Illinois is brimming with festive activities and unique experiences, promising to be the go-to destination for an unforgettable winter experience. Lean into the holiday season in December, partake in outdoor winter activities and meet the Bald Eagles of Illinois in January, and indulge in Chicago’s theatre scene and automotive heritage in February.
The Swiss Alps are famous for being a winter wonderland, but there was plenty to do when I visited in the fall
26.11.2023 - 13:51 / insider.com / Winter Wonderland
Switzerland is a perfect winter destination, with the snowy Alps hosting some of the world's best skiing in cozy little towns.
But don't rule it out at a vacation destination for the fall.
I traveled through the Swiss Alps in early October, as the mountainsides were just starting to change color, and I thought autumn was a great time to visit.
St. Moritz is a winter ski playground for the wealthy — but, in the fall, it's a sleepy hamlet surrounded by green slopes and valleys.
I took a leisurely electric bike ride from the middle of town, alongside a creek, through the pines and larches, up to the Morteratsch Glacier.
I'm no mountain biker, so I probably wouldn't have done this if it weren't for e-bikes and Luca Ricou, the helpful technical manager at St. Moritz Ski School.
At one point, we turned off the electric component of the bikes so that I could experience peddling without that boost.
It was really hard work. I'm not in bad shape, but I would have moved much, much slower on a regular bike.
Some ski schools are diversifying their business and offering guided biking and hiking in the winter, too, as the planet warms and less snow falls.
On a different day, in the town of Nendaz in the French-speaking region of the Swiss Alps, I paid 15 Swiss Francs (about $17) to ride a gondola up the mountain.
I got a view over the Alps that I could never in town or on the train. I could see glaciers in the distance.
There are a number of gondolas like this throughout Switzerland, and you can ride them most of the year for a small fee.
If I were really ambitious I probably could've gone skydiving or paragliding.
I saw a lot of people doing that as I looked out over the mountains.
I stayed in the valley town of Sion for a few days.
There were hiking trails through the vineyards and hillsides there, but I wanted to take advantage of the mountain views, so I took a 30-minute bus ride up the mountain to the town of Nendaz.
From there, the gondola took me to the top of the ski slope, where there were a number of trails to choose from.
I could've trekked 14 miles over a mountain ridge, but I only had a few hours before sunset, so I chose an easy 7-mile stroll down the mountainside back to Nendaz.
The trail went through a few small villages and past one restaurant with stunning views. I stopped there for lunch.
I can't usually stop for a full meal like that on a hike in the US, even if it's a short and easy one.
I don't know where I would get deer or boar at a restaurant in the US — certainly not in the middle of a hike — so I was happy to be in the Swiss Alps when these game meats were in season.
On a similar note, hunting also seems popular at this time of year in the Alps.
I encountered two hunters in the woods
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