Holidays

Trips built around a fixed date.

Thanksgiving parade weekend — Balloon inflation the night before, the parade itself, then three days of the city while it's quiet. (4 days, New York)
Christmas markets of Europe — Nuremberg, Salzburg and Strasbourg in the four weeks the squares are lit, with a train between each. (9 days, Germany & Austria)
New Year's at Hogmanay — Edinburgh's torchlight procession and street party, then the Cairngorms while everyone else sleeps in. (6 days, Scotland)
Mardi Gras for families — The Uptown parade route, where the crowds are gentler. A krewe den tour shows how the floats get made. (4 days, New Orleans)
Memorial Day in Washington — The Arlington wreath-laying, then the memorials by night when the marble is lit and the crowds have gone. (4 days, Washington)
The Fourth in Boston — Walk the Freedom Trail and board the USS Constitution, then watch the Esplanade fireworks from the river. (5 days, Boston)