For some travelers, a winter getaway means days at the beach or poolside, sipping fruity cocktails in the tropical heat of Mexico or Aruba or Miami Beach.
But for those looking for something a bit different, cooler weather locales can also be fun and relaxing trips to consider.
Here are two quite different options for a winter vacation.
Sedona’s Seasonal Charms
Long famous for its dramatic red rock landscape, Sedona is an easy (and scenic) two-hour drive north of Phoenix. We’d never been in the off-season, but there’s plenty to do here, even in the cooler months, when you may see snow dusting the top of the buttes.
The brand-new Mountain Modern Sedona, which opened in April 2025, was our home base, and we loved the property from the start. Similar to Palm Springs’ many funky, luxe motels, this has a condo feel. Our spacious room featured a stunning oversized local photograph behind the headboards, a gas fireplace, and a second-floor balcony overlooking the red rocks.
There’s a nice outdoor pool, a park next door where yoga classes are held, and an exercise facility with modern equipment. Other regular resort activities include live music, meditation and breath work, origami crafts, and crystal bowl sound baths.
The cozy lobby of Mountain Modern Sedona with The Den restaurant in the background. (Photo Credit: Photo by Paul J. Heney.)
The Den, the cozy on-property restaurant, was a favorite of ours. Breakfast standouts were the vanilla Greek yogurt with local Arizona honey and fresh berries, and the croissant breakfast sandwich with a delightful raspberry jalapeno jam. As well, the chocolate chili latte is a must-try!
We got outside to see some of the scenery, too. While there’s hiking aplenty in town, we opted for something a bit different. We used Tripadvisor to book a two-hour Soldier Pass trail in an open-air Jeep, which was easy and painless. I’ve often used the site for its insightful reviews before, and having them right there when reserving was quite convenient.
Our guide on the two-hour Soldier Pass Jeep tour in Sedona that we booked through Tripadvisor (Photo Credit: Photo by Paul J. Heney.)
Our private tour wove through some rugged off-road landscapes, which was half the fun. While bumping up and down and sideways on this guided tour, we found ourselves laughing and holding on to the padded supports on occasion. We visited the Seven Pools and the enormous sinkhole at Devil’s Kitchen. Our guide was well-versed in the information on all the plants and local wildlife, as well as some of the area’s history. He pointed out spots for the perfect photograph and stopped a few times to take photos of us in front of some stunning backdrops.
Getting Active Up North
Whitehorse is the capital of Canada’s expansive Yukon Territory, home to 14 First Nations communities. Their origin stories describe the beginning of time when Raven, Earth Mother, and other beings made the world safe for humans.
Today, Whitehorse is one of the friendliest places I’ve visited, and the city of less than 40,000 is absolutely brimming with outdoor adventures, even in the coldest weather. To keep our luggage manageable, we rented cold-weather gear from THE BASE, a brilliant concept where all our polar gear was waiting for us at our hotel.
Speaking of hotels, we tried out several in the area, all lovely in their own ways. The brand-new Hyatt Place in downtown opened last August and was the most elevated I’ve seen of that brand, with a cozy lobby area and incredible local artwork.
A little outside of town, we stayed in a cozy eco-friendly cabin in the woods, part of Yukon Black Spruce. Super modern, we were sent the door code ahead of time, like with many Airbnbs, so there’s no need for a lobby or check-in desk. And about 90 minutes south of town, the fantastic Southern Lakes Resort & Restaurant is a magical world of its own, with darling log cabins set along the lakeshore, an inviting main restaurant (and great cuisine!), and unbelievable mountain views.
Flightseeing, with Alpine Aviation, was a thrilling two-hour journey across the southern lakes region and Llewellyn Glacier. We rode in a Cessna 206 with expert pilot Max, flying over countless snowcapped mountains, viewing glaciers and an ice field, and even spotting a few caribou marching across the wintry landscape. Words don’t do this experience justice, and it’s so different from seeing mountains from a commercial jet—we stayed at about 7,000 feet, meaning we were eye to eye with many of the craggy peaks.
Dramatic peaks and the Llewellyn Glacier as seen during our flightseeing excursion. (Photo Credit: Photo by Paul J. Heney.)
Dogsledding is popular here, and we enjoyed a four-hour tour right from our cabin, booked through the Southern Lakes Resort. Musher Sara, originally from Belgium, loved the dogs as much as they adored her, and my husband and I took turns sitting in the basket and standing on the rear sled. The experience is electrifying, as the excited dogs howl and then you’re off, with them falling silent as they race through the Boreal forests, past frozen lakes, and under towering peaks. We stopped halfway through for a hot lunch and then returned to our cabin, making for a memorable day.
Auroras, the famed northern lights, are a mainstay here and attract many tourists. We took two tours, a larger one through Northern Tales, owned by Emily and Aaron, and a private one through North Country Adventures, owned by Kyle, who also runs fishing excursions.
Both tours were excellent, with the larger one taking us 30 minutes north of town to a permanent setup, with heated cabins, an outhouse, and a roaring fire. Plus, snacks and hot chocolate! The private tour was a bit more basic but also gave us the flexibility to move locations when clouds or fog moved in; it still included an amazing ice fishing tent with a heater that Kyle set up at our eventual stop, along with hot beverages and more snacks.
Aurora “season” here runs from roughly October through March, as the warmer months feature extremely long days (closer to the midnight sun type experience), and even when dark, the sun just skirts below the horizon, so you never get true darkness.
Relatively new in town is Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs, a resort spa built around local hot springs. The facility features three outdoor hot pools, steam and sauna rooms, a hibernation relaxation room, a solarium, and more.
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