Scan the Web for holiday vacations

By ROGER PETTERSON, Associated Press Writer Mon Nov 26, 2:57 PM ET

Looking for a quick getaway before or during the holidays, someplace with a Christmas theme but a change from your same old local observances? Take a few minutes and sample just a few of the affordable ideas that can be found on the Internet.

Take in a little history and a lot of food at Charleston, S.C. — http://www.charlestoncvb.com/xmas/ — where the entries in "Tours & Attractions" include the nightly Progressive Dinner, an elegant dining experience combined with a carriage tour. The James Island County Park is lit up for a Holiday Festival of Lights, and mansions and plantations including the Edmonston-Alston House are decorated for holiday tours. Take time to click on "Cuisine" for details on Christmas dinner at Magnolias and a holiday treat called Chocolate Seductions, available every day in December.

A little farther south, the oldest city in the United States, St. Augustine, Fla., has its annual Nights of Lights — http://www.nightsoflights.com/ — with buildings and parks illuminated by hundreds of thousands of tiny bulbs along Matanzas Bay. There's a schedule of events, but you'll need to visit the city's main tourism Web site — http://www.getaway4florida.com/ — for useful details on other things to see, places to stay and shopping.

The city is still recovering from Katrina, but New Orleans can always put on a Christmas party — http://tinyurl.com/26ldyq — with events including concerts, caroling, services at St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter, and tours of historic homes. New Orleans means parties, but it also means food, especially for the holidays. Click on "Reveillon Menus" for a sampler of what you might enjoy at places like Brennan's, Arnaud's or the Gumbo Shop. Some of the hotels have "Papa Noel Rates" for the holidays, and they have suggestions for shopping.

Head for the scenic Northwest to ride Seattle's ferries and take in Winterfest — http://www.seattlecenter.com/winterfest/default.asp — more than a month of entertainment and performances. Click on "Winterfest Premier Events" for concerts and the Worldfest cultural festival. Go to the menus in the upper left of the page and click on "Attractions" to get to information on the Space Needle and Monorail, Then hit the Seattle Convention & Visitors Bureau — http://www.visitseattle.org/ — click on "Visit Seattle" and try out "Sightseeing and Tours" for attractions including the Pike Place Market and links to the ferries.

Want something different for the holidays in the Northwest? Take a look at Whale Watching Week — http://tinyurl.com/23cvmv — at the coastal town of Depoe Bay, Dec. 26-Jan. 1.

In the middle of the country, drop in on the Ozark Mountain Christmas — http://tinyurl.com/28vmrb — at Branson, Mo., home of live entertainment for just about any taste. The town lights up with holiday lights and many of the stage shows have Christmas themes.

Keep the mountain theme at the Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival — http://tinyurl.com/yoltga — through the end of December at Dolly Parton's Dollywood in the mountains of eastern Tennessee. This one's definitely focused on the kids, with Babes in Toyland, Santa's Workshop and Tinker the Talking Christmas Tree.