The New Year is a time for new beginnings. Each year, we take a pause to reflect on the previous year and envision our hopes for the coming year. It's a chance for a fresh start with unlimited potential for the promise of our best year ever. Whatever the coming year holds for you, from PCS moves to deployments and reunions with family members, the New Year is a time to be thankful.
For the team here at IHG® Army Hotels, it's a chance for us to begin another year of serving those who serve. We take great pride in providing our guests with the comfort and safety that help make each stay memorable throughout the year. With many options for ringing in 2026, we recommend a few within 30 minutes of our properties that can make the start to 2026 that much more memorable and refreshing. Our recommendations will touch on the following five themes.
- Outdoor renewal
- Art and culture
- Wellness and self-care
- Family-friendly New Year’s celebrations
- Embracing a slower pace
Start Fresh With Outdoor Renewal
It has been said that Alaska is the last frontier. The remoteness of much of the state, breathtaking natural beauty, and something for just about everyone looking to escape highly populated areas make Alaska a perfect location to start the New Year fresh with an outdoor renewal. There is no better place to start your adventures in the outdoors than our IHG Army Hotels Holiday Inn Express Northern Lights Inn on Fort Wainwright. Here are a few outdoor activities within 30 minutes of the hotel for a New Year renewal.
About 20 minutes from the hotel is Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge. The area is an excellent location for bird and other wildlife watching. In the summer months, you can explore the numerous hiking trails in the area. During the winter months, these trails are maintained for cross-country skiing, dog mushing, and skijoring. Even closer to our property is the Chena Riverwalk. Just 10 minutes from your room, the walk is 3.5 miles between Pioneer Park and Airport Way. Breathe in the fresh air as you explore parks, athletic centers, and a convention center along the river. Finally, 30 minutes from us is Murphy Dome. The site is on an old Air Force base, and this location is popular with ATV riders and hikers. In winter, head to the location in the evenings to see an unforgettable display of the northern lights.
The outdoor wonders of Alaska can help to make the start of your year feel refreshing and inspiring. Let the wonders of wildlife and awe-inspiring marvels like the northern lights ring in the New Year and a new you, all just minutes away from your room.
Celebrate Through Arts & Culture
Starting the new year with culture and the arts can be grounding and uplifting at the same time. Arts and culture spark inspiration and creativity, help you slow down, connect you to the community, and broaden your perspective. All are great things to work on at the start of the year. One of our favorite areas to appreciate culture and the arts is Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Here are a few opportunities within 30 minutes of our Holiday Inn Express Knadle Hall property.
The New Year can often be a time to take something and change it into something different and better. What better place to experience this than a former prison that is now an arts center? The Workhouse Art Center is about 20 minutes from our hotel. This modern arts campus includes galleries, studios, classes, and spaces for performances. Check out their events calendar for the most up-to-date list of ways you can join in the fun. Just 30 minutes away is Old Town Alexandria, where brick sidewalks, gas lamps, independent shops, and waterfront views can inspire you and expose you to culture through the area's many galleries, local crafts, and live music. And, while in the Old Town Alexandria area, check out the Torpedo Factory Art Center. Located on the Potomac waterfront, you can watch artists create their treasures in real time.
Starting your year with an immersion in culture and the arts sparks inspiration and mindfulness. Check out these and other sites near our properties to begin the New Year with some class.
Prioritize Wellness and Self-Care
Whether you are active duty, a veteran, or the family of service members, past and present, military life is taxing physically, mentally, and emotionally. For this reason, it's always a good idea to start the year by prioritizing your well-being and focusing on self-care. Speaking of self-care, when staying at our IHG Army Hotels Moon Hall in Fort Bragg, here are a few ways to start 2026 surrounded by wellness.
Just about 20 minutes from our property is the Cape Fear Botanical Garden. Even in the winter months, this place is perfect for a quiet walk, reflection, and a chance to clear your mind. With over 80 acres to enjoy, the garden is a perfect place to reconnect with yourself. If you aren't looking for serenity and peace, try relating with local fresh foods, artisan products, and community at Dirtbag Ales Farmers Market & Taproom. Just 30 minutes from Moon Hall, this is the perfect spot to sip on tasty beer while buying organic honey and making memories with friends and family. For a truly relaxing time, check out flotation therapy at Guiding Wellness, less than 20 minutes away. Through a combination of floating and sensory deprivation, you'll get the chance to reconnect with yourself like never before.
Focusing on wellness and yourself helps to restore balance. Whether you need to decompress from a long deployment, release tension from the previous year, or welcome in the next year with a new you, there are countless opportunities like those above located within minutes of our hotels.
Join a Family-Friendly New Year’s Celebration
If your idea of New Year's is family fun, laughing and building memories with friends, and joyful relaxation, you should head over to Huntsville, AL. When staying at our Candlewood Suites Building 3440 on Redstone Arsenal, you've got lots of family fun at your doorstep.
From now until December 31, you can bring the family to the Huntsville Botanical Garden Galaxy of Lights. Celebrate New Year's Eve with a dazzling display of light arrangements and a warm beverage just 15 minutes from your room. For out-of-the-world fun, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (home of Space Camp) has family workshops and events all winter long. There is plenty to do here, and your trip to space is less than a 10-minute drive from Redstone Arsenal. Finally, check out Bridge Street Town Centre, where you can ring in the New Year with shops, food, and street performers just 15 minutes away.
Family-friendly New Year events can easily be reached when in Huntsville, AL. Check out events and destinations near our other properties, and you are sure to find many family-friendly ways to ring in 2026. If you are looking for options, you can always contact our front desk staff for recommendations near their properties.
Embrace a Cozy, Slower Pace
Service members, military families and veterans, are no strangers to a fast-paced life. Sometimes the best way to balance out the go-go-go of the previous year is to start the next year with a bit of a slower pace. The Southwest United States is a great place to find a cozy spot to slow things down.
One location worth checking out if you are in search of a slower pace is our IHG Army Hotels Main Complex Buildings on Fort Huachuca, AZ. Local coffee houses in Sierra Vista, AZ, are minutes away. Journal about the new year, reflect on the previous, and sip your favorite beverage while forgetting about the rest of the world. Another hidden gem in the area isRamsey Canyon Preserve, about a 30-minute drive from your room. The preserve features a rich abundance of wildlife and plants, making it a perfect escape from everything. If quirky art, bakeries, and hillside views are your idea of slowing things down, you'll want to spend time this New Year in Historic Bisbee, AZ. At 30 minutes from the hotel, it's the perfect getaway to explore as you begin 2026.
The year always seems to get busier as the months fly by. That makes the start of each year the ideal time to ease into it and relax. A slower pace at the start can set you up for success when things start to take off after the New Year.
The New Year offers the possibility of exciting things. It's a clean slate, allowing for a new start. With so many on-post lodging options, our properties offer the safety and comfort you need to ring in the New Year with a refreshing reset. We look forward to helping you and your family make the most out of the start of 2026!
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