Cozy Winter Getaways: From Snowy Cabins to Sunny Beaches

Ready to escape the winter blues? Join travel advisors Ryan and Julie as they explore the best cozy winter getaways that will warm your heart—whether you prefer snow-covered mountains or sun-soaked beaches!

In this episode, we're diving into destinations perfect for slowing down, relaxing, and creating magical winter memories. Ryan and Julie share their top picks for travelers who want that perfect blend of comfort, adventure, and relaxation during the colder months.

Snowy Mountain Retreats: Discover the charm of alpine escapes in Utah, Colorado, and Vermont. Julie highlights luxurious lodges like the Stein Erickson Lodge in Deer Valley and the iconic Stanley Hotel in Estes Park (yes, the inspiration for "The Shining"!). Even if you're not a skier, these destinations offer snowshoeing, sleigh rides, ice skating, and cozy après-ski vibes with fire pits and warm drinks. Ryan shares his Vermont memories, including maple tastings and exploring quintessential New England towns like Woodstock.

Caribbean Sunshine: Not a cold weather person? No problem! Ryan and Julie also cover warm and cozy getaways to places like Aruba, the Bahamas, and St. Lucia. From the dependable sunshine of Aruba to the pink sand beaches of the Bahamas, these destinations offer the perfect vitamin D boost when February feels never-ending.

Special Highlights:

• Julie reveals she's planning an Alaska cruise for July 2027—book early for the best prices!
• "Where in the World is Wonder and Beyond Travel?" features multiple families heading to Beaches Turks and Caicos
• Expert tips on choosing boutique accommodations and planning downtime
• Why cozy is more about pace than place

Whether you're dreaming of crackling fireplaces and hot chocolate or tropical drinks and turquoise waters, this episode has the perfect winter escape for you. Pack your fuzzy socks or your swimsuit—either way, you're in for a treat!

Transcript

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 0:00

Hello and welcome to all Things Travel. We're heading into winter and I know that we love to cozy up with a movie, hot Chocolate popcorn and a warm blanket, which made me think of sharing our top cozy winter getaways. Think crackling fireplaces, snowy Village Streets. steaming mugs of cocoa and that perfect blend of relaxation with a little bit of adventure. you want to hibernate in a cabin or head off to the Caribbean, we've got ideas for you today.

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 0:34

Listen in with travel advisors and destination experts. Ryan and Julie. I'm your travel professor teaching you everything you need to know to have a magical vacation, and she's a Disney loving Maryland mom of three and a specialist in family travel. Whether we're discussing incredible destinations, top vacation tips, or sharing personal stories, it's always all things travel. So, Julie, what is a trip you're working on right now that you're excited about?

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 1:05

talking about how I've been very busy because I traveled last week, so of course as I sent out my out of office. Lots of travel requests came back, but

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 1:17

Yep.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 1:17

what I'm

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 1:18

how it happens.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 1:19

this is a trip that is being planned very far advance. This is for travel in July of 2027, but the reason we're

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 1:30

Boom.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 1:30

is because this is an Alaska cruise. For a multi-generational family, and we've said it before, Alaska for a couple months outta the year. So they book quickly. And Ryan and I were on

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 1:44

Yep.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 1:44

when I was working on this proposal and we kept going back and forth. This price cannot be right. There's something wrong, right? Do you remember this conversation last week?

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 1:55

Yes, I do.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 1:56

price? Um, the, because we're booking in advance. So this is a really exciting southbound. It goes from Seward down to, uh, Vancouver, I believe. a lot of really exciting stops. Juno Ketchikan, ACAN, skag White, and it just reminded me of that Alaska Shore Excursion episode we just did.

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 2:18

that's hilarious'cause that's the exact same type of trip that I was gonna talk about today. my folks that came back from Ireland, this fall have already contacted me and they're like 20, 26 or 2027. We want to do Alaska. We're not sure if we wanna do land or a cruise. I said let's start with a cruise with a land tour portion of it. All that conversation about our Alaska Shore Excursion episode came flooding back. great minds think alike. We are in the last frontier of the us.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 2:48

exciting trip. And I part about planning Alaska is it's not something that, it's not clients repeat. So you're really

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 2:56

Yeah,

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 2:57

there. And it's just really exciting.

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 3:00

yeah, absolutely. Well, today is something really cool. you know me, I'm not a super winter weather kind of guy, but as I started to look through your notes here, Julie. Some of these really piqued my interest, and I've had experience with some of these. this'll be fun to talk about cozy winter getaways, some of which involve sand and sun. But before we do that, I want to remind folks, if you did not listen to last week's episode, we wrapped up our three budget series by talking about three different ways that you could see Hawaii.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 3:37

define a getaway, and for me it's more So about

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 3:42

Okay.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 3:43

it is the destination. Because we're gonna take two different approaches to the destination, but I'm thinking someplace that helps you slow down a little bit. You wanna feel like it's a warm, inviting, comfortable place. You can either, you know. Curl up in at a cozy cafe or at a lodge, or snuggle up in your room boutique hotel, something like that. Something that is just regular during the winter time. So

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 4:12

I like it.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 4:13

what might come to mind a cozy winter getaway. is a snowy cabin retreat, and I am thinking of places like Colorado, Vermont, and Utah, where when you go here, you're going for the scenery the type of accommodation you're gonna have. You could do some skiing if you want to, but I mean, that's not really my thing gonna guess it's probably not Ryan's thing

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 4:38

You know, it's it, it's not. Now I will tell you one of the things that I really got into when I lived in Vermont. I really liked snowshoeing

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 4:49

Okay.

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 4:49

and I would actually take my snowshoes to work. I worked on a college campus and in the afternoons I would go out at the woods around our campus and do snowshoeing, and it was really fun because it is good exercise, but it also gets you out in nature. And yeah, so I can see doing a little bit of that, but no skiing, that's not me. I don't have the balance or stamina for that.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 5:12

So cabin with our fireplace and some snacks, but let, let's.

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 5:18

absolutely. you bring the Chex mix. I'll bring the whiskey.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 5:21

Utah, and this is one of those places where the

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 5:24

Okay.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 5:24

just unbelievable. And you, you have those gorgeous Red Rock but now they're just with snow. towns if you wanna go that way. So there's two places we would recommend to stay at. The first is the Stein Erickson Lodge, and this is in Deer Valley. This is more of a luxurious accommodation. A lot of the rooms have. Fireplaces. It really feels like that Alpine lodge. And if you are skiing, there's ski in, ski out access, which is a really big deal for skiers. Plus a really large outdoor hot tub, which I'll be there. The other, the other

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 6:02

Nice.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 6:02

is the Sol River Ranch in Moab. And this is better if you want more of that cozy, but you're not skiing in And out of your, you know, accommodations. It's these cute rustic cabins on the Colorado River, and here's where Ryan comes in. things like snowshoeing in Park City. Take a sleigh ride near Deer Valley now that sounds amazing to just really picture perfect. You could also go visit

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 6:29

Yes. Right.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 6:30

Lands National Park in in the winter. It's gonna be a lot crowded and really, really peaceful, and

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 6:38

I think this last one is the most me, but anyway.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 6:41

Main Street. So Street will feel really festive with their lights, their boutiques. I'm sure they have some great restaurants there. You could go to, this sounds really cute, like almost like a postcard trip, right? Yeah.

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 6:59

Absolutely. I love it. I, I get the appeal. I'm, I'm, I'm making fun of the, of the skiing, but I totally get the appeal of being in place like this. Well, let's head over to Colorado and it's really interesting'cause I had totally forgotten about this. but when you started talking about the Red Rocks and The snow. When I was in graduate school, I actually went out and stayed with one of my good friends and his, wife, and we actually went backpacking down in Utah, this was in early spring. So the first night when we were in Utah, it actually did snow. so that first day we were backpacking through snow, So, Colorado is probably what most people think of when they think of cozy winter getaway. You've got the big mountains, the charming towns, fireplaces, you can ski, you don't need to ski. where are you gonna stay? You're gonna stay at the Little Nell in Aspen, which is an iconic, upscale, hotel with amazing food right at the base of a mountain. Perfect for couples or a treat yourself trip. I like that idea. or the Stanley Hotel. in Estes Park. It's historic, it's, atmospheric right by the Rocky Mountain National Park. I've actually stayed in Estes and it's interesting that you put this on the list, Julie, because what is the Stanley Hotel also known as?

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 8:18

haunted.

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 8:20

Yes, it's the inspiration for the Shining.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 8:23

why I thought this was such a fun one to include.

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 8:27

Estes Park is a really fun little tourist town, but even if you don't wanna be touristy, there's still a lot of cool stuff there. Snow tubing at Snowmass. fun for families and groups. ice skating in Vail Village or Beaver Creek. Rocky Mountain National Park in the winter. seeing the wildlife during that time of year. Quiet hikes. Seeing some of that unbelievable snowy landscapes. I guarantee I'll be able to use my snow shoes here and then doing an apre ski without the ski. So, you know, everybody else comes off the slopes and you kind of sidle up in the back like, Hey, wasn't that awesome? Who needs a drink? fire pits, warm drinks. Live music in towns like Breck Ridge and Vail because after everybody skis for the day, they want to have a nice time. And that's where Apri Ski comes in.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 9:14

I mean kind of trips something that I consider a lot, but I think it would just be, again, I love the idea that Cozy winter getaway, just a quick place to go to. All right, so those are both

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 9:25

Yep.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 9:25

you know, on go up to Vermont, which Ryan has mentioned a couple times. So this is more that Hallmark movie feel. There's the white steeple churches, the covered bridges, cozy Inns. is ringing a bell for you, Ryan. Yep.

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 9:41

Absolutely.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 9:42

two places to stay at the Trap Family Lodge in sto, which is owned by the actual Von Trap family. Just think of like an Austrian Alpine meets New England charm.

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 9:56

And STO is a skiing area if you wanna do that as well.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 10:00

another option is Twin Farms, which is in Barnard. It, this is more luxury. There's private cottages. They have fireplaces and soaking tubs. Just that really romantic getaway and a couple of activities. Ryan, I wonder if you've done any of these. The first is a

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 10:20

Okay.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 10:20

ride. views without needing any of those seat skiing skills, which

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 10:25

Alright.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 10:26

for us. Like you take the gondola up, but you don't

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 10:28

Yeah, yeah,

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 10:30

Fat biking or cross country skiing. Do we think fat biking is like biking, but with a bigger tire?

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 10:39

yeah. They do a bigger tire so they can bike on the snow.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 10:42

tasting. Here you

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 10:43

Yeah.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 10:43

It said.

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 10:45

I've done this, I have done this in Vermont.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 10:47

kids love this. And I was like, I should have written, Ryan loves this

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 10:54

Yes, in Vermont you can get all things maple. That is true.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 10:57

Woodstock and Manchester, where you'll see a lot of boutiques bakeries.

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 11:01

Uh,

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 11:01

is like having some real nostalgia right now.

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 11:04

I mean, well, I'm just saying like Woodstock is the quintessential Vermont town. Absolutely gorgeous. Manchester is a nice town too, but also has a lot of outlet shopping, so you know, that's a really good kind of day trip.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 11:21

my favorite horse-drawn sleigh rides. Did you ever do one of those when you were up there?

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 11:28

So I remember, I was there as a professor and the first year, the president and his wife had a holiday party at their house there were, uh, sleigh rides, or I think it was a hayride, And Miriam, who was less than one at the time, was in a Santa dress with black leather patent shoes, and she was just dressed for the party. And we were able to go on a hayride and visit Santa. So yes, very much had these types of experiences in Vermont.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 12:00

Just, I love all those ideas. I mean, we said, we're both not really like

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 12:04

All right, Julie. Well, before we talk about maybe some places that are still cozy but not so cold, where in the world is Wonder and Beyond Travel? Warm us up a little bit with this trip.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 12:14

is a fun one to highlight reminds me exactly of a cozy winter getaway. But we're going to Turks and and I actually have multiple families, uh, clients, families Beaches, Turks, and Caicos in December and January. are for the full week, some are quick trips, um, because it is a such, you know, the beautiful. It's that perfect Caribbean clear water. You can walk right in. It's so calm. Um, and it is just that great to go to get away from the cold weather. Get some family time. The resort is all inclusive, so you're not worrying about your cooking, you're cleaning, and there are a million activities for the kids to do. So if you are really looking for to go away and you know you're gonna have that warm, beautiful beach weather, Turks and Caicos is the place to go.

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 13:07

I love that idea. We are so excited when we get to celebrate with our clients and talk about where they're headed and the experiences that they have. It inspires our curiosity as travel advisors, and we can't wait to hear about their trips when they return. And who knows If you work with us, maybe your trip will be featured next.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 13:27

so let's talk about cozy, but not cold getaways. So sometimes cozy means like

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 13:34

Okay.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 13:35

freezing, you know, maybe winter vibe is more like mine and includes something like warm sand tropical drink. So let's head towards the Caribbean.

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 13:46

I like this idea, especially if we're getting away from the holiday time because I love being. Here in the Midwest for the holidays, but after the holidays, you hit that February-ish and it gets a little hard and I could definitely see getting away and getting some vitamin D. I remember a couple years ago I had a work trip and then tacked on. some free time afterwards. And I was in Florida for 10 days at the end of January. And just, that little time made all the difference for the rest of that early spring So I, I like these ideas.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 14:24

a couple of places in the Caribbean that we would recommend for these quick getaways. And the first one is Aruba, which everyone talks about is one happy island. So this is a great place to go to escape that winter weather. The sunshine there is very dependable and it's. Fairly easy to get Aruba. It doesn't require a ton of planning. There are some all-inclusive resorts. There are some adult only resorts, but there's also just regular resorts because the food and the town is really what you wanna go explore in Aruba. if you wanted to do an adults only, I'm gonna send you to the Bacu Beach Resort. But if you just want a regular. Family friendly resort. to the Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort, which has even more like a waterpark type area for the kids as well, which I love that. And it also has great family suites, which everyone enjoys that extra space when you've got the whole family. I love this, weekend, you enjoy the beach in the morning throughout the day, enjoy the pools. There's spa options available, but you could also do some active things like kayaking or going to the Flamingo Islands, um, things like that to, to really plus

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 15:34

Well, The Bahamas are one of the easiest winter warmups from the United States. You get gorgeous beaches, good Caribbean vibes and plenty of space to relax. if you're headed to the Nassau area. we're gonna recommend two different places. Adults only would be Sandals, Royal Bahamian. Julie and I were there a bit ago, doing a site visit. was that not just the coolest resort

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 15:58

It loved that.

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 16:01

Absolutely. Or with families. grand Hyatt, Baja Mar, which is outside of Nassau. Tons of dining options, amazing pools. So what are we gonna be doing on this Cozy getaway, Pink Sand Beach, exploring pastel colored towns, snorkeling around coral gardens, rum tasting at a local distillery, slow mornings on the porch with ocean breezes. Yes. Yes. And yes.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 16:28

The Bahamas again, they're easy That also means they're close to the coast of the US so they're not gonna be super warm, but it's probably still better than what it is here.

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 16:37

but it will be different than what you and I are experiencing at that time. For sure.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 16:41

the last one I'm gonna highlight, is St. Lucia. I

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 16:43

Okay.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 16:44

loved when I got to visit St. Lucia over the summer, so I would go back here. In a heartbeat. And if you want to do this as an adult, only trip I'm gonna say is go to Sandals Halon, which is quiet and it's for adults only. If you have your family, I'm gonna say the Windjammer Resort because I like the location of it and it also offers a lot of family suite options. some things I would definitely recommend you do here are, you know, enjoy the beach for your The beach is. So, so beautiful in The turquoise water backed by the mountains and the pecans. If you really wanna get cozy, go over to the mud baths at the sulfur springs and go through that drive-in volcano that I got to do back in June. This is just such a lovely area, and if your adults only, you know, kind of just enjoying that downtime, a quiet breakfast in your room, maybe grabbing a cabana at your hotel, things like that. The, these trips don't need to be a whole don't need to be jam packed or action packed. Just really focusing on, you know, quality time. a couple go ahead.

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 17:50

I like that idea. If we're talking about cozy getaways, cozy is kind of a, state of mind, right?

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 17:57

Mm-hmm.

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 17:57

Yeah, Absolutely. So Julie, what are some tips when we're thinking about these types of trips?

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 18:02

your accommodations. wanna look for places that might be a little smaller, maybe more of a

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 18:07

Um.

j_1_11-17-2025_150805: 18:08

cabin, something like that Obviously if you have a or um, like a two bedroom suite, like that, that may. accommodation. But if it's just adults, something more boutique is lovely. Definitely plan for some downtime so that you can stop at a cafe, explore the town you're in. Um, enjoy your accommodations. And I like to think if I'm going somewhere that is cooler, I'm definitely gonna pack fuzzy socks, my blankets, wherever I'm going, I'm gonna bring that good book.'cause that's what's gonna give me those relaxing vibes.

ryan_2_11-17-2025_150805: 18:39

The world is full of wonder and your next great adventure is waiting at Wonder Beyond Travel. We work with you to create a one of a kind journey, taking the stress off your plate so you can focus on the joy of exploring and the memories that will stay with you forever. If you're ready to start planning or you just wanna dream a little bigger, head on over to Wonder and beyond travel.com. We'd love to help you get started. We look forward to talking to you next week on All Things Travel. When I discuss my recent honeymoon trip to the Hyatt Zara Cap in the Dominican Republic,