New Orleans vs NYC and Chicago at Christmas

New Orleans moves to its own rhythm, and three days is enough to feel it. Start in the French Quarter, where wrought-iron balconies hang over Royal Street, street musicians play outside St. Louis Cathedral on Jackson Square, and a plate of powdered-sugar beignets at Café Du Monde is a rite of passage. By night, skip the Bourbon Street crowds and head to Frenchmen Street in the Marigny, where small clubs host brass bands, trad jazz and funk for little or no cover. Ride the green St. Charles streetcar under live oaks to the Garden District, a neighborhood of antebellum mansions and shady sidewalks, then browse Magazine Street. Save an evening for a long Creole or Cajun dinner of gumbo, shrimp and grits, crawfish etouffee or redfish, and a morning for the French Market. With more time, spend a full day at the National WWII Museum, glide through cypress swamps on a boat tour, visit Whitney Plantation for an honest look at the lives of enslaved people, and explore the murals of the Bywater and the oaks of City Park. Come in spring or fall for the best weather, and pace yourself: in this city, lingering over lunch is the plan.

This holiday lights trip pairs two of America's most festive winter cities: three days in New York, then a short flight to Chicago for two more. In Manhattan, stand beneath the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree as skaters circle the rink below, browse the glass kiosks and free-admission ice rink of Bryant Park's Winter Village and walk Fifth Avenue's elaborate department store windows and light shows. Ride the subway to Brooklyn for Dyker Heights, where homeowners cover entire houses in lights, inflatable Santas and animated nutcrackers. In Chicago, sip hot spiced wine from a boot-shaped mug at the German-style Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza, stroll the Magnificent Mile beneath trees strung with more than a million lights, skate at the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink in Millennium Park and end at Lincoln Park ZooLights, a glowing, family-friendly tradition. The best window is mid-November to early January: markets generally run from mid-November to Christmas Eve, the Rockefeller tree is lit in early December and most displays stay up into the new year. Visit before December 23 to catch everything open. Pack a warm coat, hat and gloves, because Chicago nights often dip into the 20s, and book hotels early.