Travel ideas for the christmas season

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Each year, Christmas travel grows in popularity. Cruise lines, resorts and tour companies offer specials to those looking to get away for the holidays. Many Christmas travelers and their families prefer the beaches and warmth of the tropics or U.S. cities with milder climates to the snow- and ice-covered ski slopes and their home cities. Aruba, Antigua, Palm Beach, and San Francisco offer plenty of attractions and activities. All four are Christmas travel spots worth looking into.

1. Aruba

   • Spend Christmas in Aruba and enjoy beaches, seaside resorts and casinos on one of the Caribbean's most popular islands. Aruba's balmy weather and blue-green seawater is the perfect combination for a family or romantic couples' Christmas vacation. Picturesque palms dot Eagle Beach and lean in the direction of the trade winds. Arashi Beach is the spot for snorkeling, kite surfing, parasailing or windsurfing.

     If something less strenuous is more to your liking, shop until you drop in the capital city of Oranjestad. Other activities include exploring underground caves or taking a safari into the interior. Dance the nights away at a salsa dance club and dine in intimate restaurants.

   Costa Rica

   • Christmastime is perfect for travel to Costa Rica. December starts the dry season, when the days stay warm and sunny until April. Costa Rica's 1,300 miles of Pacific and Caribbean beaches offer plenty of water activities. Hike the lower slopes of active Arenal Volcano or bathe in the Tabacon Hot Springs at the foot of the volcano. Take a guided tour through the rain forest. Relax on a boat tour through Corovado National Park, where you'll see macaws and howler monkeys. Christmas Festivities in Costa Rica include the National Horse Parade. The annual December 26 parade of show horses and their riders pass through the streets of San Jose.

   Palm Beach

   • Palm Beach's great weather, 47 miles of sandy Atlantic beaches and lavish shopping make it the ideal Christmas season vacation spot. Have cocktails at the Breakers, one of many luxurious hotels. Admire the historical Christmas decorations in the 1902 Flagler museum or drive through the Lion Country Safari zoo. Santa takes gifts to the chimps on December 22. Hike along a ½--mile-long boardwalk through the cypress swamp in the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.

     Glide through the Everglades on an airboat. Stroll the 6-mile lane running along Lake Worth and peek into the backyards of some of the world's wealthiest families. On December 22, take the free Historic Walking Tour along Worth Avenue.

   San Francisco

   • The city by the bay is a magical place to spend Christmas vacation. San Francisco has amazing natural beauty and special holiday attractions. During the Christmas season, Union Square, in the middle of the top shopping and theater districts, presents a Rockefeller Center-inspired decorated tree and ice rink.

     Visit the Embarcadero Center to see the 45-foot atrium tree, light displays and three daily "snowfalls." Fisherman's Wharf shops and boats glow with lights and decorations. Ghirardelli Square decorates its towering tree with enormous chocolate bars. Grace Cathedral, the Golden Gate Bridge, the aquarium at the California Academy of Arts and Sciences are among the many attractions in San Francisco that will make your Christmas stay special.

Source: www.ehow.com

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