Plan Your New England Winter Vacation

Although Christmas has come and gone we know that creating yearly traditions is essential.

Every Christmas we look forward to our annual tradition of spending Christmas in New England.

There is something just so magical about Christmas there. We love spending time with family and friends as well as the nostalgia and the rich history of the area.

Driving by colonial homes with windows lit by candlelight, the first light dusting of snow, and the way quaint storefronts sparkle with decorated windows. It’s a total dream right out of a Hallmark movie. Gas lanterns twinkle and line the brick-covered streets of small businesses. Their old wooden doors were decorated with wreaths and ribbon. Every detail is charming and not lost on me.

Living in Florida now I’ve come to appreciate it even more.

We have begun creating some holiday traditions while we are there that we love to share with you to book for the new year. Keep it in your bucket list or future plans as it’s a magical place for family.

We stay in or around our previous hometown of Dartmouth MA. It’s conveniently situated an hour from Boston and just a short 25-minute drive to Rhode Island where we love to frequent.

A must during the holiday season is visiting the Newport Mansions in Rhode Island. These stunning mansions of the Gilded Era get decked out for the holidays and do not disappoint.

Buy Tickets in Advance.

Hang out in Newport for some holiday shopping at Bowens Wharf a harborfront shopping center. It’s quite magical to see the boat lit on the water in the evening and the lit-up streets and stores. Stop at the Chandler Inn at Cliff Walk for their hot chocolate bar.

Davoll General Store is a family tradition. They have a cafe, bookstore, shop and play area for kids. We usually eat lunch and grab a coffee while Savannah orders a hot chocolate we then browse the books and store and sit by their fire. They have a piano Savannah loves to play.

Another festive way to celebrate is to go see the Nutcracker on stage at Providence holds shows every year and it’s a really special way to celebrate the holidays as a family. We were able to see The Nutcracker this year in Sarasota and Savannah loved it!

On Christmas Eve we always bake homemade cookies with friends or family for Santa. Here is a simple sugar cookie recipe

My all-time favorite is Groundswell, a charming place to visit for breakfast, lunch, coffee, and shopping. The atmosphere is something straight out of Europe with a slight southern touch, and the food is excellent and fresh.

Sledding or tubing is a must visiting New England Potato Hill on Hixbridge Road in Westport is the perfect sleeping or tubing hill. The road is picturesque and gives way to the perfect winter drive.

All you'd need to do is take the Hixbridge exit off of Route 88. You can't miss it. Your directions would be 93/128 south to Rte 24 south. Take Rte 24 to the end and then take Rte 195 East. Take your 2nd exit which will be Rte 88. Go down about 3 or 4 traffic lights and turn left onto Hixbridge Rd. Go over the bridge and up the hill. Potato Hill is on your right.