The Best Thanksgiving Getaways to Enjoy This Holiday Season

Some of the best places to enjoy a Thanksgiving getaway are the places that still whisper of the changing leaves.

So, here’s the game plan: find a glorious Airbnb or VRBO, fill the fridge with endless supplies, light a few candles for the table, arrange a few autumnal flowers as the centerpiece, and let the magic of the season unfold.

Stowe, VT

If we’re taking aim at areas that put on the most showstopping display of fall leaves, we simply must head to the Northeast.

Stowe, VT will check every box – a picturesque Hallmark town, the last of the lingering leaves, and the delicious hint of snow in the air.

As the Green Mountains wrap around you and your family, you can easily fill your table with farm-to-table foods from the area as you savor the freshest, most delightful Thanksgiving meal.

Bar Harbor, ME 

Delightful little harbor towns like Bar Harbor are closer to their off-season around Thanksgiving. Some of our favorite shops even begin to close for the winter, but not all.

Here, too, you can find a beautiful Airbnb by the water, fill up the fridge with goods from the local markets, light a few candles on those misty mornings, and prepare a meal that you’ll always remember.

Best of all, since it’s the off-season, you’ll also feel like you have all of Acadia National Park to yourself when you walk off your meal the next day.

New York, NY

If crowds invigorate, instead of frighten, you, then a trip to NYC for Thanksgiving is a no-brainer. On Thanksgiving Day, the crowds gather on Fifth Avenue bright and early – and the air never ceases to feel electrifying.

Pack a thermos full of tea, stake your claim on a small section of Fifth (preferably near a coffee shop you’ll patronize because it has easy access to a bathroom), and wait for the magic.

Santa makes his appearance at the end of the parade, signaling the official kickoff of the season of joy.

Lake Placid, NY

Way up north, you can also consider Lake Placid for your Thanksgiving getaway. It’s a charming town that packs a mighty punch, given its ability to host the Olympics not once, but twice, in the 20th century.

Mirror Lake will enchant you, perfectly trimmed by mountainscapes, as will a stroll down Main Street. Best of all, because it’s so far up the line, there may even be a little bit of snow to decorate your Thanksgiving festivities.