Travel Tips

Let Someone Else Cook: Family Friendly Thanksgiving Getaways

Kerri Zane

williamsburgThe traditional Thanksgivings holiday usually includes massive amounts of food and loads of family drama. But, for a truly traditional Thanksgiving with loads of history and no histrionics, how about traveling to some authentic Thanksgiving destinations? Family travel expert Kerri Zane shares four no-hassle family-friendly Thanksgiving getaways for this year.

New Hampshire

Did you know there was actually a second Thanksgiving in 1623, thanks to David Thomson? He was an English fisherman who established the first settlement in New Hampshire and saved the Pilgrims from starving by sharing his dried cod. This year marks the 151st anniversary of the creation of a national day of Thanksgiving—thanks to New Hampshire’s Sarah Josepha Hale, who finally convinced President Lincoln to do so after years of trying.

In honor of these historic happenings, Wentworth by the Sea Hotel, which is within a stone’s throw of the site of Thomson’s settlement, offers an “over the river and through the woods” setting for Thanksgiving dinner. On Thursday, November 27, there will be a traditional Thanksgiving dinner in SALT, the hotel’s re-imagined dining room. There will also be a festive Thanksgiving Day Buffet in the Ballroom.

The area offers lots more family fun if you choose to extend your stay through the holiday weekend. You can tour the historic houses at Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth or take a hike in White Mountain National Forest. On Saturday November 29 at 1 p.m., you can dive into the icy waters of Corcoran Pond at the 2nd Annual Cold Turkey Plunge, and then grab a hot chocolate and head to Waterville Valley Town Square. At 3:30 p.m., Santa will be pulled up by the Valley Snow Dogz dogsled team to visit with children. Stick around until 7 p.m. when he’ll light the holiday tree in the Town Square to signal the start of a spectacular fireworks show over Corcoran Pond.

Massachusetts

For the real deal, take your family to Plimouth Plantation. You can travel back in time and enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner in the village recreated to look just as it did in the 17th century, and populated by costumed role players portraying actual residents of the colony. There are several different dining options, but I suggest you and your family partake in the 1627 harvest dinner. It is a more historical and traditional Thanksgiving meal where Pilgrims and Native American guests join in the celebration. After your meal, visit the museum sites: Plimoth Plantation, a Smithsonian-affiliated living history museum, as well as the Mayflower II and the Plimoth Grist Mill.

Stay the weekend and enjoy the town of Plymouth, about two and a half miles away from the plantation. There you can visit the headquarters of the General Society of the Mayflower Descendants. It is a historic house located at 4 Winslow Street with an extensive Pilgrim library. There are a number of great accommodations in the town as well. One option is the John Carver Inn, which has a version of the Mayflower in the indoor pool.

Virginia

From November 27 to 29, you and your family can partake in a traditional Thanksgiving like the one experienced by 17th- and 18th-century Virginians and the Continental Army soldiers at the Jamestown Settlement & Yorktown Victory Center. You will learn how food was gathered, preserved, maintained, and prepared on land and at sea, and compare and contrast the Powhatan Indians and English colonists. Then, sit down to a three-course meal at one of Colonial Williamsburg‘s historic taverns or at family-friendly Williamsburg Lodge for a garden-to-table feast.

Then enjoy the rest of the weekend exploring a treetop adventure and participating in an interactive spy mission. There are also world-class roller coasters, Broadway-styled live shows, and a sunset voyage on a pirate ship. You can walk along the beach or bike the trails along the Colonial Parkway, or raise your glass in a nearby vineyard and toast the modern day conveniences of 18th-century museums.

Utah

West Coasters, if you can’t get to Plymouth Rock this month, you can still experience the historic Pilgrim and Native American gathering at the annual Thanksgiving meal re-enactment at Thanksgiving Point’s “Eat Like a Pilgrim.” This is a rare and special opportunity because very few places in the United States host Thanksgiving re-enactments, and Thanksgiving Point is the only one held outside of New England. At Eat Like a Pilgrim, you’ll meet several characters from the first Thanksgiving feast including Gov. William Bradford, William Brewster, Squanto, and the Wampanoag. The event not only features the re-enactment, but also provides an authentic harvest dinner in a rustic Plymouth Colony setting. Try some of the more adventurous offerings such as duck, oysters, parched corn, and goat’s milk. Other entertainment and activities include 17th century music, contra dancing, farm animal visits, tug-o-war, calligraphy, wooden stockade photo ops, and more.

For more tips for Thanksgiving travel, check out: 

By Kerri Zane for PeterGreenberg.com. Kerri Zane is a family travel expert and author of It Takes All 5: A Single Mom’s Guide to Finding the REAL One, on sale now. For more advice on health, parenting or Kerri’s exclusive MomEscapes, visit her at KerriZane.com.

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