Christmas vacation – When you really need to get out of the house

Are the holly-decked walls closing in? Give yourself and someone you love the gift of travel. Here are three suggestions:

Elvis is no longer with us, but his spirit is definitely alive at Graceland. This month the mansion becomes a winter wonderland, complete with long strings of blue lights leading to the entrance. Of course, Memphis is a Mecca for all manner of music, from country and blues to rock ‘n’ roll, and Beale Street alone offers more than a mile of bars, shops and eateries ranging from traditional Southern fare to barbecue that is uniquely Memphis. Plus, the city is easy to get to on the cheap. An eight-hour Amtrak ride from New Orleans will set you back only a hundred bucks round trip.

Stay: The privately owned downtown Talbot Heirs Guesthouse. talbotheirs.com

Eat: Hickory-smoked pork ribs and Memphis Soul Stew at Blues City Café. bluescitycafe.com

See: The history of Sun Studios and Stax Records at the Memphis Rock-N-Soul Museum. memphisrocknsoul.org

Tired of skiing Colorado and Utah? Head further west to the Golden State and Mammoth Mountain, Calif. Nestled in the glorious Yosemite National Park, Mammoth offers incredible skiing options for all levels, from greenhorn to black-belt. It’s also home to Woolly’s Adventure Summit and its infamous snow tubing, snowball target range, snowman-sculpting garden and more frozen delights. Plus, you travel into town by gondola. Seriously.

Stay: The ski-in, ski-out condos at The Village Lodge. thevillagelodgemammoth.com

Eat: Paninis and dessert crępes at Side Door Café. sidedoormammoth.com

See: Vintage ski and mountainscape photographs at Mammoth Ski Museum. mammothlakesfoundation.org

Ring in 2013 by visiting the Texas state capital. Austin’s New Year, called ANY, is an annual alcohol-free and family-friendly multi-media talent showcase that highlights the finest this proud “weird” city has to offer at Auditorium Shores downtown on Lady Bird Lake. But if your vision of New Year’s Eve is a little more rowdy, sign up for the PubCrawls.com Austin 2013 pub crawl, which promises to have the best of the city’s bar scene locked down for the night. About $20 gets a ticket for what’s guaranteed to be a memorable—if slightly hazy—way to welcome another year.

Stay: The bungalows at Hotel Saint Cecilia. There’s a record player in every room and a vinyl library on-site. hotelstcecilia.com

Eat: Sushi at Uchiko, home of reigning Top Chef winner Paul Qui. uchiaustin.com

See: The bats take flight over a sunset cruise with Lone Star Riverboat Cruises. lonestarriverboat.com