December was a month filled with all things Christmas! We spent quality time with family and friends and traveled to new places.
In mid December, my sister came to visit from Florida. We packed in as much Christmas as we could while she was in town, hitting up Christmas markets, light shows, and festivals in our area.
Dillworth Park Christmas Market
13th Street lights in South Philly
Tinsel, a Christmas themed bar on 12th St. in Philly.
It wouldn’t be Christmas without a stop at The Irish Pub in Atlantic City. Every year, the owner decorates the bar from top to bottom in Christmas decor. It’s one of our favorite traditions.
Koziar’s Christmas Village
It was our first year going to Koziar’s Christmas Village. Since 1948, The Koziar’s have been decorating their property for Christmas, adding new decorations every year. Their farm has become a major attraction in Pennslyvania for Christmas, with thousands of people visiting every holiday season. So much work goes into this display every year. It really put us in the Christmas spirit!
Helen, Georgia
The day after my sister left to go back home to Florida, we headed down south. Before making our way to the Sunshine State, we stopped in Helen, Georgia. Helen is a small town about 1.5 hours away from Atlanta. Located in the mountains, it’s known for its Bavarian style buildings and awesome Christmas displays. I had been wanting to visit Helen during Christmas for a few years, so I figured it would be a fun stop on our way to Florida.
We loved this little town! The people were so friendly, the shops were so cute, and the Christmas lights were amazing.
Anna Ruby Falls
While we were in Helen, we stopped at Anna Ruby Falls. This waterfall is located by Unicoi State Park. It’s a short hike to the waterfall so it’s good for kids and beginner hikers. It’s uphill but paved, so you shouldn’t have any problems getting there. The cost to get in was $5 per person, but it was worth it for the view!
Florida
After 2 days in Helen, we made our way to Florida, where we stayed with our niece and her fiance. Although Christmas feels different when you can wear shorts and a T-shirt, it was a great few days connecting with family and friends that we haven’t seen in a while.
Family at Busch Gardens Christmas Town
Brewery selfie
We broke out our Buc ees onesies for a Christmas Eve party at Dog Bar in St. Petersburg.
Speaking of dogs, our niece has the cutest puppy named Milo.
What a year it has been
Although in a lot of ways, 2023 was a really hard year, a lot of good things happened too. We spent quality time with friends and family, accomplished a lot of our goals, and went on a bucket list trip to Tokyo. We’re grateful that we can continue to travel and experience new things. We have a lot of plans in the works for 2024 and are looking forward to the new year. We hope everyone has a fantastic holiday season and we wish you a happy and healthy new year!
