This week’s dream: Visiting Lapland to meet Father Christmas
A well-timed family trip to northern Finland can be the recipe for months of domestic bliss, said Ed Potton in The Times (U.K.). And book as early as possible, then tell the kids right away that you’re treating them to a sit-down with Santa Claus at the North Pole. Because, believe me, “nothing enforces good behavior like the threat of withdrawing that golden ticket.” Our family of four made the trip in November, flying from London to the northernmost airport in Europe on our way to a mountaintop village 170 miles north of the Arctic Circle. A U.K.-based company, Santa’s Lapland, handled every detail, so before takeoff, we followed our pilot’s instructions when he urged every passenger to shout, “I believe!”
Though I’d heard rumors of no snow, “the view on landing was reassuringly white: all cotton-wool fir forests and frozen lakes.” Green-clad elves greeted us at baggage claim, and full sets of winter wear— snowsuits and fur-lined hats and gloves— awaited us at our hotel. In their borrowed boots, Izzy, 7, and Arlo, 3, tromped with us as we followed a torchlit path to a cabin where we feasted on salmon and berry compote. The next few days were packed with activities—tobogganing, snowmobiling, ice-skating, tandem skiing, lassoing contests. But our favorite adventure was the dogsled ride. The huskies yapped in excitement before we settled in and took off. “Following twisting paths through the forest, it was thrilling for everyone except Arlo, who fell asleep in seconds, swaddled in a blanket.”
When the spirited staff decided we were finally ready to meet You Know Who, “they milked the theater for all it was worth.” We boarded a sleigh pulled by a reindeer to a clearing where two elves briefly frolicked in the snow with Izzy and Arlo before directing all of us, in hushed voices, to a cabin where Santa awaited; “the children looked as though they were about to explode.” Santa didn’t disappoint. He had a full white beard and warm confidence, and after greeting Izzy and Arlo by name pulled from a pocket the wish lists they’d written to him many weeks earlier. “I wish I could meet Santa every day,” Izzy said later.
A three-day all-inclusive trip to Santa’s Lapland (santaslapland.com) costs about $6,250 for four.