Our Holiday Getaways
Five Bergenites recall how they’ve left home and hearth behind for memorable travel in the festive season.
“There’s no place like home for the holidays,” declares an old song. Indeed, with frost on the windows, a fire in the fireplace and a turkey in the oven, many of us cherish spending Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa and New Year’s in our cozy Jersey abodes. But others take to the road or the sky for what can be an unforgettable change-of-pace way to celebrate—or even a traveling tradition. Here you’ll hear from five BERGEN readers and staffers about the holiday destinations they’ve enjoyed that were unlike home.
DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA
Austin Roberts, Lodi
“My parents made sure we grew up with an appreciation for the beach, so last year, when they switched from our traditional holiday festivities at home and headed down to Delray Beach, I wasn’t upset. It felt surreal swimming in the crystal-clear water at Atlantic Dunes Park and enjoying the 80-degree heat while shopping along Ocean Boulevard in December, when I’d usually be bundled up and shoveling snow in New Jersey. At night, I went out in a T-shirt and shorts to see Christmas lights and holiday-inspired sand sculptures in downtown Delray. The coolest sight by far was Delray’s famous 100-foot faux Christmas tree—it’s a must-see for families who travel down there to celebrate. With all of the holiday cheer around us, we felt right at home.”
PHOENIX, ARIZONA
Darius Amos, Westwood
"Spending the holidays with my parents got a lot better when they moved to the Phoenix area for retirement. One year, I took a friend on a mini-vacation after we spent Christmas with my family and hit up some of my favorite spots such as the Desert Botanical Garden and El Tlacoyo in Tempe, a ‘hole-in-the-wall’ that serves real-deal authentic Mexican food. Then we went north and explored some of the national parks in Arizona and Utah. Many of the park towns were quiet during the off-season, meaning we didn’t have to deal with crowds. The best part was we saw the parks in unique ways few can imagine. I’ll never forget the drive along Byway 12 and the eerily amazing sight and sound of snow falling in Bryce Canyon. We celebrated a white Christmas after all!”
GLENWOOD, GEORGIA
Jaci Schwind, Woodcliff Lake
“For the past four years I have been traveling to Georgia with my husband’s family—it’s been their tradition for more than a decade. Every year we decide on a new place to stop along the way, ending up at my in-laws’ farm in rural Glenwood. Holidays down there have become one of my favorite things to look forward to all year. Our day starts at noon on their family dairy/cotton farm, which has been active for over 300 years. More than 40 family members gather to share their recipes for a feast that lasts for hours. The children run through the fields with the baby dairy cows as the adults spend hours wandering through the pecan orchards collecting and shelling pecans to make pies and sweet-potato pecan casseroles for the next day. We’ll even make a stop in nearby Vidalia, where you can pick up fresh, sweet Vidalia onions. We bring some back to New Jersey every year.”
TOKYO, JAPAN
Victoria Beall, Leonia
“For most of my life, I’ve traveled to Japan every Christmas Day to prepare for the festivities surrounding New Year’s Day. The first day of the year is a major holiday in Japanese culture, and I fondly remember eating all of the local dishes in downtown Tokyo. I continued booking my annual trip there when I started a family of my own, because I wanted my daughter to be exposed to the unique experiences and offerings that the holidays bring in that part of the world. Her favorite spots that we make sure to stop at each year are all in the Shibuya shopping district, where you can pick up art supplies to paint a rendering of Japan’s gorgeous vistas or fun DIY crafts for the kids. We also visit my family’s temple in Asakusa, a waterfront historic district of Tokyo, to celebrate the past at the beginning of a new year.”
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Lena Antaramian, Ridgewood
“My family loves to travel, and during the holidays we prefer to stay on the East Coast. Washington, D.C. is one of our favorite places because it’s got it all—lots of cool sights and great restaurants, and it’s a very walkable town. It isn’t too far from home, so we can easily get there by car, and when you don’t need to rush to catch a plane it makes for a relaxing trip. Because most people hang home for the holidays, D.C. is pretty empty during Christmas break, so it’s a perfect time to see those coveted tourist spots. During our last visit we went to the Smithsonian Museum of American History (sadly, Dorothy’s ruby slippers were being cleaned at that time, but we did see a lot of other cool things), the monuments and war memorials. Our favorite part of the trip was taking a ‘Monuments by Moonlight’ nighttime trolley tour that took us to all of the monuments while they were illuminated at night, for a truly unforgettable wintertime view of the capital city.”
