I’ve been to all 50 states. Here are the 10 best ones to visit during the winter.

Though I dread New York Metropolis's 4:30 p.m. sundown in January, February, and March, the vacation lights that go up in December offset my seasonal blues.

Manhattan is splendidly festive throughout the holidays, and guests have endless options for activities. 

They’ll ice-skate beneath the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Heart, store on the Union Sq. Vacation Market, admire the elaborately adorned store home windows on the Higher East Facet, or catch considered one of The New York Metropolis Ballet's annual performances of "The Nutcracker."

I additionally love to go east to Montauk's empty seashores or north to ski Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid, residence to one of many East Coast's biggest vertical drops. 

Though I recognize Vermont's bucolic summertime beauty, I feel it's at its finest when the mountains are white with snow. Winter in Vermont is straight out of a storybook with quaint cabins, charming small cities, and rolling white hills.

The state has a few of the largest ski resorts in New England, and I've made seasonal pilgrimages to varied mountains together with Stowe, Killington, Mount Snow, and Okemo — my private favourite. 

These mountains are much less steep than the Rockies. However in my view, should you develop up snowboarding within the East navigating the mountains' packed ice, you’ve got the chance to be much better on the sport than these accustomed to extra perfect situations.

Colorado is a scorching spot for snowboarding out West. It has over 25 ski resorts, and I've caught the primary tracks in Vail, Breckenridge, Winter Park, and Aspen Snowmass, my all-time favourite. 

Aspen has a fame for fostering a "ski-and-be-seen" ethos, however I rejoice its decadence and am keen on the champagne showers at Cloud 9, the rowdy chalet atop Highlands Mountain. 

Throughout my final keep at Aspen Meadows Resort, I noticed that it's potential to simply loosen up in nature there. It felt like a contained oasis of mountain views and aspen bushes, despite the fact that it's a mere 1.6 miles from the downtown space.

Additionally in Colorado, Breckenridge's annual Ullr Fest is to not be missed. A celebration of the Norse god of winter, this competition options colourful costumes, shotskis, and Viking hats. After I attended, I used to be delighted that the big bonfire supplied heat even on the coldest winter nights.

I first attended Art Basel in Miami fully by mistake due to a flight cancellation. The glitzy, over-the-top artwork honest lived as much as the hype, an announcement that additionally summarizes my ideas about Florida within the wintertime.

It's considerably of a cliché for northerners to fly south each December, therefore their nickname as snowbirds, however there's nothing fairly like a polar vortex to make you lengthy for the Sunshine State. 

Talking of snowbirds, winter is a spectacular time to go birding in Everglades Nationwide Park, the seasonal residence to many American white pelicans.

Witnessing humpback whales' migration to the Hawaiian Islands is spectacular. 

I first noticed a humpback whale up shut on a trip to Maui with my mom after I was 12. After I set out with PacWhale Eco-Adventures many years later, the expertise was simply as magnificent as I remembered.

Hawaii affords its personal distinctive ambiance throughout the vacation season. The festive juxtapositions of seashell-adorned garlands and palm bushes draped with lights make the state the closest you may get to paradise throughout the US.

Louisiana is considered one of my favorite states to visit within the US, and it comes alive within the colder months. I want the state's comparatively delicate winters, with temperatures hovering round 60 levels Fahrenheit, over its sweltering summer time days.

I'm additionally all the time down for a celebration. From the Cajun Competition of the Bonfires, when individuals gentle bonfires alongside the levees of the Mississippi River to gentle the best way for Cajun Santa Claus, to Mardi Gras, the largest celebration of all, there are occasions for revelers to take pleasure in all season lengthy. 

The winter solar casts the swamps surrounding New Orleans in a golden gentle, and despite the fact that alligators hibernate, you possibly can nonetheless spot them on heat days.

This Southwestern state's numerous local weather is ideal for a winter highway journey via deserts, valleys, and mountains.

The Enchanted Circle Byway takes vacationers via a wide range of epic ski destinations, together with the favored Taos Ski Valley. Be sure to don't miss the Ski Torchlight Parade, one of many many annual occasions in New Mexico's ski areas. 

I really like the wide-open expanse of Albuquerque, the town with the state's largest inhabitants and most direct flights.

Within the wintertime, you possibly can start your journey on this desert metropolis earlier than heading an hour north to Santa Fe, the place you possibly can expertise the artwork scene and hit the slopes.

I really like visiting South Carolina any time of the yr, however my favourite reminiscences within the state have all the time been within the winter. 

Maybe it's as a result of I'm unable to resist Charleston's summer time humidity, however regardless, my February journey to the Holy Metropolis was precisely what the physician ordered two months right into a New York winter. 

Town is at its most decadent across the holidays, when festive decor adorns the beautiful cobblestone streets.

Lastly, a current wintertime journey to Brays Island, with its Spanish moss and dockside sunsets, epitomized the romance and attract of Lowcountry residing.

Yellowstone National Park could also be most crowded and accessible within the summertime, however I want to discover the world's first nationwide park within the winter, after I can snowshoe, trip in a snowcoach, or keep at Previous Devoted Snow Lodge. 

Seeing Wyoming's desolate panorama lined in snow makes its grandeur and vastness all of the extra vivid. 

I additionally make an annual winter voyage out to Jackson Gap to hit the slopes, snowmobile in Grand Teton Nationwide Park, cross-country ski at Turpin Meadow Ranch, and go on a sleigh trip within the Nationwide Elk Refuge. 

My favourite perk of visiting Wyoming within the winter is that I'm much less more likely to encounter a grizzly bear. They’ll nonetheless pop up however are principally hibernating, so we are able to benefit from the wilderness.

Charleston and New Orleans are inclined to get the entire consideration, however vacationers seeking to fly south within the winter months typically overlook Savannah. 

I've lengthy been enchanted by the town's glamour, thriller, and attraction, and, in my expertise, the Hostess Metropolis of the South is at its most hospitable throughout the holidays. 

December is an excellent time for guests to expertise the town by visiting the Savannah Christmas Market and signing up for the annual Vacation Tour of Properties. 

I additionally stumbled upon one other Georgian gem throughout a earlier journey to Aiken. Nestled in horse nation very near the Grasp's Event, this quaint metropolis boasts a downtown space with gorgeous hotels and delectable meals. 

This story was initially printed on December 1, 2022, and most not too long ago up to date on November 26, 2025.