I just got back from a week in Sag Harbor, where the water was warm as I walked Hamptons beaches, deliciously empty…I needed a place to contemplate the universe and plan my personal strategy for 2007. A friend had business in Africa and I housesat in his marine-inspired cottage for a glorious week or so, discovering with great glee, that the perfect January post-holiday mania destination does not have to be warm. The sunsets took my breath away; I made so many crackling fires, looking out on the water and decided definitively that I look sultry and mysterious in a heavy cowl-neck sweater, far better than I do on a beach in a bikini.
Can you rethink a winter vacation? Can you crave cold? I did and I had a quiet respite from people, clocks and deadlines. Factoring in global warming and early January temperatures in New York hovering around sixty degrees, it seemed like the perfect time for picnics on the beach (we brought a thermos) and it seemed we grabbed it just in time; temperatures in my hometown, New York City are suddenly plummeting back to seasonal (read: thirtyish and the Hudson River winds doth blow…)
January in Florida, Arizona, Belize, Ecuador, anywhere there’s a Club Med? Right? Well of course, those are given…it’s prime-time for a winter escape. But since the East Coast has possibly never consistently served up an April-in-December like the one we’ve just had, follow the quirky weather and think outside the box, as it is too often said. And can you maybe…stretch the map? Can you chart a course off the beaten track? Bundle up a bit and head up to Maine or Vermont for a starkly beautiful midwinter night’s sojourn? Hike New Hampshire? For some Southern comfort, how about quaint Charleston? Or the ruggedly beautiful Outer Banks, out-of-season and unseasonably warm?
Canada’s long been recognized as a jewel, a bit of Europe in North America. From Quebec to Vancouver, Canada is also a constant surprise. Discover fishing villages or artsy cities, it’s big country up there. And why not consider Alaska? The final frontier, at least for most Americans. Prices for all these northern destinations could not be better and once you’re there, you’ll likely redefine “exotic” – and get cozy in some of the most beautiful spots on earth.
What about skiing the West? It won’t be completely crowdless, (forget Park City, Utah, with the Sundance Film Festival taking over) but some savvy surfing the web may surprise you with some jewels in our U.S. crown. Jackson Hole, Wyoming is a warm and snuggly alternative to Utah.
Trek to Europe? Oui, si, quite right, excellent….yes now…when post-holiday London and …Paris are tourist-quiet and friendly. About.com recommends the sophistication of Venice, Italy, as well as Greece, for some very reasonable rates. They also suggest Mexico for some unexpected bargains.
But all of Europe awaits you, with great air-and-hotel packages in unexpected places. This year Scandinavia is a hot spot – in as much as it can be! – for delightfully new places to explore. Some of our planet’s most extraordinary naturally beautiful resources,mountains to lake, will tempt you….especially if you’re a ski-fiend, always seeking new horizons.
From hotels.com to travelocity.com to orbitz.com, Shermanstravel.com, the opportunities are all over the web; those are just a handful of on-line travel guides.
Just “pick a spot that’s just a dot on the map” as an old Sinatra song advises, put in under an hour on the web and you’ll be packing—and quite likely, putting away some well-earned travel dollars for surf-and-sand under the sun. Then get going…spring will have sprung before you know it. Go forth…and conquer, and consider something offbeat. Wherever you decide to venture, tote your imagination and make it a very sweet and bon voyage!
