Gaylord National Resort: The Perfect, Family-Friendly Holiday Getaway

For most people living on the East Coast, getting to Washington, DC is a quick and easy trip. Well, this holiday season, Christmas on the Potomac River will be better than ever. So, if you're looking for a quick, easy and inexpensive weekend getaway for the entire family, head to the DC area!

The Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, Maryland (just 15 minutes from Washington, DC), has gone all out to celebrate the holidays with incredible decorations, fun activities throughout the holiday season, and plenty of festivities for the entire family.

In addition to a massive Christmas tree and holiday decorations, The Gaylord National Resort offers its own ice skating rink, free holiday concerts, holiday themed scavenger hunts, nightly fountain shows, plus the incredible ICE! attraction.

Dozens of ice sculptors have worked for over a month to create a massive winter wonderland, made entirely of ice. In fact, more than two million pounds of ice were used to create 10 life-size holiday scenes.

This attraction is indoors, however, to keep the ice from melting, the temperature is kept at a chilly 9-degrees (F). Ultra-warm parkas are provided to visitors.

Plan on spending at least 20 minutes exploring ICE!, which is a memorable attraction for the entire family. Admission is $19.99 for adults and $13.00 for children, however, special package deals (starting at just $185.00) are available from the Gaylord National Resort, which include a night's accommodations, four ICE! tickets, four ice skating tickets, breakfast for the kids, and more. Call (888) 703-9725 or visit www.ChristmasOnThePotomac.com for details.

If you can't make it to the DC area between now and January 10th, ICE! is also being presented at the Gaylord Resort properties in Orlando, Nashville and Dallas.

I had the chance to get a sneak preview of the ICE! attraction about three days before it opened to the public, and it was truly amazing! Check out the photo montage below. And, while you're in the DC area, consider a visit to Mount Vernon, the home of President George Washington. A wide range of special holiday events are taking place there as well.

Exploring Long Island's Wineries

I am spending a few days exploring Long Island as I do research for a new, full-length travel guide, called The Insider's Guide to Long Island. It'll be published by Globe Pequot Press in 2010.

Anyway, I took the ferry today from New Haven, Connecticut to Orient Point, New York, and then explored Long Island's wine country this afternoon.

Tonight, I am staying at the lovely and upscale The In At East Wind (631-929-3500, www.TheInnAtEastWind.com), which is near the "entrance" to the North Fork's winery region. If you're in New York City, Connecticut or Massachusetts, for example, this is a great weekend getaway destination that's easy to reach and stunningly beautiful.

There are more than 50 wineries that are open to the public in this region of Long Island, and each has tours, tastings and events happening throughout the entire year. For more information about Long Island's wine country, visit www.LIWines.com.

The following are some photos from today's adventures in Long Island.

Hocking Hills, Ohio Fall Foliage (October '09)

The following video contains a montage of photos from my recent trip to Hocking Hills, Ohio. As you'll see, it was a truly beautiful place to visit, especially during peak fall foliage...Enjoy!