The holiday season is in full swing, filled with shopping, parties and meals, surrounded by friends, family and assorted loved and liked ones.
Could there be a more perfect time to plot an escape?
Not to get all bah-humbug, but let's be honest: Long before the decorations come down, and possibly at this very moment, you're going to want a little time to decompress. A get-away can renew your holiday spirit before the season is over, and it doesn't have to ransack your gift-buying budget, either. Many peaceful destinations are offering deals in December.
Editor's Picks
Longing for the good ol' days? If classic Christmas movies like "It's a Wonderful Life" have made you long for the days before Wii, Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, New York, is all about the bygone era. A 90-minute drive from New York City, Mohonk is a rambling Victorian-style inn set on a mountain, curling around a lake on one side and overlooking a valley with the Catskill mountains on the other. Think old-fashioned pleasures here: afternoon tea with cookies, playing board games by a crackling fireplace, ice skating on a 9,000-square-foot rink. But keep in mind, there are no televisions in the rooms. Midweek specials in December begin at $165 a person, including meals.
Too much running around? At the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, you can drive up to the hotel, hand over the keys to your car and be perfectly entertained until it's time to check out. This resort, which dates to 1916, is on 3,000 acres at the base of the Cheyenne Mountain, and offers everything from golf to horseback riding to painting classes. The Broadmoor has an old-world resort feel to it, but it has much to offer in the way of modernity, including a first-run movie theater, and Summit, a sleek restaurant by famed designer Adam Tihany. Specials are available through Dec. 30, which include suite discounts of up to 30% off, and packages starting at $85 a person.
