9 Ultimate Holiday Destinations

Sunset Magazine

Ski, skate, sled, or just relax by the fire at these cozy winter retreats


Emerald Lake Lodge, Field, B.C.
High in the Canadian Rockies, Emerald Lake Lodge gives you deep, soft snows on a 13-acre peninsula jutting out into Emerald Lake. In the main lodge-a hand-hewn timber structure that dates back to 1902-you'll play pool by the fireplace, drink at an oak bar salvaged from a 19th-century Yukon saloon, then sup on dishes like duck breast and hazelnut risotto.
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The Ranch at Rock Creek, Philipsburg, MT
The Wild West goes glam at the new Ranch at Rock Creek, about 1 1/4 hours southeast of Missoula. Feeling sporty? We won't rattle off the full list of winter activities but will note that they include Percheron-led sleigh rides. Lazy? There's no shame in whiling away the hours with a book and a hot toddy by the crackling fire in the Granite Lodge after a massage at the spa.
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West Shore Café & Inn, Homewood, CA
You won't find this anywhere else on Lake Tahoe: Across the road from the downhill runs of Homewood Mountain Resort, an intimate six-room inn that feels like your very own home. Or, well, like the woodsy-elegant waterfront home of your very wealthy friend. You know, with flickering gas fireplaces, slate-stone bathrooms, and floor-to-ceiling windows (in your room and at the downstairs restaurant-bar) that reveal every glorious ripple of Tahoe and the peaks beyond.
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Dunton Hot Springs, near Dolores, CO
From a distance, it's True Grit. Up close, true Ritz. At first glance, Dunton Hot Springs, in Colorado's San Juan Mountains southwest of Telluride, gives off an aura of pioneer simplicity. But the Old West was never this posh. The 12 guest cabins blend rustic with insanely comfortable. The former saloon/dance hall is now the dining room, serving mostly regionally sourced food. Two cabins are devoted to spa treatments.
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Chena Hot Springs Resort, near Fairbanks, AK
About 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks, this rustic but cozy resort has dogsledding, an amazing ice museum, and aurora borealis viewing.
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Hidden Meadow Ranch, Greer, AZ
In the White Mountains, this luxe 12-cabin guest ranch offers winter fun and an haute-ranch menu with stunners like achiote-marinated elk tenderloin.
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Related:
More amazing winter trips in the West