the chaos and fun of the holidays! | WTN - Deplar Farm | Highlight - The Point

📷 The Point

WHERE TO NEXT?

Dear Traveler,

Are you ready for it?

The holidays are almost here. This year Christmas and Hanukkah are essentially right on top of each other. Whatever you celebrate, I wish you a warm, cozy holiday with family and friends.

Our kids start arriving home tonight and every day and night is full until we leave for Costa Rica. Including Friday night when we’ll watch the Indiana U vs Notre Dame NCAA football playoff game.

I love going to live sporting events and we were oh so tempted to go to this one. We had access to tickets, but the logistics, even for me, given this time of year, were just more than I wanted to bite off and we would miss too much at home. So instead we are hosting a party and will be cheering on IU for their first playoff win ever. (I’m being an optimist!)

**REMINDER – If you have college or adult kids coming home for the holidays and then you are departing on an international trip from home, if their passports are with them, remind them to bring them home!

My busiest day over the holidays is the 23rd when we host a lunch for 22 people followed by an evening going away party for 20+. It will be a lot, but also so fun!

If you are still in need of gifts or inspiration, I’ve added some items and articles to the 2024 Gift Guide.

By the way – gift ideas are needed all year long. Consider book marking the page to refer to when graduation, a birthday or anniversary approaches.

Looking for a rom-com holiday movie?

Try The Holiday with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslett. Read the Vogue article here. If you love it and want to stay in the UK where it was filmed, check out the Beaverbrook. Reach out for our insights on the best rooms, favorite nearby hikes and charming restaurants.

I read this quote this week…

A healthy man wants a thousand things.
A sick man only wants one.
~ Confucius

This holiday season, when material gifts abound, it’s a good reminder to be grateful for our health and all of the positive things we have in life.

Last week’s most popular article was WSJ’s It Has Never Been More Expensive to Visit New York City.

This week’s inspirational articles include destinations to live out your movie star dreams, safari lodges in India, new one of a kind hotels and the best places to spend Christmas abroad.

Also articles on Vietnam, Cambodia, Spain, Norway, Venice, NYC, Alaska and Yellowstone.

The informational articles include the best travel apps, hyper-personalization – a top travel trend for 2025, traveling solo tips and changes to the process for Americans going to Europe.

Next to summer, the winter holidays are our clients’ second biggest travel season.

You are headed to all corners of the world to relax in the warm sunshine, drink cocktails at the Soggy Dollar Bar, hike in the Milford Sound, fish in the Taupo River, fat tire bike over snow, gravel bike on rural roads, go dogsledding, track lions in the bush, taste wines, explore big cities and eat lots of delicious food. Oh the places you’ll go!:

Thailand
Paris
Kenya
New Zealand
Hong Kong
Vietnam
Iceland
yacht charter in the BVIs

Looking ahead to the holiday season 2025, we just booked a family’s expedition cruise in the Galápagos Islands. Some of the smaller ships were already sold out. The demand is similar for Antarctica expedition cruises. If you want to take one of these trips-of-a-lifetime in 2025, the time to plan is imminent.

Where am I going next?

Our family adventure to Costa Rica.

Where to next for you?

Happy holidays!

Warmly,

Next Wednesday and the Wednesday after that are Christmas and New Years Day. Expect abbreviated newsletter versions!

P.S. Reminder – the last year+ of newsletters are now fully searchable (the prior ones are just searchable on the title), so head over to this page and type in a destination you are interested in or a topic to see what’s been written about it.

Below:

Highlight – The Point
Where to Next? Deplar
Articles to Inspire+Inform

THE POINT

I want to snuggle up by the fire with Tigger and read a book while the snowflakes gently fall outside.

This month I am thinking about cozy. Yes, the college kids coming home, hosting and attending holiday parties and last minute shopping bring a bit of chaos to life. But in between those moments I just want to curl up with a good book. I have three on my bedside table just waiting to be picked up.

If you also love the idea of a cozy holiday, and want to consider going away for one next year, a place on my personal list is The Point.

The Point is particularly special, starting with its history. A former Rockefeller private home in the Adirondacks, built in the 1930’s during the Gilded Age, it is the only place of its kind open to the public.

Gourmet meals, wine pairings, experiences, even s’mores by the firepit – all included. Enjoy a four course dinner every night except twice a week when there is a black tie seven course dinner.

“Each meal is an event, each day an adventure, each night a celebration.”

It’s a great example of a place that turns the word “all-inclusive” on its head.

I love an all inclusive luxury resort. Especially when taking extended family. The Point is a great option for a family destination, especially with adult kids (it is adults only).

For breakfast or lunch – pick a remote spot among the 75 acres for your meal and the staff will figure out how to make it happen.

Winter activities include ice skating, curling, fat tire biking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, bonfires on the lake.

Also indoor endeavors with board games, wine tasting, Stave puzzles.

The Point exudes cozy and at this time of year it is the best place to be!

📷 The Point

🌟 Next week our clients will be traveling to Iceland to Deplar Farm.

Why is Deplar Farm so special?

The Farm is set amidst dramatic landscapes of mountains, volcanic terrain and fjords. It’s a haven for those who appreciate rugged, untouched nature.
Deplar Farm is an ideal location for viewing the Northern Lights, which adds an incredible magical element to your experience.
The service at Deplar Farm is impeccable, with staff going out of their way to create a bespoke experience for each guest. Whether it’s arranging a private dinner, curating a custom adventure or simply ensuring that every detail is perfect.

Do as much or as little as you like:

In the winter months, enjoy cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, exploring ice caves, snowmobiling and dog sledding. Depending on experience level, these activities can be done either with a guide or on your own.
When the weather is warmer, go hiking, horseback riding, fly fishing, mountain biking or kayaking.
Deplar Farm features a luxurious spa with a wide range of treatments, including geothermal hot tubs, massages and other wellness therapies. The spa is there for guests to unwind and rejuvenate after a day of outdoor adventures.

‼️ Don’t miss….heli-skiing. Take a helicopter to pristine, untouched mountain slopes in the surrounding area, which are perfect for backcountry skiing and snowboarding. Deplar Farm is one of the few places in the world where you can go heli-skiing directly from the property, making it a bucket-list destination for skiing enthusiasts.

(I have never been heli-skiing but when I go one day, I will go here because they have great intermediate terrain, whereas most heli-skiing destinations are only for advanced skiers.)