Week 4: Indie Travel Challenge

When the weather gets cold, do you prefer to head to sunnier locales or do you love the outdoor adventures or off-season prices of winter? Warm or cold, what’s your dream winter travel destination, and do you have any travel plans for the coming months? 

I look forward to winter. Being born in Northern England, fair headed and without doubt of Viking descent it's easy to see why the summer and in particular the sun is not always something for me to look forward to. Sure I can lounge on a beach, under the cover of a wide umbrella and with the company of a good book. I enjoy a good summer festival whether it's revelling or stewarding so long as there is a bit of a cover for me to duck into - preferably the local ale tent.

But winter is me, it's in the blood I'm sure of it. Autumn is like a teaser, with leaves starting to disappear and the temperature creeping slowly downwards. Then boom, the frost is here. Suddenly you're scraping your car every morning, searching for the scarf that you haven't worn for ten months and praying, yes praying for the first signs of snow.

Snow is that great you can feel it coming in the temperature outside, almost taste it in the air. I'm by no means an accomplished skier or boarder but getting pummelled into the snow all day safe in the knowledge that what awaits you just outside your location in Chamonix is apres-ski with friends and the locals is a winter comfort in itself.

I've no concrete plans to get away for this winter period but if I could it would be to the mountains or the slopes. The Highlands, Alps, Dolomites, Sierra Nevada, Cascades....The list could go on but mountains were made for winter, even if all you can do is stand under them and gaze at their lofty summits.

Dream location for winter? Vegas. Nah, I'm only joking! I'd love to go back to Yosemite and be allowed behind the scenes winter access, I can only dream how that would play out. Finally, food can be indicative of winter wherever you travel. For me at home, I can smell Scotch Broth being cooked by my dad. Comfort food for any time of the year but for me it will always signify the best season we have. Winter is here.