6 cozy winter getaways

Charleston, S.C.
If you'd rather take your winter in milder doses, Charleston's temperate climate should do the trick. Even if the mercury rarely falls below freezing, this gracious Southern city embraces winter each year with a six-week Holiday Festival of Lights in November and December. Drive along a three-mile path amidst millions of twinkling lights in the James Island County Park; then ditch the wheels to visit Santa's Village, toast marshmallows, check out sand sculptures and gingerbread houses, and ride the carousel at Winter Wonderland.

Even after the holiday festivities are over, winter travelers can enjoy the off-season in the always lovely cobblestone streets of Charleston, with fewer crowds in the city's museums, estate homes and forts. You can also enjoy reduced rates at dozens of Charleston's historic inns and B&B's. Our favorites are the Governor's House Inn, boasting an elegant crescent staircase and opulent guest rooms, and the friendly King George IV Inn, which offers comfy, reasonably priced rooms with fireplaces.

Montreal, Canada
If you're seeking a winter wonderland with a European feel, look no further than the French-Canadian city of Montreal. Its yearly Fete des Neiges (Snow Festival) is a three-week celebration of all things fun and frosty, featuring ice sculpting competitions, snow-covered tube slides for kids, a 1.5-kilometer ice skating path, dog sledding rides and tobogganing down the Plaine des Jeux.

But even if you can't make it to Montreal during the festival (held from late January to mid-February), there are plenty of chilly pleasures to be found here -- like hiking or cross-country skiing through the crunchy snow in Mount Royal park, or strolling through an Old Town that looks even more magical with its gray stone buildings blanketed in white. When you're ready to come in from the cold, head for the Underground City, an enormous network of boutiques and other shops connected to the city's major downtown metro stations and hotels. Spend your nights at the gorgeous Hotel Nelligan, a boutique property in the Old Town, or Le Petit Prince, a downtown B&B where the rooms are funky-elegant and the breakfast is divine.

Denver, Colo.
Winter in   Denver has obvious appeal to snow bunnies, but even non-skiers will find plenty to keep them busy in the Mile High City. The snow-covered Rocky Mountains provide a magnificent natural backdrop to the city's urban attractions, including the Denver Art Museum (with its excellent collection of Native American works) and the revitalized lower downtown area known as LoDo -- where the shopping and bar-hopping are fabulous all year round.

To enjoy the unforgettable winter scenery, head out of town and take a drive along the Peak to Peak Highway, which runs from Central City to Estes Park and offers stunning views of the Continental Divide along nearly its entire length. Not far outside of Denver is the laid-back college town of Boulder; read more about it in College Towns 101. At night, curl up in front of your fireplace at the cozy Gregory Inn, or go upscale at the stylish Hotel Monaco.

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