So now that Thanksgiving is a memory I find myself ready to enter the holiday season. But here in Delaware, it’s a bit warmer and flatter than I would like. To me, the holidays mean cold, snow, mountains, and skiing. And although we all know that I’m deeply loyal to Vermont, today I find myself dreaming of a family escape to a new locale, one more distant and with one of the prettiest names I’ve ever seen: Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
This past weekend saw the opening ceremony for Coeur d’Alene Resort’s holiday light show. I may have missed the parade and the fireworks that you see in the photo above, but that’s OK because every night from now through January 2, the kids and I could take a cruise to the “North Pole” on the lake that both the town and resort overlook. The show sounds spectacular – over a million lights reflecting in the water on a deep December night. Not only would the boys get to see the Grinch and Frosty the Snowman, but the cruise goes to Santa’s workshop where I think it may snow every evening and where elves sing and the big man himself greets children by name (something to do with well-placed phone calls make this bit of holiday magic happen).
I absolutely love the idea of taking the kids out on a boat in the depth of winter, especially a lake in the mountains. The next day we could head on over to Silver Mountain (about a half hour away) for downhill skiing or try snowshoeing in Farragut State Park. Or maybe we’d take another cruise – in daylight this time – to Wolf Lodge Bay. There we could see the bald eagles that winter there, feeding on Chinook salmon. I’m guessing that some of that salmon may be on offer in local restaurants, which would certainly be another bonus.
If you are interested in seeing some other family holiday dream destinations, be sure to check out the Best Family Travel Advice blog carnival. This week the question is: If you could escape anywhere with your family during the holidays, where would it be? And if you’ve got your own Monday Dream, I hope you’ll share it below.
Photo of opening ceremony courtesy of Joel Riner/Quicksilver
Photo of Lake Coeur d’Alene courtesy of lindswing via Flickr.
Looking for a holiday gift idea? How about making a donation in a loved one’s name to the Passports With Purpose raffle and giving them a chance to win a dream family vacation? My own prize would make a very nice choice, if I don’t say so myself, although there are certainly lots of wonderful choices.
I've taken with my children and those I want to take. Explore and you'll find family travel tips, information about vacation destinations, and lots of stories about our adventures! 
What a coincidence…I just wrote about this awesome light show and cruise quite nostalgically, as we used to live in Spokane, WA (a stone’s throw from Coeur d’Alene). I can’t recommend their holiday cruise highly enough! (Here’s where I reviewed it last week:http://www.pitstopsforkids.com/2010/11/coeur-dalene-resorts-fantasy-cruise-to-the-north-pole/
I definitely agree that a holiday/winter getaway would somehow involve mountains, snow and mountains. I’m also picturing a lodge with huge fireplace and maybe a hot tub (sitting in a hot tub while it is snowing is pretty neat). Somewhere in Colorado, perhaps?
What a lovely thing to post, Mara. I spent most of my summers from 6-18 in McCall, ID – my dad’s mother grew up in Boise and had a beautiful block of land on the Payette Lake with cabins. So I was very nostalgic seeing the photo of Lake Cour d’Alene, because it reminded me of that beautiful view I saw every July/August.