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Add this to your seasonal to-do list: After you finish a holiday movie marathon, you can put yourself at the center of a festive Hallmark scene. Traveling for the holidays is the
fourth-highest motivator for domestic travel for travelers 50-plus, according to AARP’s recent travel survey. And even though some of that travel may be to visit loved ones, starting off the
season with a festive trip can do wonders to put you in the holiday spirit. There’s a natural cheery feeling that comes with a stroll down a small town’s Main Street, holiday lights
twinkling and evergreen wreaths crowning every door. Towns including Leavenworth, Washington; Frankenmuth, Michigan; and Santa Claus, Indiana, have grown in popularity because of their merry
(and affordable) traditions. If you’re looking for a new small town with impeccable Hallmark Christmas movie ambience, consider these seven gems found all across the United States.
Kennebunkport, Maine, gets ready for the holidays during the annual Christmas Prelude event. Visit Maine KENNEBUNKPORT, MAINE No other region in the United States delivers small town holiday
cheer the way New England can. In Kennebunkport, Maine, the cozy comforts begin with a stay in one of the town’s many inns or bed and breakfasts. Kennebunkport’s small shops will be
decorated with lights beginning Dec. 5, when the town’s annual Christmas Prelude kicks off with a holiday-decorated Maine Central Model Railroad at the Seashore Trolley Museum. The
celebration continues with a tree-trimming ceremony, but the highlight happens Dec. 8, when Santa arrives in Kennebunkport in true New England fashion — by riding in a lobster boat.
Christmas Prelude events continue through Dec. 15, but the holiday cheer carries on throughout the season. Petaluma, California, in the heart of Sonoma wine country, exudes California
Christmas. Courtesy Sonoma County Tourism PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA If you’re looking for a town that exudes California Christmas, look to the town that provided the backdrop for the Netflix
film series of the same name. Petaluma exudes historic charm year-round thanks to its many Victorian homes and 19th-century iron-front buildings. In early December, the town turns out for a
free holiday lights boat parade, in which thousands of dazzling lights brighten the way down the Petaluma River. Hotel Petaluma also hosts an annual Gingerbread House Showcase, with some of
the entries made to look like cherished local buildings. Petaluma is in the heart of Sonoma wine country, but the cooler months offer a new way to enjoy the area, with activities such as
whale and seal watching in nearby Bodega Bay. Dahlonega, Georgia, has been the backdrop for Hallmark and Lifetime holiday movies. Michelle Kraft Deblois DAHLONEGA, GEORGIA This small town in
the north Georgia mountains was a well-known gold rush town in the 19th century. Today, it’s transformed itself into a holiday destination, especially for winter wonderland lovers who may
be less enthusiastic about a forecast of snow. You may recognize Dahlonega’s downtown from Hallmark’s 2015 film _Christmas in the Smokies_. Lifetime’s 2020 movie _A Taste of Christmas _also
was filmed across the town, including at its Festival of Trees.