Top 5 Thanksgiving Vacation Spots

Hey sunkissed moms! Anyone taking a vacation tomorrow? If so where are you headed? We're loving short vacations this holiday season and wanted to highlight our top 5 vacations spots for a short Thanksgiving get-away.

5. San Diego, CA


There are so many things to do over the Thanksgivign holiday in San Diego but the Mother Goose Parade is the biggest of all. It's considered the unofficial start of the holiday season in San Diego. So, what better way to head into Thanksgiving week than to attend a parade? The Mother Goose Parade is a San Diego institution and attracts upwards of 400,000 spectators along the streets of El Cajon. The 2009 event takes place on Sunday, Nov. 22. The parade begins at 10 a.m.

You can also par take in Ice Skating By The Sea. The Hotel del Coronado is pleased to offer a unique Southern California experience – outdoor ice skating overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The oceanfront Windsor Lawn will be transformed into a spectacular ice rink with skating sessions offered daily. November 25 – December 18: Daily: 2pm - 5pm & 6pm - 9pm; weekend & holiday matinee: 11am - 1pm. December 19 - January 3: Daily: 2pm - 5pm & 6pm - 9pm; daily matinee: 11am - 1pm. Three-hour sessions cost $20 for adults and $15* for kids (ages 10 years and under); two-hour matinee sessions cost $15 for adults and $10* for kids (ages 10 years and under). Skate rental is $5 per person.

4. Vail, CO
If you want to real thing and can't take the fake snow that San Diego has to offer head on up to Colorado and check out the ski slopes of Vail.

The Vail ski season officially kicks off in mid-November, and ski bums the world over are hoping for another year of spectacular snow conditions. This means snow bunnies can head West for the holiday and hit the slopes to work off those extra Turkey Day carbs. With 5,289 acres of terrain available, including superb back bowls, you’ll have plenty of wide stretches and untouched trails to schuss on. Besides the exciting mountain possibilities, the picturesque snow-covered town also offers notable restaurants, lodgings, and fashionable boutiques to charm you off the pistes as well. One of America’s favorite winter retreats doesn’t come cheap mind you, but you can capitalize on season-starter lift packages that will save you a few bucks to use towards your holiday shopping.

3.Phoenix & Scottsdale, AZ
Can't take the cold and want to thaw out before we hibernate for winter, then head to the warm southwest of Arizona.


Thanksgiving celebrates a legendary dinner between Pilgrims and Indians – why not tip your hat to America’s original inhabitants this Thanksgiving and head to Arizona, where the ubiquitous presence of ruins and reservations hold living tribute to the nation’s Native American past. Lively Phoenix makes for a good home base, boasting such jewels as the Heard Museum, housing a wonderful Native American art and archaeology collection that highlights works by indigenous peoples of the Southwest – Navajos, Hopis, and Apaches – many of whom still reside on nearby reservations. It’s also a great base to head out on a local road trip along the legendary Apache Trail, a 40-plus-mile route marked by breathtaking scenery, ghost towns, and ancient Indian ruins. Meanwhile, the posh resort city of neighboring Scottsdale offers such diversions as Western-themed Old Town Scottsdale, a good spot to pick up turquoise jewelry and Navajo rugs. Even the local “pamper-me” spa culture reflects the area’s Native American heritage and desert setting; get smothered in an adobe clay body mask or exfoliated with a cactus-and-aloe-infused scrub at an area spa.

2. Orlando, FL


Thanksgiving in the sun! For those looking to have an authentic Thanksgiving without having to cope with the cold winds of New England then head to sunny Florida for that perfect Thanksgiving escape. What better place to spend the holiday than a trip for the kids (and the big kid in you!) to Disneyworld. Thanksgiving is one of the best times to visit with late opening hours, parades, special displays and millions of sparkling lights. If cartoon characters don't appeal you can always spend thanksgiving discovering what the magical world of the ocean has to offer at SeaWorld.

1. New York City


For the biggest Thanksgiving event in the country, head to New York City for its annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. At 9am each Turkey Day, over 10,000 Macy employees and volunteers meet at 77th and Central Park West to begin their march, which will head down a new route on 7th Avenue this year (the first time in its 82-year history that it's veered off-Broadway). It’s a fantastical procession filled with colorful floats, marching bands, and at least a dozen giant helium balloons – to the delight of the some 3 million spectators that come out to watch from the sidelines. If you’re at home basting the turkey instead, stay tuned to the spectacle on television; this is one American pageant that’s bound to please.