Montana's Glacier National Park typically sees over 2 million visitors between May and August each year. Although I love taking in the park's beauty in the warmer seasons, this spike in visitation can often lead to long lines to enter the park.
05.11.2024 - 12:51 / lonelyplanet.com
Nov 4, 2024 • 3 min read
From dramatic cliffs to pristine forests, our national parks celebrate and preserve the beautiful landscapes that constitute the United States, and fortunately, many venues in and around the parks put together special Thanksgiving celebrations.
Whether you’re already on the road or looking for somewhere special to chow down on turkey, here are a few national parks where you can celebrate Thanksgiving.
Tennessee and North Carolina
The country’s most visited national park is the perfect place to celebrate one of the most beloved holidays – Thanksgiving.
In the heart of Southern Appalachia is the Fontana Village Resort, and their Mountainview Restaurant (which offers a vantage of the ancient Great Smoky Mountains) is serving up a veritable feast. For $59.99 ($29.99 for 5-12-year-olds), Thanksgiving guests will feast on roasted turkey, sweet potato gratin, blistered brussel sprouts, cornbread dressing and more. Other notable menu items include an assortment of classic Thanksgiving desserts like pumpkin and pecan pies. Reservations should be made as soon as possible directly with the resort.
California
Once known as the Majestic Yosemite Hotel, the Ahwanee Hotel is upholding that same standard with a grand lobby sporting multiple massive fireplaces and a dining room decorated with lofty 34-ft beamed ceilings.
Celebrating Thanksgiving inside Yosemite National Park is an incredible experience made only more inviting by The Ahwanee’s decadent buffet and festivities.
This year's prix fixe menu ($150 per adult, $75 per child) includes roasted butternut squash soup, roasted turkey, prime rib, brown rice salad with fresh veggies, ratatouille, traditional stuffing with Italian sausage, and whipped mashed potatoes. Reservations should be made directly with the hotel by calling 1-888-413-8869.
Utah
Less than 20 miles east of Arches National Park sits Sorrel River Ranch, an upscale resort surrounded by the dramatic red rocks for which the region is known.
Situated on 240 acres along the Colorado River, the serene hotel and spa will offer a Thanksgiving buffet with carved turkey and prime rib, classic sides like sage and mushroom stuffing and candied sweet potatoes, and an array of dessert options like caramel pecan pie and blackberry cheesecake. Tickets are $95 per adult and $35 per child.
Colorado
Estes Park is the gateway city to Rocky Mountain National Park, and just 10 minutes from the park’s entrance is The Stanley Hotel, an iconic resort (it served as the inspiration for the hotel in The Shining) that hosts an annual Thanksgiving meal.
This year, patrons will order from an à la carte three-course menu filled with Thanksgiving fare like a candied walnut and goat cheese salad, a smokehouse
Montana's Glacier National Park typically sees over 2 million visitors between May and August each year. Although I love taking in the park's beauty in the warmer seasons, this spike in visitation can often lead to long lines to enter the park.
Nov 21, 2024 • 5 min read
Nov 21, 2024 • 6 min read
If you’ve experienced Utah's best skiing before and are in on the now not-so-secret handshake, you know that some of best skiing in the world is only 45 minutes away from Salt Lake City International Airport. (That means you can take a 7 a.m. flight from New York's JFK, land at 10:30-ish and be on the mountain by 1 p.m.) That and the state’s maxim—The Greatest Snow On Earth—broadcasted on every souvenir item possible isn’t overselling how preposterously light and fluffy the powder is here, or how much of it falls annually (up to 500 inches).
Nov 20, 2024 • 6 min read
I never had a big plan to move to France.
It just got easier to hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park thanks to an extensive renovation of a popular trail that leads to the park’s tallest waterfall.
Visiting Joshua Tree National Park will soon cost more when the popular California spot raises reservation fees.
Park City’s ski resort is one of the largest in North America, with over 7,300 skiable acres and over 330 trails and slopes. The mountain’s high altitude and abundant snowfall create ideal conditions for powder hounds, while the well-groomed trails offer a smooth ride for those who prefer a more relaxed pace. With an average of 350 inches (or more) of excellent snow per season, it’s no surprise that come December through to March, the city is packed with snow sports enthusiasts. Hotels and lodges book out far in advance, and to be honest, Airbnbs do too. But there’s still time to score an excellent rental for a weekend away or a longer snow vacation if you get a shoop on.
Coming in at just under 20,000 square miles (that’s 20-percent smaller than West Virginia) Costa Rica packs an incredible array of things to see and do into a small area. Nestled between Nicaragua and Panama it has long Pacific and Atlantic ocean-facing coasts, volcanos, and rainforests galore. People are drawn there to hike and explore, surf, take a yoga retreat, eat fresh food, and reconnect with nature. It really is one of the best places on the planet to do all of those things, and to see rare wildlife. Here are some of our top picks for this Central American gem.
If you visit Italy in the offseason, you probably won't be eating tomatoes.
On November 7, leading figures from the travel industry—including suppliers, advisors and members of the media—gathered at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center to honor this year’s standout companies at the 10th annual Travvy Awards Gala. Hosted by TravelPulse and AGENTatHOME, the Travvy Awards celebrate excellence across a wide range of travel sectors, with winners chosen by travel advisors who intimately understand and routinely work with these products.