Hey there,
Looking for holiday trips that mix lights, props, waterfalls, and even movie sets without long travel days? This edition highlights three regional guides with exact dates, prices, and routes, making planning easy for families.
Stick around to see how these quick getaway picks turn simple weekends into memorable seasonal wins.
📰 Upcoming in this issue
🏞️ Highlands, NC: 15 Hits, $55 Coaster Pass, Drive-Under Falls
🎄 6 Ohio Holiday Trips That Deliver Lights, Props, and Real Movie Sets
🎣 North Dakota Reservoir Joins Ice Fishing Elite
📈 Trending news
🏞️ Highlands, NC: 15 Hits, $55 Coaster Pass, Drive-Under Falls
Southern Living maps a long weekend in Highlands for hikers, waterfall chasers, and families. Expect cliff-edge views on a 2-mile Whiteside loop, a 640-foot cascade at Glen Falls, and a $55 four-hour tubing and coaster pass at Highlands Outpost. The mix of easy-access sights and new stays simplifies planning and keeps kids moving.
Key Takeaways:
💧 Waterfall Trifecta: Walk behind Dry Falls, tackle Glen Falls’ 640-foot tiers, then roll your car under roadside Bridal Veil Falls.
🎢 $55 Combo Pass: Highlands Outpost sells four hours of unlimited coaster rides and tubing. Snow tubing and ice skating start in November.
🥾 Cliff-Edge Views: Whiteside Mountain’s moderate 2-mile loop traces the Eastern Continental Divide, with falcon flyovers and sweeping Blue Ridge panoramas.
🛎️ New 63-Room Stay: Trailborn Highlands centers a 1924 log cabin with saunas, cold-plunge showers, firepits, a lily pond, and gardens.
🎄 6 Ohio Holiday Trips That Deliver Lights, Props, and Real Movie Sets
A local guide rounds up six Christmas Day trips within a short drive of Wayne and Holmes counties. Families get firm dates, hours, prices, and why each stop stands out. The lever is proximity plus spectacle, from million-light estates to a real movie house you can sleep in, which makes planning fast and fun.
Key Takeaways:
🆓 Free Wins: Nutcracker Village runs 24 hours with 150+ life-size carvings, free admission, and walk-or-drive options.
🏰 Movie-Prop Magnet: Castle Noel claims the largest Christmas pop-culture trove; tickets are $30 for adults and $25 for kids, open year-round.
🏡 Sleep in the Set: A Christmas Story House tours are $20, with overnight stays available in the home or the Bumpus House.
💡 Mega-Light Counts: Stan Hywet features 1.4 million lights; Kings Island WinterFest claims 7 million, plus a parade and skating.
🎣 North Dakota Reservoir Joins Ice Fishing Elite
FishingBooker’s 2025 list names Lake Oahe one of America’s top 10 ice-fishing spots, giving North Dakota anglers national shine. The pull is size and access, a 370,000-acre reservoir with 2,250 miles of shoreline, and timing, with an arctic blast expected to spark early ice and trip planning.
Key Takeaways:
🏆 Ranked No. 10: Sits behind Bemidji, Moosehead, and Eleven Mile, and edges Caples Lake on the 2025 nationwide list.
🌊 Big-Water Proof: With 370,000 acres and 2,250 shoreline miles, the fourth-largest U.S. reservoir by volume offers plenty of elbow room for huts and holes.
🗺️ Two-State Reach: Starts just south of Bismarck, then runs into central South Dakota, expanding weather windows and lodging options.
❄️ Ice Coming Fast: The article flags an incoming arctic blast, likely to jump-start safe ice and accelerate gear checks.
🔔 Mark Your Calendar
1. 🎄 Winter Magic Holiday Light Show, Kansas City
A drive-thru holiday light party in Kansas City’s Northland with over a mile of synchronized lights set to festive music, all enjoyed from the comfort of your car.
Event Details:
📅 Dates: November 22, 2025–January 4, 2026 (open nightly for the 6th season).
⏰ Hours: Evenings from 6 pm; closing time varies by date (typically 8–11 pm, see pricing calendar for exact times).
📍 Location: Platte Purchase Park, 10400 N Platte Purchase Dr, Kansas City, MO 64154.
🎟️ Tickets/Admission: $20–$40 per vehicle, one ticket per carload (up to 15 passengers), online reservations in half-hour time slots; no limos, buses, trailers, or oversized vehicles.
🎉 Highlights: Over a mile of synchronized holiday lights, dancing light tunnels and arches, in-car holiday soundtrack via radio, family- and pet-friendly, supports Children’s Mercy Hospital.
2.🎄 Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade 2025
Celebrate 50 years of holiday magic in downtown Gatlinburg with a star-studded Christmas parade, twinkling lights, and Santa’s big arrival.
Event Details:
📅 Date: Friday, December 5, 2025, 7:30–9 pm EST.
📍 Location/Route: Downtown Gatlinburg Parkway, from Baskins Creek Bypass through town to Traffic Light #10.
🎟️ Tickets/Admission: Free and open to the public; optional Grandstand VIP seating is about $50 per person with reserved bleachers and a commemorative Santa hat.
🎉 Highlights: 50th annual parade, Grand Marshal Hunter Hayes, celebrity guests, illuminated floats and balloons, marching bands, 1M+ Christmas lights, Santa at the finale.
📊 Take This Edition’s Poll:
Which regional trip feels like the smartest holiday win?
Why It Matters
Clear routes and concrete details help you skip the guesswork and build effortless holiday plans. These guides spotlight close-to-home trips that pack real spectacle, from million-light displays to drive-through waterfalls and top-ranked ice-fishing spots.
A little planning now sets you up for smoother, more joyful winter weekends ahead.
Until next time, bon voyage!
Zoe Reed
Editor-in-Chief
Passport to Paradise
P.S. Interested in sponsoring a future issue? Just reply to this email and I’ll send packages!
