Fitness
Best New Year’s Destinations to Ring in 2022
You may be going home for the holidays. But how ’bout the new year? Jet out of town and get a head start on your 2022 resolution to “travel more.” From skiing the trademarked “Champagne Powder” in a Colorado mountain town to sipping pints at festive pubs in London to watching a well-timed meteor shower in Alaska, the best New Year’s destinations of 2022 are consummate hosts for the new year. Each provides plenty of R&R so you can start 2022 off with a bang.
The New Year’s Eve Snowcat & Torchlight Parade in Steamboat Springs. Courtesy image
1. Steamboat Springs, Colorado: Champagne Powder Skiing and Hot Springs
In the northwest corner of Colorado, Steamboat Springs eschews the brand of luxury that’s synonymous with many ski resort towns. Instead, it embraces its Wild West roots and prides itself on its athletic prowess. (The area has produced more winter Olympians than any other town in North America). Steamboat’s snow, however, is quite fancy: The “Champagne Powder” has lower-than-average water content, which means it feels airy like champagne bubbles and is apropos for New Year’s Eve skiing—before you saber that actual bottle of champagne.
Steamboat also hosts an annual New Year’s Eve Snowcat & Torchlight Parade, which includes snowcats adorned with holiday lights parading down the mountain in a flying V formation flanked by ski school instructors with torch lights. Following the descent, fireworks light up the sky. After a few days on the slopes, head to Strawberry Park Hot Springs for a restorative soak in nature’s hot tub. Airbnbs are your best lodging bet, like this slopeside condo, but Steamboat Grand is close to the base of the ski area and has a couple of hot tubs.
The Hotel Ranga in Hella, Iceland. Kristján Pétur Vilhelmsson
2. Hella, Iceland: New Year’s Cheer and Colorful Northern Lights
In Iceland, Christmas is just a warm up to the holiday season. Icelanders absolutely love New Year’s Eve, and they celebrate with community bonfires and lots of fireworks, which bring light to the darkest time of year. Take part in the festive celebrations in Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital city and cultural hub. Once a music venue and arts center, the Canopy by Hilton Reykjavik City Centre is now a cozy hotel. It also has an impressive vinyl collection that ranges from Icelandic pop to Motown. Guests can borrow records and portable record players for in-room listening.
Extend your Icelandic vacation by heading out of the city to the southern part of the country for a stay at Hotel Ranga, which has unobstructed dark skies perfect for watching the colorful Northern Lights. From here, access the best winter adventures in the land of fire and ice—things like snowmobiling on a glacier, fat biking on a volcano, or climbing frozen waterfalls. Read our full guide to southern Iceland here.
The Holbrooke in Grass Valley, California. @katalves
3. Grass Valley, California: Speakeasy Drinking and Wide Open Hiking Trails
The Holbrooke, a Gold Rush-era hotel in Northern California, recently underwent a handsome renovation. Here, you can sip whiskey in an amber-lit speakeasy that has a tunnel that once connected to historic gold mines. Grass Valley is about 60 miles northeast of Sacramento and is at the front porch of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The foothills are laced with trails that provide plenty of New Year’s Day excursion options.
If the weather cooperates, the Pioneer Trail is a 24-mile mountain biking trail that serves up a 3,400 foot elevation gain; the 4-mile Hoot Trail offshoot is full of jumps and berms. Or set out on a mostly secluded hike along the 20-mile South Yuba Trail, which has steady inclines and scenic river views. Before you hit the trails, fuel up at Tofanelli’s. The breakfast spot has 100 omelettes on its menu.
The Garden Suite at the Mayfair Townhouse in London. Courtesy image
4. London, England: Champagne Bars and Christmas Markets
For those who lean all the way into the holiday season and love warm traditions this time of year, London checks all the boxes. Toast bubbly in one of the city’s champagne bars, like the 10-seater London Calling Bar by Moët & Chandon that was designed to look like one of the city’s famed telephone boxes. Eat raclette and drink mulled wine at the city’s Christmas markets that run into January; they range from large productions to quaint markets in and around Trafalgar Square.
Enjoy the canopy of lights that dazzle Regent Street as you duck into quintessential British pubs for pints of beer. Strap some blades to your feet and ice skate under twinkling lights at one of the many rinks around this cheerful city. You’ve got your pick of Michelin-starred restaurants here, too. There’s French fare at Galvin at Windows overlooking Hyde Park or modern Chinese cuisine like peking duck and caviar at Hakkasan.
Make the Mayfair Townhouse in central London your homebase. Fifteen Georgian townhomes were combined to create the stylish hotel. Rooms come with a complimentary mini bar of tipples and treats, and thoughtful extras like plush robes, heated bathroom floors, and towel racks. There’s even an Oscar Wilde book left on your nightstand during turndown service. (The Mayfair Townhouse is located on London’s Half Moon Street, which is the setting for Wilde’s famous play “The Importance of Being Earnest.”)
The view from Le Massif de Charlevoix. @A.Blanchette
5. Québec, Canada: Fondue and All-Inclusive Skiing
Truly a winter wonderland, Le Massif de Charlevoix is about 1 1/2 hours from Québec City in the Charlevoix region. It’s also home to the ski area with the highest vertical drop east of the Rockies. But part of what makes skiing here so spectacular is the expansive views of the St. Lawrence River that are splayed out in front of you as you schuss down the slopes. The mountain boasts 53 trails and a noteworthy off-piste playground.
Club Med Québec (which has alpine resorts in Europe) made its Canadian debut this winter. It’s opening an all-inclusive resort with unlimited ski-in/ski-out access in the area. Stays include lift tickets and group ski or snowboarding lessons should anyone you’re traveling with need a refresher. Or, join a workshop to learn mindfulness techniques while skiing or another one focused on mastering unpredictable terrain. The resort also has three on-site restaurants where you can indulge with local fare, like fondue and maple candies, plus your après tab is covered at this all-inclusive. Splurge on a spa treatment like a Nordic facial or a shea butter deep-tissue massage.
The Sheldon Chalet in Denali National Park and Preserve can only be reached by helicopter. Courtesy image
6. Denali National Park: Meteor shower viewing and snow cavern spelunking
Here to outdo even the most spectacular fireworks show is the annual phenomenon known as the Quadrantids. It’s a brilliant shooting star display that’s best viewed from Alaska’s Denali National Park. Have your 2022 wishes lined up because during this shooting star performance of Geminidis and Quadrantids, the sky sparkles with as many as 200 meteor showers per hour. Peak showers this year run from mid-December to the first week of January. The prime viewing time is 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.
The Sheldon Chalet—so far off the grid it’s only reachable by helicopter—is an exclusive spot to watch this heavenly show thanks to the area’s thin troposphere and little to no light pollution. Beyond the stargazing, other rad winter adventures include snow cavern spelunking and gourmet glacier picnics. You can even find everything you need to build your own snow cave. Staying here, though, is the ultimate splurge, with rates starting at $47,000 per couple for three nights.
The Crawford Hotel is located above Denver’s Union Station. Courtesy image
7. Denver, Colorado: A Spa Vacation Spiked with Beer
Combine your love for beer with your New Year’s wellness aspirations at The Beer Spa in Denver. When you arrive, help yourself to a brew from the beer wall in the relaxation lounge. Then, it’s go time: Retreat into a beer therapy room to soak in a warm tub that’s bubbling with hops, barley, and an antioxidant-rich herbal blend that changes each month. (It’s mistletoe in December and olive leaves in January). From the cosmetic mini bar, bring home hop-infused beard oil or an oatmeal stout body lotion.
While vacationing in this bona fide beer city, check out the breweries favored by locals. Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery, which is known for its adventurous and tasty beers made with ingredients that fall into the “who would have thought” category. Cerveceria is a Mexican-style microbrewery. Stay in the buzzy RiNo neighborhood at Catbird Hotel. It has one of the best rooftops in the city (i.e. an ideal perch for fireworks viewing). The hotel also has a gear room with bikes and boards available to borrow.
Or, book a room at The Crawford Hotel, which has rooms suspended above Union Station, Denver’s Beaux Arts train station. The hotel offers The Beer Spa package, which includes sudsy extras like in-room seasonal beers to enjoy after check-in, soaks in the nearby spa’s private beer therapy room, a ride to the spa in the hotel’s Tesla, and more.
The Condado Vanderbilt in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Courtesy image
8. San Juan, Puerto Rico: Cigars, whiskey and kayaking in the bioluminescent bays
For those who prefer sand over snow, head to Puerto Rico to ring in the New Year. The beachfront Condado Vanderbilt is steps from the Atlantic Ocean. The hotel strikes a balance of historic elegance, but with modern amenities. Pair full-flavored cigars with high-end whiskies in the on-site AVO lounge. The cigar menu has some luxury brands like Davidoff from Swiss maker Zino Davidoff and a selection of cigars from the Romeo Y Julieta Vintage series so you can indulge in a celebratory smoke.
Night owl adventurers can kayak in the bioluminescent bays that glow at night. The water is full of dinoflagellates that emit a bluish flash of light when agitated. The high concentration of these marine plankton can cast enough light to read a book. On New Year’s Day, which happens to be National Bloody Mary Day, order the hotel’s iconic veggie-loaded but still boozy Bloody Martini.
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The key to 360-degree muscle: 90-degree eccentric isometrics. It might seem like we’re throwing a lot of geometry at you, but the concept behind time under tension (TUT) is simple, says Joel Seedman, PhD, owner of Advanced Human Performance: “Perform the lowering phase of a movement in a slow, controlled fashion, usually 3 to 5 seconds; pause in the stretched position, typically around 90 degrees; then perform the lifting phase in a powerful yet controlled fashion.” Believe us, a time-under-tension workout can humble even seasoned lifters…Eccentric isometrics are like the pressure cooker of training.
“Rather than mindlessly performing slow-tempo reps, you’re using the increased time under tension as a means to fine-tune your body mechanics and alignment, which requires more mental engagement and focus,” Seedman adds.
If you want to forge functional muscle mass and strength while simultaneously bulletproofing the joints and connective tissue, give this 10-move, full-body eccentric isometrics workout a go.
Directions
Perform the following moves as 90-degree eccentric isometrics following the above protocol. Use heavy weight, but not at the detriment of proper form. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets and 2 minutes between circuits. Perform once every 2 to 4 days for optimal results.
Best Time-Under-Tension Workout for Total-Body Strength
Circuit 1
A. Barbell Back Squat
Set a squat rack up with heavy weight, then grasp bar and step under it. Squeeze shoulder blades together, then stand to unrack bar and step back with feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale, hinge at hips and slowly bend knees to 90 degrees. Pause, keeping natural arch in low back, then extend through hips to powerfully stand. 3 x 4-6 reps
B. Renegade Row
Start in the top position of a pushup with hands shoulder-width apart on moderate-to-heavy dumbbells (shown). Explosively drive right elbow back to row dumbbell toward ribs while balancing on opposite hand and feet. Pause, then slowly lower weight, stopping a few inches above floor. Switch sides after all reps are done. 3 x 5 reps each side
Circuit 2
A. Dumbbell Bentover Row
Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding two moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in front of thighs, palms facing you. Push hips back and hinge torso forward so it’s nearly parallel to floor, soft bend in knees. Dumbbells should be near shins. Drive elbows back to row weights toward ribs. Pause, then slowly lower down for 3 to 5 seconds. 3 x 4-5 reps
B. Incline Dumbbell Chest Press with Legs Raised
Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45-degree angle and lie back with dumbbells in either hand. Engage core and lift legs off floor, flexing feet. Press weights overhead, palms in. Slowly lower to 90 degrees, staying tight and compact. Pause, then drive weights up directly over chest. 3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 3
A. Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat
Stand lunge-length in front of a flat bench, holding heavy dumbbells in each hand by your sides, palms facing in. Rest the ball on top (shoe’s laces) of your right foot behind you on the bench. Slowly lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause, then drive through your heel to stand. Switch sides after all reps are complete. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
B. Single-leg Romanian Deadlift
Stand with feet hip-width apart holding dumbbells or kettlebells. Drive right leg up, foot flexed, knee aligned with hip, making a 90-degree angle. Hinge at hips as you slowly lever your torso toward floor, lowering weights and driving right leg back for counterbalance. Hold, then squeeze glutes to reverse. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
Circuit 4
A. Pullup
Hang from a pullup bar using an overhand grip with legs extended and feet flexed. Engage lats and draw shoulders down your back, then pull yourself up until chin is higher than hands. Pause at the top, then slowly lower. Pause at bottom, then reset before your next rep. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
B. Kneeling Overhead Barbell Press
Hold a bar with moderate-to-heavy load at shoulder level with forearms perpendicular to floor. Kneel at end of bench with feet flexed to grip edge for support. Inhale, engage your core and glutes, then press the bar overhead, pushing your head forward so it passes your face, exhaling at the top.
Slowly lower until elbows are at 90 degrees, then hold to maintain tension. Begin your next rep from here. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 5
A. Dumbbell Pushup
Place hands on dumbbells (this provides greater range of motion) at shoulder width and feet wider than shoulder width with just toes touching the ground. Keep head neutral and hips high to increase tension on core, chest and tris and reduce stress on spine. Slowly lower to the floor. Stop
once elbows hit 90 degrees, pause, then push up to start. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
B. Biceps Curl
Stand with feet hip-width apart with moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in each hand hanging by sides. Engage biceps to curl the weights up, keeping upper arms still. Pause at the top, then lower slowly. Don’t let arms drop all the way down to keep greater time under tension on biceps. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
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