Holiday Geography Fun for the Whole Family

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

28 Nov 2008 03:49 PM

Do you know where in Missouri the city of Noel is located? How much do you know about Santa Claus, Indiana or Bethlehem, Pennsylvania? Could you find them on a map?

Noel, Santa Claus, and Bethlehem are just a few U.S. cities with Christmas-themed names. Heck, there's even a Christmas, Florida. This time of year these merry locales see a surge of visitors, and locals do their best to make everyone feel welcome. Out-of-towners who make the trip are treated to spectacular holiday light displays and other seasonal attractions.

If you are looking to spend some quality family time with your loved ones this season, consider hitting the highway for a festive road trip to one of these holly jolly destinations:

Santa Claus, Indiana

Santa Claus is known to thrill seekers for its amusement park, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, but this time of year the city focuses more on Christmas-themed events. The area's most popular attractions include the Santa Claus Museum, Santa's Candy Castle, Santa's Lodge and the Christmas Lake Village Festival of Lights, which features a 9-mile trail filled with twinkling bulbs. Santa Claus also sponsors a holiday parade, concerts and a craft show during the weekend of December 12-14th.

Christmas, Florida

Christmas is a small town in Florida located between Orlando and the Kennedy Space Center. Its most popular attraction is the post office, which features a special mailbox that accepts letters addressed to Santa Claus. Other noteworthy sites include streets named after reindeer, Santa Claus-shaped mail boxes and decorated trees that line the main highway.

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Bethlehem got its name on Christmas Eve 1741 by Moravian immigrants, and today kicks off its busiest time of year with the lighting of the city's official Christmas tree. The popular tourist attraction also hosts several other festive events including Christkindlmarkt, which offers shopping, ice-carving, visits with St. Nick and specialty foods from Germany. Horse-drawn carriage rides, walking tours and night bus tours are also available throughout the month of December.

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Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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