3 Unique Winter Vacations for Avoiding Crowds

Are you looking for a winter vacation destination that isn’t overcrowded or overwhelming? Immerse your family in nature when you explore these three unique destinations that offer entertainment ranging from natural parks and outdoor adventures to historical landmarks and shopping.

Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan
Discovery is endless on the Keweenaw Peninsula, the northernmost part of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Experience a quiet, breathtaking view or feel the adrenaline rush of an outdoor adventure.

Things to Do and See
- Isle Royale National Park
- Keweenaw National Historic Park
- Snowmobiling
- Cross Country and Downhill Skiing
- Dog Sledding
- Ice Fishing
- Hiking
- The Keweenaw Underwater Preserve
- Snowshoeing
- Mount Bohemia

Explore the History
Tour an Underground Copper Mine

Tens of thousands of immigrants from European countries flooded to Michigan’s northernmost peninsula to seek fortunes in the mines. While a large share of the population left the region due to fleeting natural resources, much of their legacy remains. Visitors can experience life below ground by visiting the historic Quincy Mine or Delaware Mine.

Michigan Tech University Archives & Historical Collections
The Michigan Tech University Archives and Historical Collections provide e a treasure trove of historical documents, photos to newspapers on microfilm, and images of the Upper Peninsula dating back to the 1850s.

Laurium Manor
The village of Laurium is known for some of the large homes that rose up during the hey-day of copper mining and lumbering. The most well-known home is Laurium Manor, a 45-room mansion built in 1908 for Calumet & Arizona Mining Co. owners Thomas and Cornelia Hoatson. Today it is a bed-and-breakfast inn that offers self-guided tours and overnight stays.

Fort Wilkins State Park

Built in 1844 and abandoned two years later, Fort Wilkins was once an active U.S. Army post constructed to keep the peace. Today, Fort Wilkins State Park is a well-preserved example of mid-19th century army life. Through exhibits, audiovisual programs, and living history interpretation, visitors may explore the daily routine of military service, experience the hardships of frontier isolation, and discover the lifeways of another era. The park also includes the Copper Harbor Lighthouse Complex and several additional attractions nearby, including Estivant Pines, The Delaware Mine, Brockway Mountain Drive, and Isle Royale shipwrecks.

A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum
Located on the campus of Michigan Tech, this museum displays around 4,000 species. Visitors can access the world’s largest public display of minerals from the Great Lakes Region, including a world-record 17-ton native copper slab.

Asheville, North Carolina
Cozy up for a winter vacation full of adventure or treat yourself to a relaxing getaway in stunning Asheville, North Carolina. From iconic landmarks to local favorites, this mountain escape has something for everyone!

Things to Do and See
- Ziplining
- Chimney State Park
- Botanical Gardens
- Asheville Art Museum
- Asheville Museum of Science
- Grovewood Village
- Hiking
- Fly Fishing
- Horseback Riding
- Blue Ridge Parkway
- Catawba Falls
- Rainbow Falls
- Museum of Cherokee Indian

Explore the History
Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site
Author Thomas Wolfe was born in Asheville in 1900 and grew up in his mother’s boardinghouse known as “Dixieland.” Asheville is the backdrop for his autobiographical novel, Look Homeward, Angel. The house is still preserved in downtown today, and you can explore it with a guided tour.

Biltmore Estate

The railroad tycoon George W. Vanderbilt came to Asheville in the late 1880s and purchased 120,000 acres to build his grand estate. Vanderbilt recruited landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted to design the grounds and gardens, as well as famous architect Richard Morris Hunt to help him plan the house. The house would take six years to complete and remains America’s largest home with 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces.

Asheville Urban Trail
Asheville remains a snapshot of what an American boomtown looked like during the turn of the century. Explore the city’s rich architecture and history along this self-guided walking tour of downtown.

Bend, Oregon
Fall in love with a place packed with possibility. Whether you’re on the crystal-clear waters of the Deschutes River or plunging into the frosty unknown on a pair of snowshoes, Bend has a way of putting you at ease and in awe at the same time.

Things to Do and See
- Brasada Ranch
- Tower Theatre
- Old Mill District
- High Desert Museum
- Drake Park
- Cogs
- Fort Rock
- Snow Bike
- Wool Town
- Snowshoeing
- Disc Golf
- Hiking
- Skiing
- Cascade Lavender Farm
- Oregon Desert Trail
- Rock Climbing
- Skydiving
- Detour Bend
- Hot Air Balloon Rides
- Utility Vehicle Trail Rides
- The Paulina Plunge

Explore the History
Fort Rock Valley Historical Society Homestead
Founded in 1984, Homestead Village preserves evidence of the life and times of a chapter in Oregon’s history. Take a day to explore the village buildings, a volcanic fissure, a volcanic crater formed by steam explosions, photo galleries, and the surrounding nature at this museum.

Camp Polk Cemetery
In 1880, the Hindman family set aside a position of their homestead when the growing number of settlers in the area needed a proper place to bury their dead. In 1986, the cemetery was designated a historical site by Deschutes County. Over 170 graves are in the cemetery, along with unmarked graves that are likely there too. Nine commemorative markers recognize individuals who are believed to be buried at the site, although their graves have not been located. It is the final resting place for many of central Oregon’s founding settlers, including William N. Cox and Erastus P. Buchanan.

The Box Factory
Located between the Old Mill District and Downtown Bend on Industrial Way, the original Box Factory opened in June 1916. Thousands of shipping boxes and crates were made here using milled trees from Bend’s logging days. The current owners have preserved its historical features while remodeling the facility to hold more than 30 businesses, including fitness studios, art and interior design showrooms, boutique retailers, and a tour company.

Lava Island Rock Shelter
In 1981, a professional archeologist working with the U.S. Forest Service excavated and restored this native site. Using artifact typology and obsidian hydration, archaeologists were able to unearth and preserve many native artifacts. This is one of the few native sites in the area you can visit up close and personal.