Try your hand at snowshoeing parts of the Skyline Trail, one of the most famous hikes in the National Park. You can get up close and personal with Mount Rainier and drink in the fantastic vistas of the surrounding mountain peaks.

But, that’s only if you are not exhausted from a day adventuring in the nearby Chugach Mountains. Some of my favorite activities are found in Chugach National Forest where you can hike, fat bike, or ski to Portage, Skookum, and Spencer Glaciers.You are invited to experience a very ‘Harry Christmas’ at the Studio Tour during Hogwarts in the Snow, the most magical time of year, when iconic Harry Potter sets are dressed for the festive season in a blanket of filmmaking snow. To get to the Twin Cities, it’s easy to fly into Minneapolis/Saint Paul International Airport (MSP.) From the airport, there are fast light rail connections to both downtowns. There are also the usual ride services, of course. Hotel Recommendation Time your activities with the sun, as the days are much shorter in the wintertime, though the sunsets are quite amazing. Downhill skiers can hit the slopes at either Bolton Valley or Stowe ski resorts. Both offer gorgeous, snowy trails that everyone in the family can enjoy. Or you can ski at Cochran’s, the mom-and-pop ski hill that has been the training slope for past and present Olympians. The definition that the Met Office uses to define a white Christmas is for one snowflake to be observed falling in the 24 hours of 25 December somewhere in the UK.

Christmas and New Year’s Eve in New York at the famous Times Square or watching the Thanksgiving parade in Central Park. You will also find markets, ice skating, ice carving and loads more fun events through the holiday season. Over the holiday season, there’s a great Christmas market. You can also ski, sled, go for snowy hikes and refuel on bratwurst and sauerkraut and beer. If you’re visiting outside of Christmas, then skiing at Leavenworth is a must-do activity to enjoy the snow. Leavenworth Ski Hill is small with only a couple of runs and two rope tows to get you to the top. However, it’s a fun half-day activity and great for beginner skiers or with children. Plus, the ski area is quiet and you’ll have amazing views of the Cascade mountains surrounding you. Chugach State Park and Chugach National Forest are at the fringes of Anchorage and give you access to untold winter wonders. You’ll find frozen waterfalls driving south on the Seward Highway and watch sea ice roll with the tide in the Turnagain Arm.We have fond memories of a white Christmas in Zakopane in Poland. This beautiful town is a popular destination in Poland during the winter when it resembles a storybook winter wonderland. The most unique event, however, has to be the traditional torchlit descent. Up to 100 children ski down the floodlit slopes led by instructors to meet Santa Claus at the bottom. Mount Rainier National Park, in Washington state, is one of the snowiest places in the United States come winter. In fact, on average, parts of the National Park can receive 53 feet of snowfall per year!

From charming mountain villages to luxury lakeside retreats, the region that surrounds Lake Tahoe is a quintessential holiday escape in the wintertime, with snowy scenes as far as the eye can see. To the south of the lake, there will be a Holiday Tree Lighting at the Heavenly Village Lake Tahoe on Friday, November 24, featuring a tree that stands at 65 feet tall. In the north, Palisades Tahoe will throw its traditional launch party on December 16 and 17 to celebrate the ski season with fireworks, giveaways, live music, and of course snowsports of all sorts. 2. Villa Roma, Catskills, New York While the temperature during winter frequently falls well below zero, and the days are short, it is during wintertime that you can also find many other ways to spend your days. From stopping into an ice museum to visiting the hot springs, skiing, ice skating, snowmobiling, or learning how to ice fish with the locals, they are all available for your US winter holidays. I loved the whole book but I think the plot about Switzerland, family secrets and finding the body was the most gripping and it had me really hooked, I couldn't wait to see how it's going to end, what kind of secrets are going to be revealed, who lied and why and if the girls are going to find their new family. Just imagine that one day you get a call and somebody tells you that

22. The Plaza Hotel, New York City

Christmas trees will tower over you in the Great Hall topped by authentic flying witches and inviting fireplaces will be adorned with festive holly, mistletoe, and wreaths. Mount Hood usually starts to receive snow in late November or early December. According to the Timberline Lodge, the area averages 60 inches of snow depth in December, 74 inches in January, 117 inches in February, and 145 inches in March. The snow may even continue into April depending on the year.