With the hubbub of the holiday season and the Super Bowl pleasingly behind us, things are all quiet on the home front.  It feels like a clean slate, the new year and all.  Many of us use the opportunity to focus on a new challenge, begin a new exercise program or dig into a new project.  Others of us use the opportunity to hibernate a bit and relax.  I like to travel.

To me, the months of January and February have always seemed romantic.  There is mystery in the leafless trees and chilly winds.   I find a vacation to the mountains, or at trip abroad, luring, and I succumb to that inclination more often than not.  What, with the great insulated inner and outer wear that we have these days, cold weather need not deter us one bit.  When the great outdoors beckons, I love wandering up into the mountains of the US, enjoying the snow and warm fires with my children and friends.  I love fly fishing anywhere at all. My husband and I also found that doing the full blown sightseeing thing in winter can be fantastic.   Winter rates can be so low that it is possible to travel farther, and stay in better hotels than any other time of the year.  And there are no lines anywhere in the northern Hemisphere. There is no one at Tokapi in February, no lines anywhere from Berlin to Beijing.  That in itself makes traveling in winter worth serious consideration!

Be a practical traveler.  Take physical and financial abilities well into account before spending a dime on a trip. Establish destination criteria.  For me: new sights or great friends, a clean bath tub/ bed, no heavy duty hiking, good regional food, crafts, art or natural beauty, good prices, a few pennies in my pocket - and I am OFF!  What will it look like, what will I find, how will it be? I love a good mystery trip!

Here's wishing you and your family Happy Trails in the New Year!