Something special happens with a small town “dresses up” for the holidays. Despite the weather, there’s warmth in the air. The decorations and lights turn store fronts and streets into magical places. That music in the street? Those are your neighbors. The people in the parades? Again, your neighbors. The restaurants? They’re in holiday mode, a place that feels almost as busy as summer, but somehow better.
Shopping in these stores is often like a visit to someone’s house, you are likely meeting the owner… or the owner’s mom…or son, or… you get the idea.
More than just making a sale, the visit is often an exchange of stories, of advice, or knowledge. Neither the mega-malls nor the mega-websites can manage that level of personal interaction.
There’s more, of course. Orchestral performances, musicals, plays with a holiday theme, somehow, every community has come up with a gingerbread house contest.
Then put it all on an island (or two) and add brisk walks on beaches and breathtaking views, you get a winter adventure that no concrete jungle can ever match.
