Original Article Posted on Jen on a Journey
With temperatures already dipping below freezing in parts of the United States, it seems like an appropriate time to address the “winter blues” and how a vacation can often be the cure. Everyone has a different goal when it comes to a winter getaway – some want to embrace a snowy environment, while others prefer to follow the sun. Need some ideas and inspiration, here are 7 winter getaways for US travelers.
1. Desert Cycling Getaway: Escape Adventures offers a five-day winter cycling retreat in America’s Southwestern prize – Tucson, Arizona. Rated as the country’s second most bike-friendly city, this velo dreamscape offers an ideal escape with seemingly endless backroads through vast expanses of desert and world-class ascents like Mount Lemmon.
2. Wintertime Cowboy Retreat: Venture to Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains for a retreat at Red Reflet Ranch that combines limitless outdoor recreation and gourmet food with remote winter splendor. Step outside your luxurious accommodations to explore 30,000 stunning acres of wilderness by snowshoe, snowmobile or horseback. The local ski hill is only 45 minutes away and offers great skiing and snowboarding.
3. Ski Big Sky Country: On the edge of Yellowstone National Park in Big Sky, Montana, find one of the largest ski resorts in North America. With 5,850 acres of terrain descending from the 11,666-foot summit of Lone Peak, Big Sky Resort offers plenty of space to spread out. A stay at The Wilson Hotel in Town Center provides ample accommodations and easy access to the slopes, as well as to ice skating, Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, dogsledding and Yellowstone tours.
4. Explore National Parks by RV: Each summer, millions travel to visit our national parks. Yet these warm-season sightseers are missing what might be the parks’ best-kept secret – winter. Once-crowded trails turn into tranquil getaways. Quiet winter wonderlands showcase nature’s calm beauty. Blacksford is a new RV rental business offering an all-inclusive pricing model that includes unlimited miles, 24-hour roadside assistance and a free annual pass to national parks.
5. Tiny House Ski Retreat: Just minutes from Jackson Hole, Fireside Resort capitalizes on the tiny house craze and the classic appeal of rustic cottages by offering 25 pint-size, luxuriously outfitted tiny house rental units designed by Wheelhaus. Each has its own outdoor fire pit and deck. And the resort is located just a stone’s throw from Jackson Hole’s ski slopes.
6. Cycling the Sunshine State: Leave the winter riding gear at home and follow Adventure Cycling Association’s Florida Connector route for a loop around the Sunshine State by bike. Pedal south from St. Augustine past orange groves and sinkholes, skirt Orlando and arrive at the Gulf of Mexico at Fort Myers Beach. Turning east, watch for alligators on the way to Lake Okeechobee, then join the Atlantic Coast route in Fort Lauderdale and return north to the start.
7. Cross-Country Ski Getaway: Ranked #1 Cross-Country Ski Resort in North America by USA Today, Devil’s Thumb Ranch offers 120 kilometers of classic and skate-ready cross-country ski trails. Only 75 miles west of Denver and 15 minutes from Winter Park, Devil’s Thumb recently unveiled a private enclave of 24 custom homesites for those who want to live on the award-winning guest ranch full-time.
Since 1992, we at Escape Adventures have been blessed to shape and lead adventure travel vacations through some of the most awe-inspiring natural destinations in the world. Each successive season, our passion for adventure grows through memorable moments with our guests. Fresh air, faith, fitness and friends are the building blocks for our ventures, the treasured experiences that keep us moving forward. For those of you who have trekked and traveled with us over the past quarter century, Heather and I express our sincerest gratitude. The memories are priceless.
