Digital · Dec 04, 2019

Unwrap Adventure

Words by Ashley Locke

It’s the most wonderful time of the year––a season of joy and laughter, family and fun. It’s a season of giving thanks, and a season of giving. We all want to give gifts that are meaningful and show our loved ones how much we care, but finding the right gift can be tricky. What do you get for the person who has everything? Maybe you don’t give them a thing––maybe you give them an adventure. From music-lovers to foodies, there’s a destination for everyone on your list. Check out our picks for travel inspo and have the happiest holidays yet!

FOR THE COUNTRY MUSIC LOVER: BRISTOL, VIRGINIA

Every country fan knows about Nashville, but what about where country music really got its start? Recognized by Congress in 1998 as the Birthplace of Country Music, Bristol, Virginia is home to the recording of the 1927 Bristol Sessions––also known as the Big Bang of Country Music. The Bristol Hotel celebrates the city’s role in music history with in-room Crosley turntables. Kick back with a curated vinyl library featuring limited-edition albums from legendary country artists like Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton. Then explore the city’s historic music scene with banjo lessons led by local musicians, tours of the Smithsonian Birthplace of Country Music Museum, and live bluegrass concerts atop the hotel’s Lumac Rooftop Bar.

FOR THE HISTORIAN: ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

Asheville is known for craft breweries, but there’s much much more to explore. Asheville’s historic African-American business district is known as The Block, and it’s full of entertainment, historic sites, and authentic local cuisine. Book a room at the luxury Foundry Hotel, a renovated steel foundry in the neighborhood that features original construction. Then enjoy an interactive ‘Hood’ tour led by a local historian, DeWayne Barton of Hood Huggers International learn more about the locals who lived and worked near the foundry, and their role in developing major Asheville landmarks like the Biltmore Estate.

FOR THE BOURBON LOVER: LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY

Your nightcap will never be the same after a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, the “birthplace of bourbon.” Spoil the bourbon lover in your life with their very own, individually selected, small-batch barrel of bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery. They’ll get to tour the distillery and get hands-on training on how to “nose,” taste, and select their own barrel of bourbon. Once they pick out their barrel, it will be hand bottled by the distillery team and marked with a personalized medallion.

FOR THE WESTERN ENTHUSIAST: FORT WORTH, TEXAS

Be a cowboy for a day in Cowtown, USA––also known as Fort Worth, Texas. Visit the historic Stockyards and visit a family-owned Fort Worth Staple, M. L. Leddy’s. There, you can get fitted for custom cowboy boots, hats, and belts. If you purchase a pair of boots, you’ll also get your name in the shop’s legendary books, right alongside presidents, royalty, and rock stars! You’ll want to boot, scoot, and boogie all year long!

FOR THE YOGI: NASSAU, BAHAMAS

There’s nothing better than making time to relax after a busy holiday season. At the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar in the Bahamas, you can meditate alongside a flamingo flock in the resort’s own Flamingo Cay. Perfect your pose with “instructors” Baha, Indy, Luca & Lenny, and enjoy an extra dose of positive vibes and inspiration as you practice and seek inner Zen.

FOR THE FISHERMAN: CAPE CORAL, FLORIDA

They’ll fall for this gift hook, line, and sinker. Book a stay at theWestin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village for an unbelievable fisherman’s experience. You’ll have access to more than 400 miles of Southwest Florida’s navigable canals and waterways stocked with grouper, mahi mahi, tuna, snook, snapper, amberjack and cobia. Sign up for the Hook N’ Cook program, and Chef Criss Menassa will prepare your catch for the freshest meal of your life.