When most people plan their dream vacations and yearly holidays, they strive to plan around the warmer months of summer. While summer opens your trip up to visiting a destination at its brightest, most vibrant, and generally free of weather issues, winter can also provide you with unique looks into various cultures and places around the world. Even more exciting is that winter can provide you with some of the best outdoor adventure travel available on this planet.
I’ve traveled the world, experiencing all sorts of places in all sorts of weather, and while visiting a country in the warmer months is definitely necessary if you’re aiming to truly grasp what a place and people are like, you can not totally understand or fully connect with many areas of the world without a wintry holiday.
I’ve compiled a short list of brilliant winter destinations that are worth looking into for your next vacation… So, if you’re into skiing, snowmobiling, and/or other winter adventure sports, throw on your fxr apparel, or your ski suit, and get out into the thick of it!
–USA: While areas in the north-northwestern USA are known for some of the best snowmobiling opportunities, like those available in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho, you can also find some really fantastic experiences along the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, as well as Tug Hill in New York. If the northwestern US interests you, be sure to consider a trip to Stanley (Idaho), Jackson Hole (Wyoming), Mammoth Lakes (California) Seeley Lake (Montana), and of course around the Rocky Mountains (Colorado). Surely, who wouldn’t want to tramp around some of the most beautiful natural landscapes?! Especially the areas around Yellowstone and Glacier Park!
I’ve compiled a short list of brilliant winter destinations that are worth looking into for your next vacation… So, if you’re into skiing, snowmobiling, and/or other winter adventure sports, throw on your fxr apparel, or your ski suit, and get out into the thick of it!
–USA: While areas in the north-northwestern USA are known for some of the best snowmobiling opportunities, like those available in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho, you can also find some really fantastic experiences along the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, as well as Tug Hill in New York. If the northwestern US interests you, be sure to consider a trip to Stanley (Idaho), Jackson Hole (Wyoming), Mammoth Lakes (California) Seeley Lake (Montana), and of course around the Rocky Mountains (Colorado). Surely, who wouldn’t want to tramp around some of the most beautiful natural landscapes?! Especially the areas around Yellowstone and Glacier Park!
–Iceland: Personally, I feel that little else can beat the feeling, the light, and the mood of the land, as there’s certainly something magical going on in Iceland. Its winters can become overwhelming at times, though if this interests you, I might suggest teaming up with a guide, who can insure your safety, while taking you to some of the most amazing places you will ever visit – like the Langjökull glacier, or the ice caves of Vatnajokull, the largest ice cap on the island.
–The Alps: The Alps are one of the most iconic and well known regions of Europe, spanning five countries, across Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. There are hundreds of worthwhile regions of the Alps that you can visit, depending on what sort of sport, or experience you’re looking for. For skiers, I would suggest Chamonix in France, for its lift accessibility, while La Grave might be better for ski mountaineering. But to be honest, you really can’t go wrong with a holiday spent in the Alps, anywhere in Germany, Austria, or of course, Switzerland.
–Other/International: For snowmobiling fans, there are endless trails in various parts of the world that might qualify as a lifetime dream for many, so if Yellowstone, and other regions of the northern US seem a bit overrun or overdone, try escaping much farther away. Quebec in Canada offers a lot of beautiful tours – check out the Gaspe Peninsula or the White Trail of St. Lawrence. Outside of the US-48, Alaska provides adventure seekers all sorts of thrills and breathtaking views, like that of the Deep Snow expedition in Valdez, which takes you deep into the Chugach Mountains. But if you really want to go all out, there’s always Russia’s endless tundra that has become a special place for winter sports enthusiasts, and travelers alike.
No matter where you choose to go, and no matter what you end up doing there, I urge you to keep an open mind, ready yourself for anything, and to simply enjoy the simple things. The whole point of travel is to expand ones self through new, exciting, and potentially fearful experiences that evolve who you are, and how you think.
Photo #1 by glaciertim via Flickr
Photo #2 by Brandon Elijah Scott / Eye & Pen
–The Alps: The Alps are one of the most iconic and well known regions of Europe, spanning five countries, across Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. There are hundreds of worthwhile regions of the Alps that you can visit, depending on what sort of sport, or experience you’re looking for. For skiers, I would suggest Chamonix in France, for its lift accessibility, while La Grave might be better for ski mountaineering. But to be honest, you really can’t go wrong with a holiday spent in the Alps, anywhere in Germany, Austria, or of course, Switzerland.
–Other/International: For snowmobiling fans, there are endless trails in various parts of the world that might qualify as a lifetime dream for many, so if Yellowstone, and other regions of the northern US seem a bit overrun or overdone, try escaping much farther away. Quebec in Canada offers a lot of beautiful tours – check out the Gaspe Peninsula or the White Trail of St. Lawrence. Outside of the US-48, Alaska provides adventure seekers all sorts of thrills and breathtaking views, like that of the Deep Snow expedition in Valdez, which takes you deep into the Chugach Mountains. But if you really want to go all out, there’s always Russia’s endless tundra that has become a special place for winter sports enthusiasts, and travelers alike.
No matter where you choose to go, and no matter what you end up doing there, I urge you to keep an open mind, ready yourself for anything, and to simply enjoy the simple things. The whole point of travel is to expand ones self through new, exciting, and potentially fearful experiences that evolve who you are, and how you think.
Photo #1 by glaciertim via Flickr
Photo #2 by Brandon Elijah Scott / Eye & Pen
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