Give your holly jolly holiday season a jolt of dashing-through-the-snow zest.
Instead of parking yourself under the mistletoe again, pack up and hit the roadways to experience all the action winter has to offer in offbeat, outdoor locations.
To help alleviate the traveling pressure of picking a quick winter getaway, here are three Southern stops to sightsee, stay and play to close out 2020 and usher in the new year:
Toccoa Falls and Currahee Military Museum
Only an hour and a half from Atlanta, the Northeast Georgia mountain city of Toccoa rests in an area known for rich military heritage and one of the tallest waterfalls: Toccoa Falls.
The 186-foot-high cascade is on the campus of wooded, 1,100-acre Toccoa Falls College. After touring this landmark location and campus, travel back in time to World War II by way of the city’s military museum. This historical draw features memorabilia from that period and stories from Camp Toccoa, which is where more than 18,000 young men trained as paratroopers during the early 1940s. Camp Toccoa also became the inspiration behind HBO’s award-winning TV miniseries “Band of Brothers.”
Attraction Costs: Museum admission is $10, adults; $5, students; $9, seniors 65-and-up and retired military; and free for children ages 8 and under, along with active military and society members. Toccoa Falls admission is $2, adults; $1, seniors; $6, families of four or more; and free for children ages 6 and under. The museum will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Beech Mountain TDA
Credit: Photo courtesy of Beech Mountain TDA
Beech Mountain Resort in North Carolina
Cold weather vacationers will love this winter wonderland. Known as the coolest town in North Carolina, it’s the highest municipality in the Eastern United States with an elevation of 5,506 feet. By car, this snow white escape will take you about five hours.
Beech Mountain is also known for its living adaptation of "The Wonderful World of Oz" in theme park form. Although the "Autumn at Oz" attraction is primarily open during the summer and fall months, it's interesting to know the Yellow Brick Road and Emerald City are in the vicinity of ample winter sports to try: skiing, skating, tubing, snowshoeing and sledding from mid-November to mid-March.
For Beech Mountain Resort rental prices, click here.
Hernando de Soto State Archaeological Site in Tallahassee, Florida
Road trip to the exact place believed to hold the first Christmas celebration in North America. Hernando de Soto State Archaeological Site is about 4½ hours from Atlanta.
The winter encampment at Tallahassee's Governor Martin House is home to archaeological evidence that verifies the De Soto expedition camped in Florida's capital state. There's even a first Christmas painting that depicts the observance. Follow up this legendary quest with holiday shopping since Tallahassee is known for its upscale and bargain shops and shows as well.
Attraction Costs: Free and open to the public during daylight hours Monday through Friday
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