winter

Why some seasonal hotels across the U.S. are staying open this winter

By Tina D. Thompson 4 weeks ago

Hotels and resorts across the United States have been getting creative this past year in an effort to entice travelers to visit. This winter, a scattering of hospitality brands are finding ways to innovate and offer new experiences during the pandemic as the industry continues to weather the fight against ongoing closures, furloughs and layoffs.

These six properties are staying open this winter for the first time in their respective histories. From Virginia to Colorado, freezing temperatures will not deter these destinations from embracing the opportunity to turn cold weather into a winter adventure.

Traditionally the Tides Inn in Irvington,

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Cannon Beach is drawing tourists this winter, but business doesn’t necessarily follow

By Tina D. Thompson 4 weeks ago

The winter sun sank behind Haystack Rock on a Friday in January, turning the horizon a brilliant gold. A crowd of people swarmed in the deep purple shadow, their voices hushed by crashing waves as they took selfies at the rock and dug small fires into the sand.



a person standing in front of a store: Karen Dials, of Hillsboro, shops at Geppetto's Toy Shoppe in Cannon Beach during the coronavirus pandemic.

© Jamie Hale/The Oregonian/Jamie Hale/The Oregonian/oregonlive.com/TNS
Karen Dials, of Hillsboro, shops at Geppetto’s Toy Shoppe in Cannon Beach during the coronavirus pandemic.

January is supposed to be the slow season on the north Oregon coast, but this year – despite, or perhaps because of, the ongoing pandemic – Cannon Beach is still

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Travel tip: Try the beach in winter

By Tina D. Thompson 4 weeks ago

Plenty of people surf and fish in winter. I admire them for that, but I prefer to go to the beach with no expectations or agenda beyond watching the changes in ocean and clouds.

By winter beach, I do not mean Aruba or Key West during resortwear season. That’s too easy. I mean chilly, probably wet, mostly gray Mid-Atlantic beaches, like those along North Carolina’s Outer Banks, a thin 189-mile strip of barrier islands where my family spent two socially distanced weeks in December and January.

A winter beach around these parts is quiet. The rain and cold pretty much

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