The Most Magical Inns For A Classic Christmas Vacation
By MICHAEL WITTNER
In San Luis Obispo, this Victorian inn at the southern end of the Big Sur Coast brings North Pole cheer with festive lights, ornaments, fireplaces, and Santa.
Apple Farm Inn
Hot apple cider and chocolate chip cookies greet you in the cozy, elegant lobby. Climb a curving staircase to your room with large bay windows and fireplaces.
Admire the enormous tree, enjoy a Christmas dinner, shop for wine and gifts in the Marketplace and Cellar, and listen to live carolers.
Hyannis may be a summer destination, but you can enjoy a seaside Cape Cod Christmas at this resort's indoor water park, heated outdoor pool, or famous spa.
Cape Codder Resort & Spa
The Cape Codder hosts a Christmas Village with thousands of lights, a Santa's workshop, and a giant lighted lobster pot tree comprising over 70 lobster traps.
There are also illuminated sculptures along the main 6A drag, Cape Cod Central Railroad's "Polar Express" train, lighthouse caroling in Falmouth, and meeting Santa at the dock.
This stately country inn set over 15 acres has a 16-foot-tall tree and a "Journey to the North Pole" train ride through New Hampshire's White Mountains.
Christmas Farm Inn & Spa
Scores of townspeople enjoy carols, a fire, and storytime with Mrs. Claus in the hotel's historic barn. There's also a Christmas parade with a horse-drawn sleigh and tree-lighting.
Guests are welcome to join the festivities, retreat to deluxe suites with names like Yuletide, Rudolph, and Mistletoe, or enjoy the resort's spa, pool, gym, or cozy pub.
This faux-Bavarian castle in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, celebrates Christmas the entire year. In December, it adds Winterfest, an outdoor wonderland.
The Inn At Christmas Place
Across the street at the Incredible Christmas Place is the South's largest Christmas shopping village, with mini-Christmas villages, trees, and full nativity scenes.
Pigeon Forge offers everything from Dolly Parton's Dollywood to the majestic beauty of the Smoky Mountains, which, in winter, turn into a snowy paradise worthy of Santa himself.
This 19th-century 94-room mansion is steps away from Maine's famed outlet stores and is a cozy country inn with garlands, twinkling lights, and toasty fireplaces.
Harraseeket Inn
People come from far and wide to partake in the Christmas Day Grand Buffet with everything from prime rib to oysters to Boston cream pie.
While there, enjoy Freeport's Annual Sparkle Celebration with a Parade of Lights, a "Sparkle Stroll," bonfires, vendors, food trucks, music, and even a talking Christmas tree.