HOLIDAY EXPERIENCES IN NC!

Sometimes, it is the most rewarding when you get to travel close to home to experience something new. We absolutely love wandering on day trips within a few hours of us or actually within Greensboro! During the holiday season, we were able to enjoy some days trips or holiday experiences that we would love to share.

1. Polar Express at the N.C. Transportation Center – Do your kids love reading or watching the Polar Express? If so, it’s a very special and magical experience to take them on the Polar Express. The N.C. Transportation Center is located in Spencer, NC, which is about an hour from Greensboro. We boarded the train and spent a little over an hour reliving the magic of the Polar Express. Throughout the ride, the chefs sang holiday songs while we were served hot chocolate in souvenir cups and delicious cookies. Once to the North Pole, we disembarked the train in order to see Santa and his elves. Santa then hopped on our train in order to give each of us a bell. It was such a great way for the kids to enjoy some holiday spirit.

2. Winterfest at Carowinds – As I have mentioned before, we are definitely a thrill-seeking family. One of our favorite yearly experiences includes time at Carowinds. Carowinds is an amusement park located in both NC and SC, and it is about two hours from Greensboro. For the past few years, we have gotten annual passes for this great park. If your child is between the ages of 3 and 5, make sure to check out the Pre-K pass, which is a free yearly pass! One of our favorite times to visit Carowinds is during the holidays for Winterfest. The park is decked out in lights, decorations, and characters. There are crafts, shows, and a newly added parade. It is a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday season.

3. Nutcracker Tea at the O’Henry Hotel – This Nutcracker Tea is in Greensboro, and this year was our first time attending! The amazing Nutcracker entertained us from start to finish. We were served delicious apple cider, tea, or hot chocolate along with special treats. Throughout the tea, visitors were able to make an ornament, help decorate a gingerbread house, see ballerinas dance parts of the Nutcracker, hear the Nutcracker read by Clara, and sing along to holiday songs. The girls loved every minute of this experience.

4. Random Acts of Kindness throughout the month of December – I’m throwing this one in because I absolutely love to do as many random acts of kindness as possible with the girls during December (or anytime throughout the year). It’s really important for me to show my children that they are very lucky and we need to help others in need. Some of our favorite kindness acts include sending cards to our loved ones, bringing treats to our local firemen, and buying gifts for kids in need.

We hope you have enjoyed reading about some of our holiday experiences near and far from this past holiday season. Thank you for wandering along with us!