Chill Out With These New England Winter Getaways

Before cold weather slips away and outdoor yard work and other tasks pile up, you owe yourself a New England getaway.

We’ve put together four New England winter getaways appealing to a variety of tastes.

The White Mountains Have It All

A getaway to the White Mountains of New Hampshire has something for everyone. This popular destination for skiers offers multiple other outdoor fun opportunities from snowmobiling to ice skating, but also is a place for inspiration.

One sparkling example: The famous ice castles in Woodstock, New Hampshire, offer a magical experience featuring caverns, ice slides, frozen thrones and fountains that twinkle with color-changing lights at night. Guests can explore as long as they want.

It’s not all ski hills and sparkles, though.

The International Ice Climbing School in North Conway offers a variety of courses for various skill levels in areas such as ice climbing, mountaineering and avalanche survival. Beginning climbers up to a rigorous challenge can join professional guides in a Mount Washington winter ascent.

North Conway is a good base and has a bustling downtown full of shopping, dining and entertainment options.

Small Town Punches Above Its Weight

Tell us you’re in New England without telling us: Snap a selfie in Litchfield, Connecticut, a quintessentially quaint example of a late 18th-century New England village with a well-earned designation as a National Historic Landmark District.

Travel + Leisure Magazine named it one of its top 20 New England getaways last year, calling it “a small town that more than carries its weight on the history, charm and scenic beauty fronts.”

Outdoor winter activities abound, including snowboarding, snowshoeing, and cross-country and downhill skiing, but Litchfield is also a great wintertime retreat with fun things do inside — even if it is just kicking back inside a cozy boutique hotel or historic inn with a spa.

This hidden gem of Connecticut has an eclectic collection of restaurants, a shopping district with everything from antiques to clothing to plants and flowers, art galleries and more.

There are reasons to get out and about, too, such as by touring a museum in the nation’s first law school, Tapping Reeve House and Litchfield Law Library or taking a taste-testing tour at Litchfield Distillery. The White Memorial Conservation Center is a great place to see native wildlife.

Find Romance In Rhode Island

If you’re looking for a romantic winter getaway, Rhode Island is a great choice. Ocean Drive — a winding, 10-mile road tracing the rocky southernmost edge of Aquidneck Island known simply as “The Drive” among locals — boasts some of the most romantic views in Rhode Island.

Brenton Point State Park, which now occupies what was once one Newport’s grandest estates, offers majestic views of the Atlantic Ocean as it meets Narragansett Bay. Dress warmly, grab a hot beverage, and cuddle up.

Valentine’s Day opens the 10-day Newport Winter Festival, but there are plenty of other things to do in Newport, scrumptious dining options and eclectic shopping opportunities.

Lodging at multiple price points offers stunning ocean views and easy access to the Cliff Walk, the 3.5-mile walking trail flanked on one side by the sea and Gilded Age mansions on the other.

Westerly, about 40 miles southwest of Newport, is another great option. It, too, affords stunning ocean views, with lodging options ranging from a luxury country inn to cabins and cottages for couples who want to devote all of their time to each other.

Because winter is the off-season for tourism in Westerly, it’s easier to navigate local artisans’ shops and historic landmarks in Downtown Westerly Historic District.

New England’s Best Snowtubing

Non-skiers who still want to have fun outside can head to Nashoba Valley Ski Area, located in Littleton, Massachusetts, about 45 minutes outside of Boston. It has ski runs as the name implies, but is also known as one of New England’s premiere snow tubing destinations.

It’s open seven days a week — nights, too, for a slide down the mountain under the stars.

Dozens of Vrbo and Airbnb rentals are nearby for people who want to make a weekend of it.

Boston is nearby, too. Through February, the redeveloped Seaport District in South Boston is “shaken up like a giant snowglobe into a magical winter getaway” in an event known as Snowport.

The District itself is lined with large, sleek restaurants, bars and hotels, as well as the handsome glass-walled Institute of Contemporary Arts that overlooks the harbor.