This Winter Check Off Your Bucket List – Outdoor and Indoor Fun for Family and Friends

BY SUSAN SCHABACKER

Vacationers and trip takers: Ready, set – and let’s go! Snow or not, take some trips this winter to destinations you’ve always wanted to visit and make cross-offs on your winter bucket list. Whether you’re headed to the beach or to the mountains – skiing, snowboarding, Christmas caroling or light-seeing – there’s plenty to do for sightseeing. Seek out adventure this winter and banish boredom, whether indoors or out.

Explore new and exciting ideas for traveling locally. Jet set like the Jetsons via car, bus or on foot, and take in the scene with journaling and pic taking. Reach your goals and do more with your time. Enjoy fun excursions, either solo or surrounded by your family and friends.

DAY TRIPPING OR STAYING IN TOWN? SO MANY PLACES TO GO! 

Dry Falls near Highlands – Sugar Mountain Resort and Beech Mountain ski resorts – Outer Banks – Childress Vineyards – Biltmore House – Pilot Mountain – Hanging Rock State Park –   Great Smoky Mountains National Park – NC Museum of Art – Grandfather Mountain – Mint Museum – Blue Ridge Parkway – Reynolda House Museum of American Art – SECCA – Croatan National Forest – The High Point Museum – The Red Dog Art Gallery – Bethabara – Tanglewood Park – Old Salem – Linville Falls Visitors Center – The Chinese Lantern Festival in Cary – NC Aquariums – North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

STAYING HOME? THE “WHEREVER YOU ARE” WINTER BUCKET LIST

The cold may have you feeling cranky and crabby, wanting nothing more than to hibernate, but don’t let it get you down. Here’s a creative list of what to enjoy whether you decide to go out or stay in, travel, or stay at home.

1. Sit by the window and watch the snowfall, catch snowflakes on your tongue, make snow angels, snow forts, snowmen, snowballs, snow cream, and cut out paper snowflakes to hang on your tree.
2. Go tubing, sledding, skiing, snowboarding, ice climbing, and ice skating.
3. Take a bubble bath while you watch a movie or read a book or magazine.
4. Camp indoors with candles or by the fireplace with lots of blankets and toast marshmallows.
5. Get cozy by the fireplace with a cuppa cocoa and knit a scarf, sweater, socks, hat or blanket.
6. Have an outdoor bonfire and invite people over to toast marshmallows, sing songs and dance ‘round the fire.
7. Decorate the tree and whole house, listen to Christmas music, and sing Christmas carols.
8. Attend a Moravian love feast at Old Salem in Winston-Salem.
9. Bake up a storm (pumpkin spice muffins, chai cupcakes, gingerbread, and sugar cookies in festive Christmas shapes, apple pie or crumble) and give them to your neighbors.
10. Get involved with local non-profit charities and volunteer.
11. Make your Christmas cards and homemade gifts.
12. Donate food, water, coats, blankets, toiletries, and other items to a homeless shelter.
13. Winter cleaning: Make your indoor environment spic and span by cleaning and clearing your space of clutter or chaos.
14. Do a winter photoshoot, whether it’s people portraits, pet portraits or landscapes and nature.
15. Create a winter song playlist, blast those tunes and work out or dance to it, or get some R & R with a bath or massage with aromatherapy.
16. Host a game night. Get your trivia on, play charades, or sing karaoke. Still bored? Have a board game or card game marathon- Uno, War or poker, anyone?
17. Have an afternoon tea party complete with cucumber sandwiches, sugar cubes, and fine China – pinkies out, everyone!
18. Host an International Pot Luck. Have your guests bring dishes from around the world – sushi time!
19. TV show and movie marathon: Hello, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTube! Pop some popcorn and binge-watch your favs.
20. Get crafty and have an art-and-craft-athon- Make jewelry or ornaments. Draw, paint and sculpt up a storm with a live model, object-subject or photo reference, and give your creations as gifts.
21. Host an indoor spa girls’ night in – make your own DIY spa and beauty products, play New Age music and serve refreshments to your guests
22. Watch a hockey game: Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, and the Minor Leagues’ Charlotte Checkers, Fayetteville Marksmen, and Carolina Thunderbirds in Winston-Salem.
23. Get ahead of the game and start setting your New Year’s resolutions for 2020.

However far you travel, or however close to home you stay, make progress by crossing things off your winter bucket list! Get strategic and plan ahead, or be spontaneous and do things on the spur of the moment. However y’all decide to check ‘em off your list, feel good about the progress you’re making, and always enjoy the process!