Page 30 - AAA Every Day – AAA Hudson Valley – November/December 2021

TRAVELER’S GUIDE
Asheville, North Carolina
The largest city in western North Carolina, Asheville usually makes it on any list that deals with towns that celebrate Christmas because of the one-two punch of the Biltmore House and the annual tradition of Christmas Dinner at The Omni Grove Park Inn.
Built in the late 1800s for George Washington Vanderbilt II, the Biltmore House is the
largest privately owned house in the
United States, with more than 135,000
square feet of living area. During
the holidays, the historic museum is decorated with more than 100 Christmas trees adorned with more than 25,000 ornaments and 11⁄2 miles of garland. You also will see thousands of poinsettias and other plants, 500 wreaths and a 35-foot live Fraser fir in the Banquet Hall. Christmas at Biltmore runs from Nov. 5 through Jan. 9, 2022, and tickets are required.
Over at The Omni Grove Park Inn, the
29th Annual National Gingerbread House Competition will be held Nov. 22, and the winning creations will be
on display Nov. 28-Jan. 2, 2022. That means if you are headed to the Grove Park Inn for one of its holiday meals (Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s), you will be able to see the final products. But make your reservations soon, since these events usually fill quickly.
And while you are in town, don’t miss the North Carolina Arboretum’s annual Winter Lights show, returning Nov.
19 through Jan. 1, 2022, converting the gardens into a fairyland with more than half a million lights.
Skiing in Vermont
Again, when lists come out that mention small towns and holidays, Woodstock, Vermont, usually appears. This is good because you also can ski here.
The Woodstock Inn & Resort Suicide Six Ski Area opened the first rope tow in 1936 when the resort opened. Why the strange name? Apparently, a ski
John T. Garcia is Managing Editor of AAA Every Day.
©Biltmore
instructor at the time, Wallace “Bunny” Bertram, said that to ski down the steep incline of Hill No. 6 would be suicide. The resort offers skiing and snowboarding and rents equipment if you don’t feel like hauling yours around.
Cross-country skiing also is an option in these parts, as is skate skiing. For skate skiing, you need a firmer snow surface and the skier pushes alternating skis away from one another at an angle, similar to ice skating.
With more than 4,000 acres and 16 ski lifts, Sugarbush Resort is one of the largest ski resorts in New England. It offers skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing for a variety
of levels as a full-service resort with a sales and repair shop in Warren, Vermont.
About 60 miles south of Sugarbush, in Ludlow, you will find the Okemo Mountain Resort. This past summer significant upgrades were made to its lift system, making it quicker to access Okemo’s 121 trails, slopes and glades. The resort is known for a vertical drop of 2,200 feet, claiming to be the highest in southern Vermont.
No matter where you end up this holiday season, your AAA Travel Advisor can help make it magical and memorable.
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30 I NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021