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 TM
Thinking Christmas
Where to make the Season Bright
from the Adirondack North Woods to sunny California –
edited by Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady
 The Point Upper Saranac Lake, New York
Tin cans at a luxury resort?! -- full of money?? Legend has it that back in
the days when the William Avery Rockefellers resided at what is now the famed
resort, they loved a rousing poker game. Their property caretaker was always
included – and often won, because though all-in-all a loyal employee, when it
came to cards he marked his hand for a sure win. To safeguard his winnings,
trusting no one, not even a Rockefeller, he would bury the money in tin cans
around the property, and retrieve them whenever he was short a buck or two. To
honor this practice, The Point will provide a list of clues for all guests to
partake in a Christmas morning scavenger hunt – with prizes buried in tin cans
in the snow… Use your winning loot – gift certificates – for treats at The
Point boutique.
Lake Placid Lodge Lake Placid, New York
Dreaming of a white Christmas in the Adirondacks this year, but don’t want to
give up all the sentimental touches of home? If you send your own ornaments up
to Lake Placid Lodge, the elves there will see to it that your cabin halls [ 11
cabins] are decked and your aromatic fresh-cut tree is festooned with all those
cherished decorations – plus a few new ones to commemorate this year’s
Adirondack holiday. Curl up in front of your cabin’s cozy fire and toast
marshmallows [S’Mores Kit for guests] and if the mood strikes you, head outside
to make a snowman with a little help from the Lake Placid Lodge Snowman Kit. At
the end of the holiday, all your ornaments will be packed up and shipped home to
await next year’s festivities – which you’ll probably want to be spending at
Lake Placid Lodge. All the magic of a white Christmas, with all the mementos of
home.
The Inn of The Five Graces Santa Fe, New Mexico
Father Christmas does things a little differently in the American southwest. At
The Inn of The Five Graces, he taps into the traditions of old New Mexico when
he brings his holiday cheer around: the cranberry sangria awaits your arrival
this; Mexican Christmas cookies sweeten your pillow at turndown; and the Native
American dreamcatcher that is yours to take home is specially crafted with
handsome red beads in keeping with the season. On the 24th of December, The Inn
will be shutting down its end of historic East DeVargas Street to light
bonfires, serve posoles and chili and more holiday cheer.
Cal-a-Vie Vista, California
You can’t take one of the lemon trees home with you, so all holiday guests at
Cal-a-Vie will receive a fragrant wreath of rosemary, woven from sprigs grown
right on the property, and adorned with samples of the elegant Yonka products
used at the spa. And although we’re deep in southern California, Cal-a-Vie is
fully in the swing of traditional holiday scents and will offer them especially
during the season with many of the therapeutic treatments, from a pomegranate
and cranberry body scrub in the Vichy shower, to a stimulating peppermint foot
bath with reflexology, to a cinnamon-pumpkin hand rejuvenator. Have a Christmas
bronzer applied before you depart, for a healthy southern California holiday
glow to go with your aromatic good cheer from Cal-a-Vie.
International House New Orleans, Louisiana
Leave it to this ultra-chic boutique hotel to do things just a little
differently: this year, International House will be celebrating Twelfth Night,
the feast that marks the end of the Christmas season…and, most importantly in
New Orleans – the launch of Mardi Gras. International House’s signature style,
a chic, contemporary interpretation of traditional Louisiana décor, embraces
locally significant holidays like Twelfth Night and amplifies the local color
for visitors and natives alike.
Mobile Bay, Alabama
Imagine miles and miles of tiny sparkling lights – three million, to be exact! –
illuminating the winter sky in celebration of the holidays. Bellingrath
Gardens, the renowned 65-acre estate in Mobile Bay, is home to Magic Christmas
in Lights, one of the largest holiday light displays in the country. From
November 24 to December 31 [closed Christmas day], over 500 displays will
delight visitors, who are invited to sip hot apple cider or hot chocolate as
they wander through such sparkling scenes as Winter Wonderland, the Nativity,
Candy Land, Flower Walk, Butterflies in Flight, and the New Asian Garden, all of
which are created on-site throughout the year. The Bellingrath Museum Home,
filled with priceless antiques, will be decorated for the holidays and open for
tours. Pictures with Santa and Supper in the Gardens are also available,
completing each festive evening.
Madelyn Miller is a food and travel writer. You can read
her stories on
www.chocolateatlas.com,
www.cocktailatlas.com,
www.teaAtlas.com, and
www.carladynews.com She wishes you a happy holiday
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