It’s that time of year to start planning the winter vacation of your dreams! However, that also means it's time to start putting in the often exhausting hours it takes to research your perfect getaway, make travel arrangements, figure out an itinerary, and what can feel like 100 more tasks before you actually get to enjoy your time away.
Planning a perfect getaway can seem like a hassle more trouble than it's worth for some, but have no fear, our editors are here! Whether you’re planning for a trip with the family, treating yourself to a personal holiday, or arranging a romantic getaway with your significant other, we can help you out. Here’s some advice for the stress-free, effortless winter holiday you desire.
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Planning ahead a bit is certainly crucial for any relaxed, stress-free vacation. Keeping a detailed itinerary helps you organize your accommodations and activities, yes, but it also makes for great travelogue content that you can reference throughout and after your trip. Later, you can add your itinerary to a travel journal and share it with your friends and family when they ask about your trip, making it easier than ever to hold onto your memories forever!
With organization also comes flexibility. Flight delays, overbooking, and other unforeseen predicaments can interfere with your itinerary, but don’t fret! You’ll get to your destination one way or another, and schedule changes are bound to happen, so having strategic planning tools at your fingertips will come in handy. The Clever Fox Travel Planner is a valuable resource to utilize so your trip can be stress-free and cost-efficient. It comes with bucket list pages where you can chronicle the places you’ve visited as well as ones you'd like to see, route tracking to map out your flights and travel dates, and even a packing list so you don't forget anything far from home. Plus, the planner comes in 15 different colors, making you not only the most organized, but also the cutest traveler on your trip!
Finding the perfect snowy wonderland for your winter excursion is harder than it looks (especially when there's so many beautiful mountainsides to choose from and so little time), but our editors were able to round up a few gorgeous frosty landscapes and information about them to help you decide which one's right for you!
Park City, Utah is renowned for its abundant snowfall and versatility in skiing opportunities. Whether you're a novice skier or the most experienced of snowboarders, you'll be more than welcome on Park City Mountain. The mountain has over 40 lifts, 7 terrain parks, and 330 trails open to the public, ranging from green bunny hills to double black diamond-level terrains.
But if skiing isn’t for you, no worries! Park City is also home to a quaint, Hallmark-esque town that offers plenty of shopping and restaurants just a quick drive (or snowmobile) away!
Next up, lovely Lake Tahoe (located on the border of California and Nevada) offers far more than just a lake to swim in during the summer. Its terrain stretches both states, giving you the chance to ski to your heart's desire all around the 4,800 acres its surrounding mountains provide. There are a plenty of resorts to choose from, and the ski slopes are nothing short of breathtaking. For those of you who aren’t as into the ski scene, Tahoe also provides winter tubing, ice skating, and gondola rides!
If you’re looking for a versatile and snowy skiing experience, Telluride is the place for you. This location is known for its abundance in different terrain experience levels, having 23% of its terrain dedicated to beginner snowboarders and skiers, 36% allocated to intermediate skiers, and the rest exclusive to the more advanced. Known for its ample snowfall, Telluride ensures excellent winter conditions and a family-friendly experience.
Although packing for a winter trip can seem like a daunting task (so many layers), there are plenty of preemptive measures you can take to avoid the panic of realizing you under or overpacked. As we mentioned before, making a packing list is a great way to remain organized throughout your trip and ensure that all your essential items are stowed exactly where you need them for the duration of your trip.
It’s also good to keep in mind that there is always the looming threat of potential lost baggage should you choose to fly and check a suitcase, meaning you should be sure keep all your important items (medications, passport, drivers license, toiletries bag, etc.) in your carry-on so that they can't get lost.
If you’re having trouble arranging your personal items neatly in your suitcase, we recommend investing in packing cubes to help your organize and optimize your luggage space. Packing cubes are helpful because they compartmentalize your items and press them together, making your items take up less space (with the added luxury of keeping all your stuff together in one place for convenience during your trip). Combining packing cubes with a compartmentalized carry-all weekender with lots of pockets can help you manage your clothes, shoes, makeup, and accessories without a worry!
Whether you’re a cozy homebody curled up next to the fire reading a book, or an active adventurer who loves braving steep, mountainous slopes, this winter season is sure to provide endless fun, snowy activities that you can enjoy with your spouse, children, or happily by yourself no matter where you end up traveling to!
Skiing is, of course, a very popular seasonal choice for thrill-seekers. It’s a versatile sport that all can appreciate, whether you’re a novice skier creeping down the bunny hill, or a more seasoned skier racing down a double black diamond. Either way, always remember not to wear white or any colors that blend in too much with the landscape in case you get lost and need a rescue!
If skiing isn’t your forte, no worries! You can also just admire nature's beauty at the top of a pristine snowy mountain and take landscape photography that's sure to make your people back home very jealous. These touristy winter towns also have plenty of shops to venture to, frozen ponds to skate on, or shallow hills to tube down.
It’s important to remember that this trip is for your enjoyment and relaxation. There may be some unavoidable stress during the preparation phase, but it will all be worth it in the end!
