Another hot spring town located in the United States, Mammoth Hot Springs is situated in Nothern California and has one of the best natural hot springs in the country. The neighbouring area is filled with tall mountains and hiking trails, making Mammoth Hot Springs an ideal after-hike spot to soothe sore, overworked muscles.
Since all of the hot springs at Mammoth are naturally formed due to a volcano eruption 760,000 years ago, the hot pools are all free of charge and formed in all shapes and sizes. A few hours drive from Los Angeles, it’s a quick day trip away from The City of Angels, or a fun weekend camping trip if you to soak in the warm water some more in the morning.
Getty Images/Juergen Sack
Some have described Christmas at Lüneburg as a fairy tale come to life. With all the romance of a Brothers Grimm’s fantasy, Lüneburg attracts thousands of holiday tourists every year. And no wonder, this Hanseatic town south of Hamburg perfectly captures the romance Europe is so famous for.
In the run up to Christmas, fairy lights begin their magical twinkle, blinking their eyes from around the gabled rooftops and baroque facades of lower Saxony. Medieval churches and modern institutions surround the plazas upon which market vendors sell their wares everything from hot chestnuts, to German bratwurst and Glühwein (mulled wine). A great wreath is hung up on the town’s water tower, a communal reminder of the upcoming merriment that succeeds the contemplative season of Advent.