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Santa Claus Country and Beyond If you're adventurous and enjoy cold weather, consider heading to Helsinki, Finland. e city is a true winter wonderland, known for its colorful Christmas markets, cozy log fires, and outdoor sports including skating, sledding, and cross country skiing on 125 miles of groomed trails that wind through the city. e Hotel Maria, which opened earlier this year in the heart of the community, offers luxury lodging and gracious Nordic hospitality, including a traditional Finnish sauna in the spa and in some suites. In addition to seasonal activities, Finland's year-round attractions include the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which was built by Sweden in the second half of the 18th century on islands overlooking the Baltic Sea. Only in Dublin Ireland, especially Dublin, is another great holiday destination, and it's accessible from Finland via the efficient Eurostar train system that connects to ferry and bus services throughout Europe. Like Helsinki, Dublin offers markets and ice skating, but it also offers something you won't see anywhere else in the world. On Christmas Eve — as they have done for many years — Bono, Glen Hansard, and a host of their rock-and-roll friends will gather at the top of Grafton Street to busk in aid of the Simon Community that works to prevent and address homelessness. As in previous years, there's no actual guarantee as to who might show up, but the magic never fails to deliver. In case you can't be there, the event will be livestreamed on Dublin Simon Community's Facebook and Instagram channels at 9pm Irish time. On Christmas morning, a dip in the icy sea is a wildly popular activity in Dublin and around Ireland's coast — not unlike Polar Bear Plunge at the La Jolla Cove on New Year's Day. Another only-in-Dublin event: Horse racing happens at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival, December 26 to 29. It's a hotspot for post- holiday get-togethers complete with live music and course-wide entertainment. e five-star Merrion Hotel in the heart of Georgian Dublin is a cozy holiday retreat. Young guests can meet Father Christmas while parents enjoy cocktails and mulled cider accompanied by carols. On Christmas Day, guests awake to an Irish breakfast before a celebratory Christmas lunch or dinner served in the Garden Room Restaurant. Closer to Home Of course, you don't have to cross the Atlantic Ocean to have outdoor adventures during the holidays. Just join the fun at the Fairmont Banff Springs in the majestic Canadian Rockies. e legendary hotel opened in the 1880s and is renowned for offering warm hospitality. Visiting Banff National Park in winter will show you a sparkling, icy, snow-dusted side of the Canadian Rockies. e hotel's "Christmas at the Castle" package, which runs through January 5, includes a festive tree in your lodgings. If you stay here, your choices of activities will include everything from decorating gingerbread houses and listening to carolers to snowboarding and snowshoe tours. If you love the area (as I do), you might also want to look into heli-hiking in the nearby Bugaboo Mountains during the summer. << >> HELSINKI'S CHRISTMAS MARKET: PHOTO COURTESY OF VISIT FINLAND FAIRMONT BANFF SPRINGS: PHOTO COURTESY OF THE FAIRMONT BANFF SPRINGS HOTEL ranchandcoast.com 118 DECEMBER 2024 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE