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CNN Live Today

Interview With Jane Bills

Aired December 22, 2003 - 11:48   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: If your idea of a wonderful holiday includes a ticket and a suitcase, pack your bags. "Travel And Leisure" magazine looks at some festive destinations filled with spirit and lights.
Jane Bills from "Travel And Leisure" joins us now from New York for our "Getaway" segment. She's got a few terrific ideas about places to go to make merry. Really, Jane, we're talking about quick trips, right? We're not talking about holiday travel, per se, but if you just want a quick getaway.

JANE BILLS, "TRAVEL AND LEISURE": Right. Just for Christmas or new year's we've got a lot of great options. Just being in New York right now I can tell you we have so many tourists here, you can barely get a cab, which is a good thing for us, though.

We've got so much going on. Rockefeller Center with the Christmas tree. This year it's 79 feet tall, five miles of lights wrapped around it. You've got the ice skating rink at Central Park, New York skyline around you, music going, really fantastic.

Speaking of store windows, we've got the best to compete with London. Bergdorf Goodman always goes way out. They have a flock of geese in one of their windows, a woman in full gallop on a horse.

LIN: In the store window?

BILLS: It's true. They really put a lot of effort into it. It's really gorgeous.

(CROSSTALK)

BILLS: And you've also got the Rockettes at Radio City. Lincoln Center, of course, doing "The Nutcracker." The Botanical Garden has a holiday garden and train show, where they've done 100 landmarks they've made out of plant parts. It is quite intricate and gorgeous as well. Miniature trains running through. That's the tip of the iceberg in New York.

LIN: Let's move on to the other cities. Let's go down south to Nashville.

BILLS: Nashville's got a lot going on. Get in the spirit at Gaylord Opryland Resort. They've got over 3,000 rooms in grand style, 2 millions lights in outdoor displays, nine acres of enclosed gardens, 40-foot Christmas tree. Great way to get into spirit. And you can venture out and see something like "Fantasy on Ice. They've got a massive interactive ice sculpture display. They've got a polar bear that weighs up to ten cars. This is no puny display.

Get a little country music. For New Year's they've got Willie Nelson with Toby Keith and Blake Shelton.

LIN: Out there in New Orleans, you don't have to leave the hotel to have a good time.

BILLS: New Orleans has got so much going on. The Fairmont New Orleans has a bit of a tradition. You can walk through the lobby. They do an angel hair Christmas Lobby, 220 feet covered in white.

(CROSSTALK)

LIN: I have no idea why we're showing pictures of a marching band. They're not going through the lobby.

(CROSSTALK)

BILLS: They've got so much. They have the restaurants do these resion (ph) dinners that means the awakening, and it's a Creole tradition to have a mass after midnight mass. You can have oyster stew and shrimp ramlade (ph) and stuffed capon. I'm getting hungry already. It's lunch time here in New York.

Also, the great thing to do is get on the Delta Queen steamboat and go down the Mississippi River. They have a tradition where they have bonfires lining the river to welcome Father Christmas. Father Christmas actually gets on board with you, and mingles with the guests. Of course this is New Orleans. Santa's got to party too.

A good Web site to check out is ChristmasNewOrleans.com. They have countdown to New Year's Eve for kids which is a count down to noon. Lots of historic homes are done up for the holidays so it gives you a guide.

LIN: A count down to noon and nap time.

BILLS: That way the parents can go out at night.

LIN: Heading north to the windy city, Chicago.

BILLS: Chicago's got a great thing going on called Winter Delights. That's going on till the end of February. It's nine themed weekend vacations. You've got everything from cooking demonstrations and restaurant tour to an evening with Cocoa Taylor, the Queen of the Blues.

The legendary museums there. They've got free admission or two for one admission. And the hotels are getting in on it. You've got hotels as low as $79 in downtown area. That's amazing.

LIN: And you've got Santa's sleigh going and a railroad. BILLS: That's right. Navy Pier's (ph) doing a lot of stuff for kids through January 4. They've got Santa's Village and an indoor ice rink. They've got inflatable life-sized games they can play on. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) fireworks every Saturday night. A lot to see in downtown Chicago.

LIN: You've got a classic location in my hometown of Los Angeles, actually, Anaheim, California.

(CROSSTALK)

BILLS: That's right. California is getting in on it. Disneyland is doing something. They also have their lights up till January 4. But they're doing something, the Christmas Fantasy Parade, which is really fun.

They have the marching toy soldiers, Santa and his reindeer. Mickey and Minnie on ice. The cool thing they're doing is every night they do a fireworks display to a medley of Christmas songs and a magical snowfall. It's pretty magic, as you might know, since it's Anaheim, California.

On New Year's Eve, they're open till 2:00 a.m., and they'll have fireworks at midnight. They're having pre-fixed dinners at their restaurants. The Grand Californian Hotel is a great place to stay for the kids. They have a pastry baking class for kids. There's a lot going on all over. It's a good thing to get away this season.

LIN: Sounds like a good time. Hopefully, folks in driving distance who have maybe forgotten about these highlights can run out the door, drive for an hour, and have a great time.

(CROSSTALK)

BILLS: Thank you, Carol. Happy holidays.

LIN: Happy holidays.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired December 22, 2003 - 11:48   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: If your idea of a wonderful holiday includes a ticket and a suitcase, pack your bags. "Travel And Leisure" magazine looks at some festive destinations filled with spirit and lights.
Jane Bills from "Travel And Leisure" joins us now from New York for our "Getaway" segment. She's got a few terrific ideas about places to go to make merry. Really, Jane, we're talking about quick trips, right? We're not talking about holiday travel, per se, but if you just want a quick getaway.

JANE BILLS, "TRAVEL AND LEISURE": Right. Just for Christmas or new year's we've got a lot of great options. Just being in New York right now I can tell you we have so many tourists here, you can barely get a cab, which is a good thing for us, though.

We've got so much going on. Rockefeller Center with the Christmas tree. This year it's 79 feet tall, five miles of lights wrapped around it. You've got the ice skating rink at Central Park, New York skyline around you, music going, really fantastic.

Speaking of store windows, we've got the best to compete with London. Bergdorf Goodman always goes way out. They have a flock of geese in one of their windows, a woman in full gallop on a horse.

LIN: In the store window?

BILLS: It's true. They really put a lot of effort into it. It's really gorgeous.

(CROSSTALK)

BILLS: And you've also got the Rockettes at Radio City. Lincoln Center, of course, doing "The Nutcracker." The Botanical Garden has a holiday garden and train show, where they've done 100 landmarks they've made out of plant parts. It is quite intricate and gorgeous as well. Miniature trains running through. That's the tip of the iceberg in New York.

LIN: Let's move on to the other cities. Let's go down south to Nashville.

BILLS: Nashville's got a lot going on. Get in the spirit at Gaylord Opryland Resort. They've got over 3,000 rooms in grand style, 2 millions lights in outdoor displays, nine acres of enclosed gardens, 40-foot Christmas tree. Great way to get into spirit. And you can venture out and see something like "Fantasy on Ice. They've got a massive interactive ice sculpture display. They've got a polar bear that weighs up to ten cars. This is no puny display.

Get a little country music. For New Year's they've got Willie Nelson with Toby Keith and Blake Shelton.

LIN: Out there in New Orleans, you don't have to leave the hotel to have a good time.

BILLS: New Orleans has got so much going on. The Fairmont New Orleans has a bit of a tradition. You can walk through the lobby. They do an angel hair Christmas Lobby, 220 feet covered in white.

(CROSSTALK)

LIN: I have no idea why we're showing pictures of a marching band. They're not going through the lobby.

(CROSSTALK)

BILLS: They've got so much. They have the restaurants do these resion (ph) dinners that means the awakening, and it's a Creole tradition to have a mass after midnight mass. You can have oyster stew and shrimp ramlade (ph) and stuffed capon. I'm getting hungry already. It's lunch time here in New York.

Also, the great thing to do is get on the Delta Queen steamboat and go down the Mississippi River. They have a tradition where they have bonfires lining the river to welcome Father Christmas. Father Christmas actually gets on board with you, and mingles with the guests. Of course this is New Orleans. Santa's got to party too.

A good Web site to check out is ChristmasNewOrleans.com. They have countdown to New Year's Eve for kids which is a count down to noon. Lots of historic homes are done up for the holidays so it gives you a guide.

LIN: A count down to noon and nap time.

BILLS: That way the parents can go out at night.

LIN: Heading north to the windy city, Chicago.

BILLS: Chicago's got a great thing going on called Winter Delights. That's going on till the end of February. It's nine themed weekend vacations. You've got everything from cooking demonstrations and restaurant tour to an evening with Cocoa Taylor, the Queen of the Blues.

The legendary museums there. They've got free admission or two for one admission. And the hotels are getting in on it. You've got hotels as low as $79 in downtown area. That's amazing.

LIN: And you've got Santa's sleigh going and a railroad. BILLS: That's right. Navy Pier's (ph) doing a lot of stuff for kids through January 4. They've got Santa's Village and an indoor ice rink. They've got inflatable life-sized games they can play on. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) fireworks every Saturday night. A lot to see in downtown Chicago.

LIN: You've got a classic location in my hometown of Los Angeles, actually, Anaheim, California.

(CROSSTALK)

BILLS: That's right. California is getting in on it. Disneyland is doing something. They also have their lights up till January 4. But they're doing something, the Christmas Fantasy Parade, which is really fun.

They have the marching toy soldiers, Santa and his reindeer. Mickey and Minnie on ice. The cool thing they're doing is every night they do a fireworks display to a medley of Christmas songs and a magical snowfall. It's pretty magic, as you might know, since it's Anaheim, California.

On New Year's Eve, they're open till 2:00 a.m., and they'll have fireworks at midnight. They're having pre-fixed dinners at their restaurants. The Grand Californian Hotel is a great place to stay for the kids. They have a pastry baking class for kids. There's a lot going on all over. It's a good thing to get away this season.

LIN: Sounds like a good time. Hopefully, folks in driving distance who have maybe forgotten about these highlights can run out the door, drive for an hour, and have a great time.

(CROSSTALK)

BILLS: Thank you, Carol. Happy holidays.

LIN: Happy holidays.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com