Since we can’t pack our bags for Bedford Falls anytime soon, the search for December destinations grows narrow. But just because Hollywood isn’t real life doesn’t mean there aren’t storybook spots still on the map. Traditions of ice skating under the skyscrapers and sipping eggnog cocktails by the lobby fire are still practiced far and wide. A few new ideas on getting merry exist as well. We’ve rounded up the best places to book them all (and more). Plus, they’re awesome, baby, whether it’s cold outside or not.
New York City | Ice skating at Rockefeller Center, Radio City’s Christmas Spectacular, a Mariah Carey Christmas Concert and the Winter Village in Bryant Park … these are a few of our favorite things. 
Aspen | Travel + Leisure recently named this their top destination for December travelers, and we know why – the beautiful oxymoron of quaint luxury on Cooper Avenue promises nostalgia and nuances that might top the unmatched skiing experiences. Plus, a stay at (or simply a stroll through) Hotel Jerome will have you humming carols well into next year.
Walt Disney World | Experience holiday traditions from across the globe, witness the last Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights and join your favorite high-pitched talking mouse for his Very Merry Christmas Party – all alongside your favorite life-sized characters. You’ll leave with the entire family believing in magic, whether again or for the very first time.
Elkhart Lake | The Osthoff Resort hosts its historic Christmas Village with authentic German tinkers, craftsmen, bakers and more to kick off elevated holiday shopping, breakfasts with Santa, brunches with his reindeer and ice skating on the lawn overlooking a soon-to-be-frozen lake. Oh, and plenty of cozy fires and cups of hot cocoa right in your room.
Atlantic City, NJ | It’s easy to confuse sparkling slot machines with twinkling holiday lights – but that’s part of the fun. Atlantic City not only offers some casino cheer, but also wild, live entertainment including an adults-only casino-style cirque show, Michael Bolton, Kevin Hart and more pop star impersonations than could fit in one stocking.
Asheville, NC | Plan a six-pack’s worth of holiday rounds on South Slope, the mountain’s newest, coolest block, before raising a glass and donning your glitz for a traditional southern Christmas at The Biltmore Estate. Top it off with a spa day at The Omni Grove Park Inn and we’re pretty sure there won’t be anything left on your list this year.
Chicago | Bing Crosby’s dreams come true here, most of the time. Especially when you’re walking down the Magnificent Mile amidst thousands of twinkling lights right when the snow starts to fall – that’s literally all we want for Christmas. Well, that and a chance to glide on the one-of-a-kind Maggie Daley Park Skating Ribbon.
New Orleans | Brush up on your Parisian culture with the best rates you’ll ever get in the French Quarter. Papa Noel delivers street front views for fabulous food, riverside bonfires and NOLA’s annual million-lights Christmas Fest.
Cape Cod | Favoring argyle and cable knits over crowds and Zambonis, a weekend (or week) spent on the coast summons its own kind of magic. That doesn’t mean you’ll sit idle – ride the Train to Christmastown, see the Annual Lighting of the Pilgrim Monument and feed nostalgia with numerous parades on the islands.
Sonoma County | Pick out your boughs of holly, soak in holiday lights and enjoy sophisticated wine country wassailing whether on dry land or along the water from Bodega Bay to Petaluma. Then, keep trekking across the county for sipping, shopping and snacking through Healdsburg’s famous walking tour, and to Sonoma for the intimate Le Cirque de Boheme show celebrating this region’s vintage roots.