Family holiday ideas
By Michelle Rae Uy
Thanksgiving feast at Hotel Irvine (Courtesy Hotel Irvine)
There’s definitely something extra festive about spending your family Thanksgiving somewhere cold as you bundle up in your favorite winter sweaters while roasting that perfect turkey, but it’s also fun to switch things up for the holidays from time to time. Consider one of these five warm destinations for this year’s Thanksgiving with the kids and your holiday season might just be more memorable than the last.
(MORE: 6 Cool (but a Little Weird) Thanksgiving Getaways)
A Thanksgiving Potluck in Southern California
What: A Thanksgiving Potluck awaits families at Eats Kitchen & Bar, Hotel Irvine’s innovative restaurant, on November 26, 2015 from 5 pm to 9 pm.
What’s Included: Cozy up in front of a fire pit and experience culinary traditions from around the world while still enjoying that traditional Thanksgiving feast with the family at Hotel Irvine’s inventive Eats Kitchen & Bar, all for just $45 per person. Combine this with the hotel’s SoCal Holiday Escape package and a visit to Disneyland for its holiday offerings, and you and your kids are in for a festive Thanksgiving holiday, California-style.
A Thanksgiving Cruise in Newport Beach, CA
Enjoy a Thanksgiving Buffet Dinner Cruise with Hornblower Cruises (Unsplash: Asiya Kiev)
What: A Thanksgiving Buffet Dinner Cruise takes families around Newport Harbor to see it sparkle with holiday lights on November 26 from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm.
What’s Included: Spend an idyllic three-hour Thanksgiving Day cruise with the family aboard a Hornblower ship, completely with a glass of champagne upon boarding, live entertainment from a solo entertainer, beautiful views of Newport Harbor as it sparkles with holiday lights, and, of course, a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, buffet-style. Kids under 3 cruise FREE. Prices at $86 per adult and $52.40 per child age 4-12.
A Thanksgiving Getaway in Fajardo, Puerto Rico
Family on Palomino Island, El Conquistador’s private island (Unsplash: Amber Faust)
What: A sunny getaway at El Conquistador and Las Casitas Village in lush Puerto Rico has all the trimmings of a festive Thanksgiving, treating families to a fun-filled holiday under the sun.
What’s Included: From November 26 through November 29, the celebrated sister properties will make Thanksgiving a whole lot jollier with offerings that include holiday-themed games like a potato sack race and coconut relay (on private island, Palomino Island) and pumpkin roll (at the Coqui Water Park), dive-in movies, campfire s’mores, holiday bingo and arts & crafts, and a three-course Thanksgiving dinner at the Chops Steakhouse. Top it off with the seasonal Autumn Harvest Facial and Body Scrub, and it’s the perfect sunny holiday getaway. Thanksgiving rates start at $199 at El Conquistador Resort and $269 at Las Casitas Village.
An All-Inclusive Thanksgiving Holiday in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Enjoy an all-inclusive Thanksgiving vacation in Velas Vallarta (Courtesy Velas Vallarta)
What: At the beautiful, hacienda-style Velas Vallarta, the Thanksgiving package takes all-inclusive to a festive level from November 26 to November 29, 2015.
What’s Included: Enjoy an all-inclusive Thanksgiving with the kids in affordable luxury at Velas Vallarta in year-round sunny destination, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, thanks to the beachfront property’s Thanksgiving Package. The package includes a private turkey dinner in suite, 2 bottles of sparkling wine, an hour-long private waiter service, round trip transportation and a cultural tour of the charming downtown Puerto Vallarta. Rates start at $227 per person based on quadruple occupancy in a 2-bedroom suite, book by November 20.
(MORE: Must Avoid Popular Winter Destinations… And Where to Go Instead)
An Island-Inspired Thanksgiving Feast in Captiva Island, Florida
Family at South Seas Island Resort (Photo: Paula Bendfeldt-Diaz)
What: The South Seas Island Resort in ever-warm Florida is also hosting a fun-filled Thanksgiving holiday for families. From November 25 through November 28, 2015, the family-friendly, the resort is offering a plethora of holiday-themed activities for the whole family.
What’s Included: A pie-eating competition, a Turkey Trot beach walk, Hermit Crab Racing Bowl, an archery challenge, a glow-in-the-dark Glow Volleyball, s’mores, and an interactive Turkey Bowl football challenge join the catalog of kid-friendly activities the Captiva Island resort offers families this Thanksgiving season. And on Thanksgiving Day, the resort’s Thanksgiving Day Celebration Feast will blend traditional Thanksgiving offerings with island-inspired dishes. Thanksgiving weekend rates start at $299.
Michelle Rae Uy contributed this to MiniTime. She is a travel writer based in Los Angeles and MiniTime’s Head of Content, who spends her free time on adventures and film photography.
