Why confine your holidays to summer when winter getaways can be exciting too?

For most people, summer is the most enjoyable season of the year, not least for the glorious weather and the long hours of sunshine it brings, but also because it's the best time of year for people to take fantastic vacations. Winter vacations are seen to be slightly more problematic. While holidays in the summertime can incorporate a variety of outdoor activities such as trekking, mountain climbing, or the ever-popular sun-bathing, the colder temperatures in winter mean that holiday activities can prove to be more complex to plan. However, there exists a huge variety of options available to you if you're looking to take the perfect winter family holiday in America.

Visit Methow Valley, Washington, for instance: Washington's stunning North Cascades allow for holiday makers to revel in some of the best natural scenery in the USA and enjoy a fantastic skiing holiday at the same time. Methow Valley is the perfect location for a fun winter family trip, and is maintained by the Methow Valley Sports Trail Association (MVSTA), a non-profit organisation which built the valley's 200km trail and now runs ski school clinics, races and family-centred events throughout the year.

Another fantastic winter holiday location to consider is Lake Tahoe; the famous freshwater lake on the border of California and Nevada and located close to Carson City. Like Methow Valley, Tahoe has a number of ski resorts and is popular for both summer and winter recreation. At 1645 feet deep and 192 square miles large, Lake Tahoe is one of the deepest and largest lakes in the United States - in fact, only Oregon's Crater Lake is deeper, at 1930 feet. Carefully protected by the United States Forest Service, and steeped in ancient natural history, the whole family will love exploring the environs of Lake Tahoe in the winter.

However, if skiing and winter outdoor activities don't appeal as holiday pastimes, but you're still looking for a fantastic winter getaway, you can always take your family to Orlando, Florida. Here you can visit Walt Disney World and take advantage of the special rates that the theme park offers during particular winter months. Or, if you're going to be travelling during Christmas, your family will love visiting Hershey, Pennsylvania. The home of Hershey's candy, the fabulous Hershey Park is converted into Christmas Candyland in December and a staggering one million Christmas lights are put up on display. Typically running for a month prior to Christmas, Hershey's Christmas Candyland will provide your kids with a tremendous amount of fun for the festive season, and adults are sure to have a great time too!

Other popular winter holiday destinations in the United States include Yellowstone National Park, Wisconsin Dells and Alaska. Other ideas to think about, if you're looking to get out of the country on your winter getaway, would be to take a Caribbean cruise, maybe visit Sweden's famous Ice Hotel, or perhaps even go snowboarding on Canada's Mount Tremblant. Various large hotel chains offer special winter deals, so you and your family will never be short of affordable options to choose from when planning your perfect winter getaway.