Alexa’s Guide to Winter Travel

Fall to winter is the most festive time of the year with each month having its own holiday. I also think everything slows down in a good way at this time of year. Since many people become hermits with colder weather, the time you get with everyone seems more intimate and special because they peeled themselves out of the warmth of their bed for you. Though initially annoying as the call for Christmas gets earlier and earlier each year, the stores start to smell like cinnamon and vanilla and you get that urge to buy as many things that will make your home a cozy oasis. Another plus is that travel is the most affordable and popular places are significantly less crowded.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to take advantage of travel this winter season, but I thought I would share some destinations that I believe are worth investing in during the colder months–based on my personal travels–instead of saving your money for one big, expensive trip in the summer.

Maui, Hawaii
Traveling to any of the islands of Hawaii is obviously a big item no matter where you are coming from, but not only are temperatures mild in the winter, it is also whaling season. You can see the whales swimming about and jumping into the air according to the locals I met when I visited this past July. Another random fact is that if you visit the lavender farm I visited in Maui, it is also when the lavender is in bloom and the farm is a purple hue. Ultimately, it seems the island just comes alive and is not only restricted to the summer months. I have only heard positive things about various islands in Hawaii, but I can only speak from my experience there: it was worth every cent.

Barcelona, Spain
I visited Barcelona last September and my friend, Ilse, went last December; we both enjoyed warm temperatures and sunshine on our respective trips. I could really go on and on about why you should visit beautiful Barcelona, but that’s why I have a blog post and vlog about it. 🙂

New Orleans, Louisiana
I have made the God-awful mistake of going to New Orleans in the summer, but I also went last October with friends and was able to enjoy a t-shirt and shorts the whole weekend. I personally don’t remember a significant temperature drop at night, but if you are going there for the same reason everyone else goes there, temperatures won’t matter (*wink wink*). Because of where New Orleans is located geographically, it is always susceptible to showers or storms, but hurricane season ends in November, so that’s a plus. I will be returning myself in January!

Los Angeles, California
This one really needs no explanation. I pretty much stopped cataloging my trips to L.A., but you will never be at a loss for suggestions in a simple Google search. Like Hawaii, L.A. is expensive to fly to at all times of the year unless you’re flying from the west coast, but there is sooooo much information out there on how to make the trip itself inexpensive. Not to mention, there is so much to do which is why L.A. is…well, L.A.

 Austin, Texas
It’s been a while since I have been back to Austin, but Texas is a great place to visit in the winter because of our mild weather. Austin is even further south than Dallas, so their temperatures are usually on the warmer side. Austin is a playground for everyone–it has great music, great food, great nature activities, and everything is in close promixity because the city is really not that large. It is also home to our state university, so there is always a lot of going on and the city has a young energy. There’s a reason SXSW and ACL get bigger and bigger every year!

The unnecessary amount of money I spent this summer during my trips definitely taught me a lesson about how I want to travel next year. Though I won’t be able to explore new territory this fall or winter, I hope to hit the ground running sooner than later so I can come back with even more suggestions next year. And if you are like me spending your cold months in the comfort of your home, I have some travel vlogs that can maybe help transport you to a far away location for somewhere between 3 to 20 minutes–depending on where you go. 🙂

xx, AE

Edit: Please see the comment below from klassyhk–her recommendations are spot on and all places I have personally visited and enjoyed! ❤