above downtown. Of course, there’s also the Shark Reef Aquarium, the Blue Man Group and all kinds of exciting shows geared toward audiences of all ages. Of course, the food, the shopping and the betting all call many to the city for Thanksgiving. Fantastic holiday buffets are available for just about every budget, from New York New York’s $19.95 buffet to the extravagant Bellagio 5-course meal for $145 per person.
Lake Tahoe, California (Hotel Prices & Photos)
Lake Tahoe is a magnificent destination all year-round, and with the ski season starting here in mid-November, it offers another outstanding place on which to hit the slopes over Thanksgiving weekend. After enjoying more than 100 inches of snow, you can take a break from this breathtaking winter wonderland to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving dinner at one of many different spots. In fact, many resorts offer special holiday packages that include accommodations and dinner like Granlibakken, an upscale lodge occupying a historic location on Tahoe’s northwest shore. It includes tableside turkey carving with all of the trimmings, as well as vegetarian options and a variety of desserts.
Scottsdale, Arizona (Hotel Prices & Photos)
Another great warm Thanksgiving destination, the Phoenician in Scottsdale offers a fabulous place to escape and enjoy Thanksgiving brunch or dinner. Both are just as mouthwatering, including traditional items like turkey as well as fennel-sausage cornbread stuffing and brioche French toast. You can burn all of that off, or at least some of it, by hiking nearby trails, running in the 5K Turkey Trot or perhaps even taking advantage of the Black Friday shopping shuttles. All of that shopping ‘til you drop has got to count for something, right? Plus this family-friendly resort has nine pools to lounge next to and a golf course.