Photo by Christopher J. Morris/
Corbis
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Hot Deals for Winter Vacations
By Laura Daily, November & December 2009
Beach-resort prices plummet along with the temperatures
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Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Go for: Solitude
Nearly 5 million visitors swarm Cape Cod each summer—which is why locals anxiously await winter and its lack of crowds (and traffic jams). Some restaurants, stores, and hotels close during the off-season, but you'll still find plenty of low-cost lodging. Look for third-night-free deals and other discounts at country inns and full-service resorts. Don't mind the cold? Bundle up and visit the soaring dunescapes (they range from 40 to 100 feet high), picturesque lighthouses, and snow-dusted beaches (Cape Cod temperatures average in the 40s and 30s in November and December). Or head to Main Street in any of the Cape's 15 communities for art galleries, clothing and jewelry boutiques, and cafés. September through December are prime shellfish months, so delicious oysters, clams, and lobsters are more plentiful—try a traditional lobster pie or a modern lobster mac and cheese (888-332-2732; capecodchamber.org).
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Go for: Recreation
The water is too chilly for a swim, but this beach town stays comfortable in winter: average temperatures hover in the 50s and 60s. Enjoy the clime by hitting the links. More than 100 public golf courses offer a chance to play a variety of manicured greens—at up to 35 percent off their usual prices (visit golfholiday.com for area deals). You can also hike Myrtle Beach State Park (admission: $4) or Huntington Beach State Park ($5), or rent a bike and roll through the grounds for $10 to $15 per day. Both parks will tantalize bird watchers: Huntington is home to more than 300 recorded species of birds, with winter a great time to see waterfowl. For leisure, take a less strenuous trek through shops, art galleries, and historic plantations. And your lodging will be dirt-cheap: rooms that average $138 in July can go down to $56 in December. Plus, since the beach and city proper lift summertime limits on pets after September 15, you can frolic with your four-legged companions day and night, in the sand and on the town (888-697-8531; visitmyrtlebeach.com).
Tofino, British Columbia
Go for: Storm watching
Okay, it may seem a little crazy to travel to a place where rain is a guarantee, but the storms here are so spectacular that you won't want to miss them. This beachfront hamlet of 1,700 on Vancouver Island draws a million tourists a year, with storms sweeping in from November to February. First get comfy in your oceanfront hotel room: you'll likely pay up to 50 percent less than the average summer rate of $250 to $300. Then watch as Mother Nature stages a meteorological opera featuring soaring waves, pounding rain, intense lightning, and window-rattling winds. Or act like the locals and go outside: don your free hotel-provided slicker, rain pants, and rubber boots—ixnay on the umbrellas—to take in the drama. On sunny days (you should get a few) visit eateries and shops; most stay open in winter. Beachcombers may discover glass fishing floats from Japan among the flotsam, while hikers can meander through the adjacent old-growth cedar rain forest of Pacific Rim National Park (888-720-3414; tourismtofino.com).
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