Traveling over a holiday weekend can be a joyful, stress-free event when you skip commercial flights and charter a private jet to a familiar destination or one that you’ve always wanted to explore. This year, celebrate the bounty that you and your family enjoyed by spending Thanksgiving in a rental home that’s big enough to accommodate all your loved ones. A rental not only gives you the luxury of not having to worry about cleaning up after guests, it also gives you the opportunity to make the holiday even more enjoyable by hiring a local restaurant to cater the festivities. Sit back and enjoy a tryptophan-induced food coma. Leave the mess in the kitchen.
Thanksgiving Destinations
New York City, New York
Go big in the Big Apple. Catch the famous Thanksgiving Day Parade in person and cheer with the crowd as marching bands, massive balloons, celebrities and other spectacles pass you on the street. If standing in a crowd isn’t your thing, head to Broadway and catch a show. After your Thanksgiving feast, prepare your Black Friday plan of attack to score great deals at amazing retailers. If you don’t plan to cater Thanksgiving dinner, make restaurant reservations well in advance.
Beat the traffic by staying in this upscale, curated six-bedroom home on the Upper East Side. It accommodates 10 individuals and features generous solarium-like windows, luxury finishes in the four and a half bathrooms, and a deck that overlooks the neighborhood.
Plymouth, Massachusetts
Celebrate Thanksgiving in or near the same area that the historic gathering took place in 1621. Visit Plimouth Plantation to tour a replica of the Mayflower and watch history come to life at outdoor living exhibits, such as a Wampanoag homesite, 17th-century village, gristmill and craft center. If you want to have a totally different Thanksgiving experience, purchase tickets to one of the Thanksgiving dining events that are complete with turkey and New England trimmings. During the dinner, pilgrim role players and Native interpreters greet you and tell you more about the meal that inspired the annual celebration.
Spend Thanksgiving weekend in a nearby Cape Cod beach house that on the water. The five-bedroom, four-bathroom coastal-chic home sleeps up to 15 people. It features a screened porch, beach access, glass solarium, and a farm table that seats 12 people.
Hawaii
While any time of the year is great for a Hawaiian getaway, November is one of the best months to visit because most of the tourists are at home. In general, the southern or western coasts of the islands have more idyllic weather during this time of year. But, when you’re in Hawaii, it’s hard to make a bad choice regarding a destination. If you stay near Waikiki, check out the annual Thanksgiving parade on Friday, which commemorates Pearl Harbor and honors the veterans and survivors of the attacks on December 7, 1941.
One of the most opulent ways to make the most of your stay is by renting the Plantation Paradise home on Kailua Beach in Honolulu County. The five-bedroom, six-bathroom beachfront villa accommodates up to 10 individuals. In addition to lavish amenities, you’ll find expansive living quarters, ornate landscaping, stunning views, and a lagoon-style pool pavilion with tropical waterfalls and an island spa.