Peace. Here's to it this holiday season.

The Alum Creek Fantasy of Lights Lewis Center, Ohio. (Photo Ed Lamaze)

"Happy Christmas To All Boots (and family of Boots too)"

Photo by Randy Son of Robert on Flickr Creative Commons.

Christmas in Los Angeles

The Grove in Beverly Hills/Hollywood. (Photo by Whit Honea)

Merry Christmas from Snowy Florida

Photo by Britt Reints

Ride out the holiday season with joy!

Door County, Wisconsin (Photo by Rosalind Cummings-Yeates)

Residents clean up after The Great Blizzard of '09 in West Haven, CT. It will be a slushy, but mostly white Christmas.

Photo by Barbara Tracy

Bethlehem Post Office

Each December, the Post Office in the “Little Town” of Bethlehem, Connecticut, becomes one of the busiest in the state. Some other popular postal facilities at the holidays are in Christmas, Florida; Santa Claus, Indiana; and North Pole, New York. (Photo by Darren Farrington)

Happy Holidays!

The NORAD Santa Tracking Map by Google

Game on! Santa and his team of reindeer (including Rudolph!) are up and at it.

What, you thought Grandma and Grandpa flying in for the big day were the only travelers out there?

If you want to follow Santa’s journey minute by minute, complete with video feeds, then check out the good people at NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command – yeah, I don’t get the acronym either), who combine their military might and technological savvy to track Santa Claus as he does his thing.

You can even have the action sent to your mobile phone or follow the action on Google Earth, Twitter and Facebook.

Well, what are you waiting for? Track Santa!

Photo taken from the NORAD site.

What are the top New Year's Eve travel destinations in the USA?

New Year’s Eve is just around the corner and the entire world will be celebrating with fireworks and oversized clocks counting down the last few minutes of 2009. Where will you find the best New Year’s Eve parties and most unique celebrations in the United States? Check out these top New Year’s Eve travel destinations in America.

Top 5 New Year’s Eve Travel Destinations in America

Fireworks at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom

5.  Orlando, Florida

Orlando is a great place for families to celebrate New Year’s Eve together.  The amusement parks will be packed, but Disney World, Sea World and Universal Studios are each sure to give you your money’s worth in terms of fireworks displays and celebratory parades.  Do, however, consider spending the night in a very nearby hotel if you want to avoid spending the first several hours of 2010 sitting in traffic.

Floats in the Rose Bowl Parade

4.  Los Angeles, California

What makes Los Angeles stand out as one of the top New Year’s Eve travel destinations is not the celebrity residents, but rather the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade that coincides with college football’s Rose Bowl.  The parade comes complete with floats made of roses, marching bands and a celebrity Grand Marshal that leads the way.  After the parade, you’ll find an over the top party at hundreds of world class nightclubs all over Los Angeles, and of course, a spectacular fireworks display at midnight.

New Year's Eve On Bourbon Street

3.  New Orleans, Louisiana

You’ll find the New Orleans locals heading to Frenchmen Street for New Year’s Eve, but Bourbon Street is sure to be overflowing with partying tourists.   No matter where you get started, you’ll want to be at Jackson Square by midnight to see the ball drop.  This year, the Sugar Bowl teams (Florida Gators and Cincinnati Bearcats), alumni and students will also be in New Orleans for New Year’s Eve, which is sure to add to New Orleans’s infamous party atmosphere.  Expect dancing in the streets, impromptu brass bands parading through, eccentric costumes, and tailgate style madness.

Las Vegas, Nevada

2.  Las Vegas, Nevada

It’s no surprise that Las Vegas is a top New Year’s Eve Travel Destinations.  Sin City is notorious for knowing how to throw a good party, and New Year’s is no exception.  The strip is pedestrianized for one giant outdoor party, complete with fireworks, sound and light shows.  Of course every casino, nightclub and hotel in Las Vegas will be offering specials and over the top parties of their own.  And who knows – maybe you’ll ring in the New Year with a jackpot win!

Times Square - a New Year's Eve tradition

1.  New York City, New York

Of course, the most famous New Year’s Eve event in the world is the celebration in New York City’s Times Square.  Dick Clark’s big ball drop is watched by a million people in the flesh, and a billion more on television.  Yes, that means you’ll have to fight an unbelievable crowd, but star-studded musical performances, pyrotechnics and the sheer notoriety of the event put New Year’s Even in Times Square on many “must do once in your life” lists.

Photo credit: Bob Jagendorf, d4rr3ll, erinbrace, Gary J Wood, eyeliam, Paul Mannix on Flickr

Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier

The weather outside might be frightful but Navy Pier supplies indoor winter fun with the Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier.  A Chicago holiday tradition for 10 years, the festival runs daily through January 3rd and supplies a snow-covered, action-filled day for the whole family.  A diverse range of activities include a rope obstacle course, inflatable games and create-a-cookie.  Amusement rides guarantee excitement with favorites like the 50-foot indoor Ferris wheel, the Winter Wind Glider and the Reindeer Express Train.

It's Christmas time and Seattle is sleepless.

Alright, it’s not a “tree” per se, but there is a pseudo tree on top of Seattle’s famed Space Needle made by lights – and the thought of having to hang them makes me a bit queasy, yet oddly festive.

Photo by Papalars:

The Grand Canyon Railway

There is just something about the combination of Christmas and trains that speaks to my nostalgic side. When I was little my grandmother had a really old, really authentic train set that was made out of, like, iron or something. She’d set it up under the Christmas tree every year and it would weave its way around the stacks of presents (I was spoiled), making its distinctive “clack clack clack” sound that became the background sound of just about every Christmas of my childhood.

Years (ahem, an undisclosed number of them) passed.

Then, the movie “The Polar Express” came out back in 2004, and revitalized the obsession with Christmas trains in small children everywhere. To the excitement and joy of Arizona children, the Grand Canyon Railway established their own Christmas tradition with their version of The Polar Express.

The steam engine used for the Polar Express.

You have GOT to check this out, especially if you have small children. And even if you don’t, grown-ups will LOVE the opportunity to re-live the wonder of Christmas that we used to have as kids, that somehow leaves us when we attain adulthood. A train, all decked out for the holidays, departs from the station in Williams, Arizona every day from November 13th through January 9th (excluding December 25th and 31st, and January 4th through 7th), and heads on up to the “North Pole” (which would be the Grand Canyon, naturally!). Enjoy cookies and hot chocolate as the train chugs down the track, and listen to a Christmas story. The children will be thrilled to be greeted by Santa and his reindeer upon reaching the North Pole! Then Santa will board the train and give each child their very own special gift.

There is a 6:30 p.m. train and an 8:00 p.m. train. Adults tickets are $29 each, and children ages 2 – 15 are $14 Sunday through Thursday in November and all of January, and $19 weekends in November and all of December. “The Christmas Eve Limited”, an extra special occasion for all that includes food, beverages and presents, is $58 for adults and $38 for children.

Make it your own Christmas tradition to ride the Polar Express every year!

Photo Credits (in order of appearance):
- “Grand Canyon train arriving at Williams” by Cloud Soup on Flickr Creative Commons.
- “Steam Train” by Sheila Ellen on Flickr Creative Commons.

A cactus strung with Christmas lights in Arizona.

Hop in the car, take a drive around town, and see businesses and neighborhoods who have gone all-out to bring holiday cheer in the form of elaborate Christmas light displays.

The McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale, Arizona, hosts train rides among more than 100,000 lights and displays. Nightly from 6:30 to 9:00 running from December 11th through January 2nd, excluding December 24th, 25th, and 31st. Train rides are $2.00 and carousel rides are $1.00 each with children under three riding free with a paying adult.

The Red Rock Fantasy in Sedona, Arizona, is entering its nineteenth year. The festival is open each evening (weather permitting) from November 19th through January 2nd, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $3 for children aged 5-12 and free for children 4 and under. Dozens of southwest-themed displays and millions (yes, millions!) of lights make this one of the premier Christmas light festivals in Arizona. The route begins at the Los Abrigados Resort & Spa lobby under the lighted Red Rock Fantasy arch, and is clearly marked with reflective strips. It takes approximately 60 minutes to complete the tour by foot, and assistance is offered by the resort staff for those who are physically challenged.

The lights strung on the Mill Avenue bridge.

The Mill Avenue shopping and college district in Tempe, Arizona, comes ablaze with Christmas lights every year from Thanksgiving to New Year’s. Visitors can walk along the sidewalks enjoying the sights, pop into a cafe or restaurant for a hot cup of coffee or a meal, then resume their stroll among the stores and boutiques. Get some Christmas shopping done while enjoying the festive atmosphere, sidewalk entertainment, and people-watching that is unique to Mill Avenue.

An impressive neighborhood display of Christmas lights can be found at Natal Circle in Chandler, Arizona. From the intersection of Arizona Ave. (Country Club Dr.) and Guadalupe, head west on Guadalupe, and turn north on Cherry Rd. Find a place to park, and walk around the neighborhood. Nearly every household has thrown themselves into the festive spirit of things. As a courtesy to everyone enjoying the Christmas light display, please drive with your parking lights only when making your way through the neighborhood.

Having a destination in mind is all well and good, but sometimes it’s just that much more fun to jump in the car with no particular direction in mind, turn down random streets, and enjoy the lights that your neighbors have worked on so hard to display for your enjoyment.

Photo credits (in order of appearance):
- “Christmas cactus” by Kevin Dooley on Flickr Creative Commons.
- “Mill Avenue Bridge two” by twak on Flickr Creative Commons.

We even have snow and ice.

That is a video of my two children sledding - on real snow – in Central Florida. We attended a holiday festival at Avalon Park, one of the many holiday festivals in the Orlando area that feature machine made snow and winter activities. While that event only lasted one night, there are still plenty of chances to get cold in the Sunshine State this month.

Holiday Events in Orlando, Florida

ICE! at Gaylord Palms

Ice slide at Gaylord Palms

From November 14th to January 3rd, the Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee presents “a walk-through Christmas attraction hand-carved from nearly TWO MILLION pounds of ice.” The exhibit features ice sculptures and an ice slide in a hall kept at a chilly 9 degrees. Thankfully, parkas are provided to help you keep you warm.

Save on your admission price by purchasing your tickets online.

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Disney's Specatcle Of Dancing Lights

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights started as a home display in Arkansas. Every year, Jennings Osborne and his family set up an elaborate collection of holiday lights and over the years, the collection grew, and grew… and grew! In 1995, Walt Disney World became the permanent home of the Osborne family’s holiday light display – and they added a little Disney magic, of course.  When you watch the light show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you’ll notice it actually start to snow!

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights is included with regular admission to the Hollywood Studios theme park.

Now Snowing in Downtown Celebration

Snowing in Celebration, Florida

From November 28 to December 31, the town of Celebration, Florida puts on a free festival that let’s everyone enjoy the magic of the season.  Snowfalls nightly for 10 minutes at 6pm, 7pm, 8pm and 9pm.  In addition to snow, you’ll find strolling Charles Dickens Carolers, the Celebration Express, horse drawn carriage rides, and a chance to take pictures with Santa.  You can also go ice skating at the local Celebration Town Tavern.

Did I mention that admission for this event is free?  Really.

Orlando prides itself on its ability to entertain.  The holidays are no exception, and we certainly aren’t going to let something like natural climate get in the way of enjoying a Winter Wonderland!

Photo credit: Avitable, Walt Disney World Resorts, Celebration Town Center

Baby Oranutan at the Phoenix Zoo

The Phoenix Zoo, which has been voted among the “Top Five Zoos for Kids”, once again hosts its annual Zoolights Christmas light display. From now until January 10th, from 6:00-10:00 p.m. nightly, patrons of the Phoenix Zoo are regaled with 2.5 million Christmas lights strung among the pathways and exhibits, with music coordinated to enhance the 500 two- and three-dimensional light features.

Lighting techniques include rope lights, LED lights, light strands, black light, fiber optics, lasers, gobos, strobes, lights programmed to music, and net lighting in trees or shrubbery. The entire combined effect is breathtaking as visitor stroll among the network of pathways throughout the Zoo property.

Rhinos at the Phoenix Zoo

Visiting the Zoo at night is always a fun experience. Nocturnal animals play a part in the festivities (note that not all of the animals that are on display in the daytime will be on display at night), and patrons are treated to hot chocolate, coffee, and hot cider, as well as warm treats to eat. As you cross the bridge into the Zoo entrance, you are greeted by a larger than life komodo light display – live Komodos are featured at the brand-new “Land of the Dragons” exhibit. The “Music in Motion” dancing tree show runs several times each evening, with new video, music and LED lights. There are horse-drawn wagon rides, carousel and camel rides, the Stingray Bay Touch Tank Experience, and animal meet and greets Thursday through Sunday.

Zoolights tickets are $10 ($8 for zoo members) per person, and children under the age of two are free. Tickets can be purchased on-line or at the property box office. The Zoo is located at 455 N. Galvin Parkway in Phoenix, Arizona. The entrance to the Zoo is off Galvin Parkway in the heart of Papago Park, between McDowell and Van Buren.

Photo Credits (in order of appearance):
- “Baby Orangutan at the Phoenix Zoo” by Jim Bowen on Flickr Creative Commons.
- “Phoenix Zoo” by Scott Agent on Flickr Creative Commons.

Girls sing during the Andersonville St. Lucia Festival of Lights

Skip the glitz of the Magnificent Mile and head to Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood for the quaint, culturally rich yuletide excursion of the  St. Lucia Festival of Lights.  You’ll hear greetings of  en riktig god jul (a very merry christmas) echo the area’s deep Swedish roots, of which the St. Lucia festival is the most dramatic.  December 13 marks  St. Lucia Day, the most significant celebration of the Swedish holiday season.  Traditionally, Swedish Christmas officially begins on Sankta Lucia, the shortest day of the year.  The eldest daughter of the household, dressed in a white robe with crimson sash and a crown of lighted candles, sings the Santa Lucia song and carries a tray of  coffee and special saffron buns.  The entire Andersonville neighborhood turns out to watch the glittering procession of  white clad girls carrying candles through the darkened streets.

The festival starts at 4:45PM at the Swedish American Museum, at 5211 N. Clark and the candlelit procession winds down Clark Street, where shop owners stand outside with candles lit to honor St. Lucia.  Afterwards, the museum hosts holiday singing and serves  traditional Swedish treats like pepparkakor ginger cookies and non-alcoholic glogg.  Enjoy the rest of the evening by exploring Andersonville’s Swedish bakeries, shops and restaurants filled with old world charm.

Photo courtesy of the Andersonvile Chamber of Commerce