Greetings again blogosphere! I feel like Christmas is approaching at the rate of knots, and excitingly, we've already come to the 4th Day of Blogmas! Today, I've decided to list and appreciate the awesomeness of some of the coolest Christmas paradises available for kids and families! I know I'm a fan of these festive wonderlands, and I guarantee by the end of this post, you will be too. So without further ado, here they are . . .
SeaWorld, San Diego
Just a warning, what you're about to read is going to totally blow you away. Starting off strong with SeaWorld San Diego's 'Winter Wonderland', this place is just a kid's dream come true. With a bunch of different fun and super unique attractions, SeaWorld really outdoes itself. Just so you can get a clear idea of how spectacularly awesome this place really is, when you visit at Christmas time, you not only get to sit on Santa's lap, you get to go to 'Christmas Village', eat festive foods, buy Christmas merchandise, be serenaded by carolling elves, and then of course finally make your way down to 'Santa's Cottage', where you can get a special photo with your family and engage in Christmas cookie decorating. Does that not sound like the best thing ever?!? But wait, there's more. The attractions just keep getting better and better, as you can then move on from there and watch SeaWorld's 130 foot Christmas tree be decorated and lit up to perfection, have breakfast with both Santa and Shamu, visit the reindeer training academy, and last but not least, watch the 'Happiest Christmas Tree' sing and dance along to your favourite Christmas tunes. Is it just me, or does anyone else want to move to SeaWorld, like, right now?
Santa Claus, Indiana
I'm not even kidding, there is indeed a city in Indiana called 'Santa Claus'. And yes, it is totally dedicated to celebrating Christmas all year round. Can you imagine being festive for 365 days in a row? I haven't quite decided whether it'd be a good thing, but I do know that visiting this city in December would definitely be all kinds of awesome. Obviously they really go all out with the Christmas thing, and there are a whole bunch of themed attractions open to the public. For instance, you can enjoy Christmas Dinner with Santa, go to the 'Holiday World & Splashin' Safari' theme park complete with 3 wood roller coasters and the world's longest water coaster, visit Santa's candy cart, the Santa Claus museum, the Santa Claus Christmas Store and Santa's stables, and perhaps most importantly, you can write your letter to Santa. This town really does sound magical, and if I'm being honest, almost fictional. Who knows, perhaps this is some kind of re-incarnation of the North Pole? Whatever it is, I'm totally on board with it.
The Inn at Christmas Place, Pigeon Forge
Once again, we've stumbled upon a place which celebrates Christmas over the course of the entire year. However, they don't have 'Santa Claus' as the name of their city as an excuse, these people are just crazily Christmas obsessed (not that there's anything wrong with that). A hotel called 'The Inn at Christmas Place' in the Smoky Mountains takes the holiday season very seriously as you've probably already guessed. Throughout December, guests can be serenaded by a singing Santa at his concert twice a week, and have the luxury of checking out as many holiday movies as they wish to watch in their rooms. Handily located across the street from 'The Incredible Christmas Place' store, the hotel stocks up on an abundance of holiday decorations, and their lobby pretty much looks like the inside of Santa's workshop. Plus, there are a bunch of daily activities that the guests can either engage in or watch, some of which include constructing gingerbread houses, attending bow tying classes, Christmas karaoke and popcorn stringing, all of course guest starring festively dressed staff. Come on, you can't honestly tell me you're not tempted to book a room and sleep in heavenly peace (see what I did there!).
A Christmas Story House, Cleveland
If you haven't heard of the 1983 holiday film 'A Christmas Story', then I'm not entirely sure what sheltered life you've been living. Well folks, you're ignorance stops today. In a perfectly preserved homage to the cult classic, the house originally used for filming has been re-decorated and transformed into an exact replica of the original set. I bet you're thinking that sure, this all sounds well and good, but how exactly is it an attraction? Well my friends, this house has now been altered and become a museum open to the public, one which contains all sorts of original props and memorabilia. Talk about a fangirl's dream. Plus, there's a pretty nerdy gift shop out the back which sells a range of movie tie-in items including leg lamps and Red Ryder BB guns. Being obsessive fans finally has its perks - and in a festive fashion no less!
Woodstock Winter Wassail Weekend, Vermont
To end this magical list is a monstrous Christmas event occurring in Woodstock, Vermont. Named after wassail, a seasonal drink brewed with spiced apples and sugar, this Weekend long celebration is the epitome of a fun and festive Christmas. It's an event for the whole family, and happens on December 12th, 13th and 14th (damn it, we just missed out). This winter event sure has a lot going for it, including a Wassail parade with over 50 horses and riders adorned in holiday costume, sleigh rides for the public, and a visit from Santa himself. If you think the fun stops there, you're kidding yourself. In addition to all of the awesome stuff I mentioned before, this winter weekend also involves troupes of singers parading the streets, theatre performances by the YOH players, a Wassail feast at the Woodstock Inn & Resort, and a Christmas musical down at the town hall. Shops open till late, the streets are all festively decorated, and if you're lucky, there might even be a little bit of snow to totally complete the picturesque image. This event's been going strong for 31 years now, and obviously this is the reason why. It must be working, because I'm 100% lured.
We've now reached the end of what I deem to be a pretty impressive list. I've come to the conclusion that my country officially has nothing Christmassy to offer, especially in comparison to all these festively awesome events above. Who knows, maybe I gave you an idea of where you can spend Christmas 2015? Til' next time . . .
Annabel xx
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