Best Winter Trips 2013 #Part2

6. Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

Photograph by David Turnley, Getty Images

Carnival in Brazil’s first capital (and former Portuguese colonial capital) is a cruising Afro-Brazilian dance party stretching mile after mile along center city and coastal circuits. Convoys of trio elétricos (souped-up semitrailer trucks carrying live bands and DJs) snake past the costumed crowds, pumping up the volume on
homegrown Bahia samba-reggae and axé (ahh-shay) music, increasing the frenetic energy with each passing block. Salvador’s local blocos afros (community bands/social groups celebrating African heritage and dress) create this Carnival’s distinctive timbal (high-pitched hand drum) sound. Official Carnival runs from February 7 to February 13, but in Salvador, the partying continues through the morning of Ash Wednesday, when percussion-led processions pulsate along Avenida Oceanica toward Ondina Beach. Founded on Brazil’s northeast coast in 1549 as a strategic seaport and, soon after, a New World slave market capital, urban Salvador remains an amalgam of European, African, and American Indian culture. Walk past multicolored colonial mansions in the World Heritage site old city to tour MAFRO (Museu Afro-Brasileiro), the nation’s preeminent Afro-Brazilian cultural museum.

7. Chena River State Recreation Area, Alaska

Photograph courtesy James McClean, Chena Hot Springs Resort

The packed winter trails crisscrossing Chena State Recreation Area’s 397 square miles of forests and alpine tundra are open for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, snowmachining, and winter mountain biking (try the Colorado Creek Trail for a three- to four-hour ride). Located only 26 miles east of Fairbanks, Chena River puts Alaskan adventure within easy reach via scenic (and plowed) Chena Hot Springs Road. On February 16 the final leg of the thousand-mile Yukon Quest international sled dog race runs through the recreation area along portions of the old Chena Hot Springs Winter Trail. Cheer on the mushers and teams, then stay at nearby Chena Hot Springs Resort to soak in the Hot Springs Rock Lake (adults 18-plus only) and view the northern lights via the 13-passenger Snow Coach tour. There’s also a special aurora wake-up call service for instant alerts when the celestial light show is clearly visible, as well as a heated Aurorium log cabin (open 24/7 to guests) where you can hunker down with a mug of hot cocoa to watch the night sky through expansive, northeast-facing windows.

8. Salzburg, Austria

Photograph by Johannes Simon, Getty Images

With the city’s historic Christmas markets in full swing, church bells chiming in the crisp Bavarian Alpine air, and snow frosting baroque palace rooftops, Advent in Salzburg delivers a multisensory infusion of gingerbread-warm holiday spirit. Festivities begin in early December with informal and organized Krampusläufe or Krampus processions. According to legend, the shaggy, horned demon Krampus frightens naughty children, while his benevolent counterpart St. Nicholas rewards the nice ones. The Salzburg region (and the town of Grödig in particular) is known for its costumed Krampus parades, as well as for romantic holiday markets on Cathedral, Residence, and Mirabell Squares; at Hellbrunn Palace; and in the Sterngarten. Sip mulled wine, ice skate on the Mozartplatz, and ride Austria’s oldest funicular railway, Festungsbahn, to view the surrounding snow-dusted panorama from imposing Hohensalzburg Fortress. Beyond Christmas, the city’s celebratory energies focus on the International Mozarteum Foundation Mozart Week classical music festival (January 24 to February 3). Events include opera productions and chamber music, soloists, and orchestral concerts.

9. Yellowstone National Park, Montana

Photograph by Jehnichen, laif/Redux

Mid-December to early March, Yellowstone is a winter wonderland best explored on foot, cross-country skis, or snowshoes. The park stays open year-round, but in winter most roads are closed to wheeled vehicles. "Lodging and Learning" packages offered by Yellowstone National Park Lodges and the Yellowstone Association Institute make it easy to stay and play in the park. Enter through the North Entrance in Gardiner, Montana (closest airport is 85 miles away in Bozeman), and travel by snow coach to either the Old Faithful Snow Lodge or Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. Naturalist-guided winter programs offer wildlife expeditions (view bison, elk, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, coyotes, and wolves), cross-country-ski day treks to Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon, and Winter Wolf Discovery, a firsthand look at the reintroduction of wolves to the park. Packages include lodging, in-park transportation, some meals, and unlimited ice skating. Stay safe (and warm) by wearing insulated boots and layered winter gear. Winter temperatures can range from 20 to 30 degrees below zero F to the balmy 30s, with heavy snows possible daily.

10. Toronto, Canada

Photograph by Win Initiative, Getty Images

When temperatures dip below freezing, residents in Canada’s largest city head downtown and below ground to 17 miles of weatherproof walkways. Toronto’s extensive PATH network offers slush-, ice-, and snow-free pedestrian access to parking garages, stores, subway stops, restaurants, hotels, and entertainment venues. During the Winterlicious foodie festival (January 25 to February 7), nosh your way through Toronto’s diverse neighborhoods, including Little India, home to the Gerrard India Bazaar, North America’s largest South Asian marketplace. Winterlicious culinary events include affordable prix fixe menus at more than a hundred of the city’s top restaurants. Book online reservations early to snag a table at participating hot spots like Trevor Kitchen and Bar. Work up an appetite with an afternoon skate (rentals available) outside city hall at Nathan Phillips Square or at Natrel Rink at Harbourfront Centre. In 2013 Ontario’s provincial Family Day celebration coincides with Presidents' Day in the U.S. Spend the holiday weekend (February 15 to 18) at the new Four Seasons Hotel Toronto (opened October 2012) in fashionable Bloor-Yorkville to visit the nearby Royal Ontario Museum’s family-friendly, hands-on galleries. See #Part1

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