Look alive folks! This diem isn’t gonna carpe itself! The only way out is through. If we’re gonna weather the uncertain waters of a kinda-maybe-sorta-post-pandemic winter, we’re gonna have to put in some hustle, we’re gonna have to do some gratitude journaling, and we’re gonna have to look out for each other, okay? Also, a sip of Kentucky bourbon helps.
I don’t know, I don’t have any answers! I’m getting word that “going on a road trip” is another good way to cope, and I’m thinkin’ that’s an awesome idea as we head into the holiday season…
Between the stress and unpredictability of air travel, the holidays are an apt time for a good, old-fashioned road trip. Even better: A RV road trip venturing off the beaten path and discovering new sights, flavors, and activities. Sure, a classic, Americana-style trek along Route 66 is all well and good, but digging a little deeper—and making pit stops at under-the-radar destinations along the way—reaps rewards that you won’t forget. From an Arizona sunset and a tour of the Mighty Five to a Cajun Country Christmas, these are the best RV road trips to take this holiday season.
Related: Christmas Gift Ideas 2019
Casinos, canyons, and cacti in the Southwest
You might end up on the naughty list for spending the holidays indulging in Sin City, but it’ll be worth it. Do some gaming at the new Resorts World Las Vegas (with more than 40 restaurants on-site, you won’t be lacking food options). For something more wholesome, stroll through the whimsical Holiday Cactus Garden at Ethel M Chocolates in suburban Henderson, hot cocoa in hand.
From here, buckle up for fun in the Arizona sun—and some epic selfie moments—with scenic stops at the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. Don’t forget to stop by the least visited national park in the state, Petrified Forest National Park, where the easy Blue Mesa Trail wows with boulder-sized crystalized logs and badlands lit up in tints of purple and green.
Loopback to Phoenix and round out your Arizona adventure in Tucson where you can spend your day communing with cacti in Saguaro National Park (the west district of the park is far less visited and hikes like Wasson Peak are practically devoid of humans).
Christmas ’Round Bardstown
Where better to experience a fantastic Christmas season than the “Most Beautiful Small Town in America?” Bardstown, Kentucky is ready to welcome you for a month and a half of Christmas events! All your Christmas wishes can come true in Bardstown.
Guides in Victorian hoop skirts and gentlemen in tailcoats sing the song “My Old Kentucky Home,” on your tour of Kentucky’s most famous landmark decorated for Christmas, My Old Kentucky Home! The mansion is adorned and decorated with six beautiful 12-foot tall Christmas trees each with a unique Kentucky theme.
Learn the origins of the Christmas tree, how mistletoe became famous for exchanging kisses, the tradition of the yule log, the history of the Christmas pickle, the legends of Father Christmas and Santa Claus. As you move forward to each room, experience a different era of Christmas, starting from colonial times, the early and late Victorian periods, all the way to the roaring 20’s when the mansion was last owned by the Rowan family. Tours are on the hour and the last tour begins at 4:00 p.m.
National Park-hopping in Utah
For one of the best road trips to take this holiday season, consider a national park. Home to five national parks, Utah is a quintessential state for nature enthusiasts looking to find serenity. After all, few sights are as amazing as seeing Delicate Arch aglow at sunrise or peering through Landscape Arch as the sun descends in Arches National Park or marveling at the snow-swept hoodoos of Bryce Canyon National Park.
First off, drive to Moab for cozy vibes and comfort foods at restaurants like Sunset Grill where the prime rib is as picture-perfect as the sunset views. You’ll be properly fueled to hike in Arches National Park just down the street as well as nearby Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park before heading west to visit the wildly underrated Capitol Reef National Park, then cross-country skiing at Bryce Canyon.
Related: Photographic Proof That Utah Is Just One Big Epic National Park
Round out your Utah trip with the iconic Zion National Park. Though one of the most visited national parks, December through March is the slow season for Zion, which means you might get the popular Narrows trail to yourselves.
Christmas past at LBJ state and national parks
Visit President Lyndon B. Johnson’s boyhood home in Johnson City and a historic living farm in Stonewall to experience holiday traditions of the early 20th century.
At the LBJ National Historical Park, the staff decks the halls of the home where Johnson grew up with cedar boughs and berries, a cedar tree, and homemade ornaments. In conjunction with Johnson City’s community celebration of “Lights Spectacular,” the LBJ Boyhood Home will be open for lamplight tours each Saturday from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on November 27 and December 4, 11, and 18. The home is located at 200 E. Elm St. in Johnson City.
The LBJ State Park and Historic Site’s Sauer-Beckmann Farm, 501 Park Road 52 in Stonewall, is just a few miles away and depicts Christmas during the time of World War I. At the farm’s annual Deck the Halls event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, November 27, volunteers help decorate by stringing popcorn, icing Christmas cookies, and dipping candles during the event.
Staff continues decorations in the following days until they are complete, around the time of the annual LBJ Tree Lighting, which is at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, December 19, at the park’s headquarters, 199 Park Road 52 in Stonewall.
The farm is open for tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and the last Tuesday of every month. The park itself is open until dark.
Related: Monumental Road Trips to Take This Winter
Johnson’s family moved from a farm in Stonewall much like the Sauer-Beckmann Farm into the Johnson City home when he was 5 years old. He lived there until his graduation from high school in 1924.
The Johnson family farm is part of the LBJ National Historical Park which includes what became known as the Texas White House during Johnson’s presidency. The house itself is closed due to structural concerns but the LBJ driving tour is still available. The Hangar Visitor Center is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Park grounds in both Johnson City and Stonewall are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Cajun Country Christmas
Cajun Country in Louisiana celebrates the holidays just like the rest of the nation however they like to throw in some Cajun holiday traditions that make for a merry ol’ time!
Lafayette rings of zydeco beats throughout the holiday season at their annual Cajun & Creole Christmas Celebrations. The celebrations include everything from Christmas markets, concerts, local eats, holiday window displays, caroling, and a Movies in the Parc season finale.
You’ll want to check out Noel Acadien au Village in Lafayette to view more than 500,000 lights illuminating the night, lighted displays, carnival rides, local cuisine, and photos with Santa.
The historic living history village of Vermilionville hosts Old Time Winter at Vermilionville, an event where families can see what winter traditions in the Cajun Country of yesteryear looked like. Meet Papa Noël, decorate cookies, and make bousillage ornaments. Watch Vermilionville’s artisans as they demonstrate winter traditions of the Acadian, Creole, and Native American cultures such as open-hearth cooking and making candles, soap, and natural decorations.
Additionally, every Christmas season, on the Mississippi River levees above Highways 44 and 18, dozens of log structures are built for an enormous display of bonfires. Though traditionally these log piles are built to resemble narrow pyramids, local residents who build them get creative—elaborate log cabins, trains, or swamp creatures. Fires are set on Christmas Eve in an absolutely breathtaking display.
Holly Jolly Jekyll
From twinkling holiday lights to visits with Santa, escape to the coastal community of Jekyll Island on Georgia’s Golden Isles for a holiday season you’ll never forget. You’ll find plenty of fun things to do, exciting celebrations, and hands-on experiences for everyone in the family.
The island is home to more than half a million lights during the Holly Jolly Jekyll season. The Great Tree alone has more than 35,000 which is more per square foot than the New York City Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. Purchase tickets online for the guided tram tours that take place on select nights. Trolley riders will enjoy festive holiday beverages, music, and a one-of-a-kind tour souvenir.
Plan to attend the light parade on December 4, holiday fireworks on December 11 and 18, and a special drive-in movie presentation of Frosty the Snowman on December 12 and 19, 2021.
Related: End 2020 on a High Note with these Travel Ideas
See holiday lights from November 26, 2021, through to January 2, 2022.
There’s nothing like dazzling holiday lights to get you in the spirit of the season and Jekyll has nearly a million lights that set the island aglow. Hop aboard Jekyll’s jolliest trolley with Holly Jolly Light Tours. The whole family can sit back, relax, and view festive displays from Beach Village to the Historic District. Along the way, sip on seasonal beverages and sing along to iconic carols and tunes.
Or climb into an old-fashioned, horse-drawn carriage for a Christmas Carriage Light Tour through the Historic District, listening to relaxing music all along the way.
Worth Pondering…
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!
―Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas
