THE BEST DESTINATIONS TO VISIT DURING CHRISTMAS TIME

How is Christmas less than a week away!? This season has flown by (like it seems to every year) so while we're still technically "in season" I wanted to take some time to share the best destinations around the world to visit this time of year. 

This list is strictly focused on the US and Europe (because, well- that's where pretty much all of my travel to date has been focused!) I'm sure there are will be other destinations around the globe that I'll write about in the future that are also worth visiting during the holiday season, but until then- here is where I recommend you plan a trip if you want to go somewhere magical that really turns things up a notch at Christmas time: 

NORTH AMERICA

CHICAGO

I've been spending this Christmas season here in Chicago and have absolutely loved it. I'm a fan of this city year-round, but it has been exceptionally magic this time of year. Not only is everything lit up, sparkling and festive, but there is even more to do than usual (and there is always tons to do here). Check out the Christkindlmarket downtown and the Christkindlmarket at Wrigley for fun, German-style Christmas markets boasting unique shopping, typical German food and drinks and diverse holiday entertainment. Up for ice skating? Head to Millenium Park to check out the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink. And if you're wanting to see the city's most impressive display of Christmas lights? Head to Lincoln Park Zoo for ZooLights.

NEW YORK CITY

No surprise here... New York City has always been a famous Christmas destination. See the Rockefeller Christmas Tree, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, countless Christmas markets, go for one of the best hot chocolates in the city or have a drink in one of the heated igloos with stunning views of the city. 

BANFF

While I haven't done my travel guide to Banff, I can't recommend visiting this area of Canada at Christmas enough. Fly into Calgary and driving to Emerald Lake Lodge, then to Lake Louise and then Banff (working your way back toward Calgary). All of these bits are a winter wonderland during Christmas-- a forest of pine trees are blanketed in snow and twinkling Christmas lights are hung on the cabins. It's truly magical, even if you do nothing but take in nature's views. Stay tuned for more specific travel recommendations on this region in my upcoming Canada guides!

EUROPE

AMSTERDAM

With beautiful architecture and idyllic canals, Amsterdam is picture-perfect year round. But at Christmas? There is even more that makes this destination magical. For ice skating, head to Museumplein (pictured above) or Leidseplein (where you'll also find some Christmas markets). You can also check out the Amsterdam Light Festival, which takes place from the end of November until mid-January every year.)

AUSTRIA

I actually haven't been to Austria (yet) but couldn't leave this destination off my list because I'm told it is one of the best destinations in the world at Christmas! Much like neighboring Germany, most towns in Austria will have a Christkindlmarket (Christmas market) anywhere from late November or early December where they sell Christmas decorations, festive food and Glühwein. The largest celebrations and festivities will be in cities like Vienna, Innsbruck and Salzburg, but there will be beauty to see all over the country!

BELGIUM

I was in Brussels last year during Christmas and fell in love with this city. The fact that Belgian waffles and Belgian chocolate is plentiful any time of year makes this a great place to visit no matter when you decide to go, but it's exceptionally wonderful at Christmas. They also have an incredible Christmas market filled with delicious foods and drinks (probably my favorite options of any one I've ever been to!) Be sure to head to the Grand Place (the main square in Brussels) at night for an incredible light show that will blow you away!

GERMANY

Germany is kind of the OG when it comes to Christmas markets, so you have to pop in and see them for yourself sometime during this season! Haley and I visited Cologne last year in November and we were so sad because we had JUST missed their Christmas markets! (See above for photos- it looks stunning!) I'm told pretty much the entire country, everywhere form Berlin to Munich to Frankfurt is all lit up and bustling with some of the best Christmas markets in the world. 

 

 

LONDON

I already wrote an entire blog post on Christmas in London here, but it's worth repeating that you HAVE to visit this city at Christmas at some point in your life! It's simply the most magical place this time of year... I truly doubt there is any place that's more festive!

Have you been somewhere else around the world that does Christmas well? Let me know in the comments below. 

Stay tuned because before the year ends, I'll be sharing one more post with my picks for the top trips of 2017!

Wishing you and yours a very, Merry Christmas and safe travels wherever you may be heading to celebrate!

xx

Whitney

WHAT TO DO IN LONDON AT CHRISTMAS TIME

The Christmas season can be magical no matter where you are in the world. Scents of pine + peppermint, twinkling lights at every turn and carols sung full of hope + joy have a way of making everything around you seem more lovely than usual. Yet even still, there are certain destinations around the globe that really turn things up a notch and make the most wonderful time of the year even more wonderful. Call me biased, by my favorite of all is London.

Whether living there or just popping in for a quick visit, I've been in London for the past four Christmas seasons. Over the years, I've been able to not only experience a lot of festive activities, but also learn a lot about holiday traditions on this side of the pond. 

So whether you're a London local, visiting for the first time, or simply making a wishlist in your head for a trip in the future, here are my favorite bits you can't miss in lovely London during the Christmas season.

GO FOR A FESTIVE HIGH TEA AT THE DORCHESTER

I’ve been to high tea in London dozens of times over the years, but I especially love indulging in this British tradition during the magic of Christmas. And while there are loads of wonderful places you can enjoy this experience, my personal favorite this time of year is at The Dorchester (complete with festive-inspired menus and live music). Their holiday decor is exceptional and they offer one of the most top-notch traditional high tea experiences you’ll find in the entire city of London.

DRINK MULLED WINE IN AN IGLOO BY THE THAMES AT COPPA CLUB

Dining in igloos seems to be a trend popping up in major cities across the globe. I've seen these in New York and Chicago (even in Nashville now too!) but my favorite have been the ones at Coppa Club in London. The concept of cozying up in a heated space that's romantically lit is already enough to entice you, but these have beautiful views of Tower Bridge. You can order food, or simply sip on some mulled wine (my favorite warm beverage of the holiday season: which is red wine simmered with cinnamon, cloves, orange and sometimes brandy). 

UPDATE: This has become an exceptionally popular activity and books up for the entire season as soon as reservations are released in October- so you’ll want to plan far in advance if you’re wanting to add this to your list!

SEE THE CHRISTMAS DISPLAYS AT LONDON DEPARTMENT STORES LIKE SELFRIDGE'S, FORTNUM & MASON, HARROD'S AND LIBERTY LONDON

Photos c/o Victoria Metaxas

Paying a visit to these London-specific department stores is something you should do on any trip (for a variety of reasons), but especially at Christmas. From the spread of Christmas treats in each respective food hall to the gorgeous, intricately detailed window displays to the seasonal shopping available inside- Christmas is taken to a new level at London department stores. 

GO ICE SKATING AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OR SOMERSET HOUSE

Outdoor ice skating rinks are always so fun no matter where you are this time of year, and London has loads of them! From Tower of London to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park (more about that in a minute) to the rooftop Skylight rink in Tobacco Dock and countless others, I’d argue the two very best rinks are at Somerset House and the Natural History Museum. Both are set against an idyllic backdrop and offer vendors that sell mulled wine, hot chocolate and other seasonal treats. Aim to go during the week if possible, as weekends will be much more crowded (and buy tickets in advance to avoid a long line/queue).

SEE THE CHRISTMAS TREE IN TRAFALGAR SQUARE

In NYC, the Christmas tree to see is in Rockefeller Plaza. In London? Head to Trafalgar Square. Last year while living in London it was so fun to go to the ceremony for the lighting of the tree to sing carols and celebrate the Christmas season (you can check the Visit London site each year for details on when the ceremony is the year you're going). Even if you're not around for the illumination, it's still worth walking by at night to see the tree in person. 

STROLL THROUGH THE CITY + ENJOY THE COUNTLESS LIGHTS

ANNABEL’S MAYFAIR

THE IVY, CHELSEA GARDEN

BOND STREET

COVENT GARDEN

Strolling is probably my favorite thing to in London anyway, but it's especially wonderful at Christmas. I've never seen people go all out decorating for the season as I have Londoners. Walk along Regent Street + Oxford Street for beautiful, twinkling lights hanging overhead every year without fail. Carnaby (one of my favorite areas) has a different theme every year (this year it’s been transformed with a Bohemian-Rhapsody theme). Covent Garden will always have a massive tree, along with plenty of other festive decorations. Bond Street, home to some of London's most posh retailers, always has equally glamorous holiday lights and decor that will seriously impress you (hence the massive bow on the Cartier storefront). And of course, there's Seven Dials- whose cobbled streets, surrounded by shops and restaurants, is especially charming when lit up at Christmas. Similar to the illumination for Trafalgar Square's Christmas tree, each of these respective areas has a ceremony when the lights come on (and if attending doesn't put you in the holiday spirit, you're truly a Grinch). And if all that strolling made you hungry, head over to The Ivy Chelsea Garden for some more festive decor along with your tasty meal.

 

 

WINTER WONDERLAND

This massive Christmas festival (probably the largest in all of London) has been around for 13 years now and is packed with everything you can imagine: from rides to ice skating to food and Christmas vendors to shows and everything in between. Whether you're going with kids, on a date or with your friends, it offers plenty of entertainment in a variety of forms. Haley and I went for Thanksgiving a couple years ago, but it was a Thursday night and more on the crowded side, so we just walked around and sipped mulled wine (then we went back on a Tuesday during the day and had all the rides to ourselves!) While food, drinks and rides will obviously cost, admission into the park area is free so it's definitely worth walking around at the very least to see what it's all about. 

 

SOUTHBANK CHRISTMAS MARKET

I adore walking along the Southbank anytime of year (you may remember me recommending this from my weekend in London post). It offers some of the best views of The Globe theatre, St. Paul's Cathedral, Millennium Bridge, Tate Modern Art, and of course, The London Eye and Big Ben. And this time of year? It's occupied by a quintessential European Christmas market- complete with waffle vendors, mulled wine, festive lights and countless of other seasonal attractions you'll love to browse through. It's typically open from 10am to 10pm so you can pop by anytime of the day, really- no excuse to not go!

TRY MINCED PIES, CHRISTMAS PUDDING + OPEN CHRISTMAS CRACKERS

I loved learning about British Christmas traditions while living in London! It's fun to not only enjoy them while you're there, but I loved bringing them home with me to incorporate into my own family Christmas. Some of my favorites include: 

MINCED PIES:  Early mince pies were made of meat, fruit and spice and inspired by Middle Eastern cuisine (although you rarely see actual meat in them today- more just fruit and spices). They commonly had 13 ingredients representing Christ and the Apostles, and were formed in a large oval shape to represent the manger. They are simply delicious, and sold all over the city (my favorite place to buy them is from the London department stores I mentioned above. 

CHRISTMAS CRACKERS:  London sweet-maker Tom Smith invented Christmas crackers in the late 1840s. A cracker consists of a segmented cardboard tube wrapped in a brightly decorated twist of paper with a prize in the central chamber, making it resemble an oversized piece of candy. The cracker is pulled apart by two people, each holding an outer chamber, causing the cracker to split unevenly and leaving one person holding the central chamber and prize. The "prize" usually contains a paper crown, a joke or any variety of fun trinkets. If you're dining at a restaurant in London around Christmas, don't be surprised if you see a table full of people wearing their paper crowns from a cracker! 

CHRISTMAS PUDDING: To explain this, you must first know that "pudding" is a term in the UK that basically means dessert. So a Christmas pudding, therefore is a style of Christmas dessert- typically consisting of dried fruits held together by egg and suet, sometimes moistened by molasses and flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and other spices. The pudding is usually aged for a month or more, or even a year, and contains a high alcohol content to prevent it from spoiling during this time. Not sold on the idea? Head to Borough Market where you can sample them from various vendors (I tried my first one here and loved it so much, I bought one to bring back to my family). 

MULLED WINE: Mulled wine dates back to the 2nd century in Europe and can be found using a variety of recipes (and called a variety of names like Glögi or Glühwein) depending where you are. In the UK, it's referred to as mulled wine and is essentially just red wine along with various mulling spices (obviously, served warm). It's the perfect thing to drink while bundled up out in the cold and browsing through Christmas markets (but really, it's great to drink for any occasion this time of year!)

There's probably much more I'm forgetting, but by now you likely don't need any more convincing why London is such a wonderful place to be during the Christmas season! What other things do you love to see + do in the city this time of year? Or what other destinations have you found to be magical at Christmas? Tell me in the comments below!

Thanks as always for stopping by!

xx

Whitney

What you ACTUALLY need this Holiday Season

This morning I turned on the TV to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade like I've done almost every year.  I won't explain my frustration for all the Black Friday adverts or holiday hysteria that seems to drown out what should be the sentiment of today... because sadly it's not anything we're not used to at this point.  Consumerism has been creeping up on Thanksgiving for years now, and we’ve all kind of become numb to it.

But what really has been bumming me out isn't just that Thanksgiving is being robbed, it's the obsession with materialism as a whole. At the risk of sounding self-righteous, I’ve experienced somewhat of a personal transformation in the last couple of years. Perhaps living out of a suitcase made me pause to reconsider how very little we actually need to survive, but I just can’t help but think that it’s not really worth the time or money or stress we put ourselves through every single year to buy things like candles or lipstick.

Don’t get me wrong— I think gifts can be a great way to show thoughtfulness to someone you love. And burning a great candle or getting a new lipstick are hardly sins- so by all means, enjoy them! But buying someone something they don’t really need (or sometimes, even really want) simply out of obligation I think is missing the point. And at the end of the day, I think we could all benefit from pausing before purchasing and asking “Do I actually need this?"

So as we're all tempted by the sales happening this weekend (there are some really great ones) I'd just encourage you to be a bit more mindful about what you and the people you love actually need this year rather than buying stuff just because it's a good price. Need some inspiration for smarter shopping? These are some items I genuinely believe are wise purchases that everyone needs (even when you're living out of a suitcase and can only carry the absolute essentials). 

A WARM COAT

Okay, maybe not if you live in a sub-tropic climate… but for most of us at some point every year we need a proper coat to keep us warm in frigid temperatures. You can’t go wrong with a classic black down coat- and it doesn’t have to be expensive either. I’ve had my Michael Kors one like this (which is currently on sale) for over 4 years now and I still wear it almost every day in the winter- whether I’m dressed up or in gym clothes. 

Michael Kors Coat

These picks are from NORDSTROM, which currently has an extra 20% OFF selected sale items, FREE shipping + FREE returns from 11/24 – 11/2. 

These are some other good, classic coat options from J CREW that are 40% OFF now until 11/26.

GOOD TRAINERS

Whether you work out often or not, we all need a good pair of trainers for days that we're on the go or walking a long distance (or if you just want to go easy on your feet). I lived in these Nike Lunar Apparent Women's Running Shoes (which are currently on sale) this year- whether running on the treadmill or walking around London or anywhere else in the world. I suggest the black + white because they give a neutral look you can wear not just with athleisure, but any casual outfit really. 

Now at NIKE: Take an extra 25% off sales from 11/21 – 11/28

A JOURNAL

This may seem like it falls in the category of “fluff” or something we don’t really need… but I’d argue a journal is one of the best ways we can practice mindfulness. I never travel anywhere without mine- and I actually carry a few of them. One for prayer + practicing gratitude. One for recording memories and the names of places I visit when I travel so I don’t ever forget those precious details. And a third for jotting down work notes, to-do lists and general organization. Gifting someone a journal when they’re about to go on a big trip or if they’re going through a difficult season may be the sweetest thing you can give them. Write a note on the front cover that shares your intention or what your hope for them to get out of it is. 

I could keep going, but there are lots of other needs that are really just going to vary according to each individual person. For me, I genuinely need really great luggage and travel accessories for how often I'm on the go (see below). For someone who hosts lots of dinner parties, they'd need quality dishes and kitchen gear. My point is just that we don't all need everything.  

 

If you have some other specific items you may need, here are some sales to be aware of while you search:

J CREW | 40% OFF EVERYTHING

DATE: 11/21 – 11/26

MADEWELL | 25% OFF EVERYTHING

DATE: 11/21 – 11/26

NORDSTROM // Cyber Monday at NORDSTROM! Extra 20% OFF selected sale items. FREE shipping. FREE returns.

DATE: 11/24 – 11/2

ANN TAYLOR // 50% Off Everything with code: THANKFUL.

DATE: 11/22 – 11/24

ASOS // Black Friday Weekend- 30% off Everything

DATE: 11/22 – 11/28

CODE: EPIC30

NIKE //Take an extra 25% off sales

DATE: 11/21 – 11/28

REVOLVE //Take up to 50% off sale styles

DATE: starting 11/23

SHOPBOP // Get 20% off orders of $200 + .25% off orders of $500+ and 30% off orders of $800 or more with code MORE17 at Shopbop

DATE: 11/21 – 11/26

TOPSHOP //Save up to 50% off + Free Worldwide Shipping

DATE: 11/22 – 11/27

OTHER RETAILERS YOU MAY SHOP FROM:

WALMART

TARGET

MACY'S

SEPHORA

ANTHROPOLOGIE 

While I've shared some material things you may need and some places you can shop for great deals right now, what I really want to encourage is that you get creative and find ways to share more experiences with the people you love this holiday season. I personally have found experiences with my people to be the most valuable things in my life. They beat out the nicest material things I've ever owned and can never be taken away from me. 

I won't tell you what you should value because I certainly don't expect everyone to love travel the way that I do. But maybe just focus in on your "thing" instead of trying to do all the other things too. If you and our friends love music, prioritize gifting concert tickets. If it's being at home, consider hosting a holiday dinner party for the people you love. Do the people you love go crazy for a good meal? Take them to an epic restaurant or sign up for cooking classes together. 

Whatever it is, think about the ways you can experience the sweetness life has to offer, not just the stuff. Sure, it sounds cliché, but life really is about the memories you make with the people you love. So pause and consider what memories you want to make and with who-- then focus on that this season. 

What experiences are you thankful for and how do you plan to incorporate them into your holiday season?

I hope everyone has an amazing Thanksgiving filled with good food, time with family and countless reasons to be thankful!

xx

Whitney