Winter vacation? Here are some choices

1. Always at the top of my places to visit is New York City. The city is good any time of year, except August when it's like being on the wrong side of an air conditioner -- hot, humid, sticky and smelly.

2. Omaha, Neb. An odd choice, I know, but it's where my family is, and it's a nice mid-size city with stuff. The only drawback is that except for spring and summer, it's cold; the kind of cold that gets worse the longer you're out in it. It's also the site of the College World Series, but that's in the summer.

3. Spring training locales in Arizona and Florida. If you're having baseball withdrawal, it looks as if you can go virtually anywhere in either state and see Major League Baseball players preparing for the season. And if you get tired of baseball, it's warm so you can swim, sit on a beach or play some golf.

4. Skiing. While I've never been a skier, I have ice skated, if that counts. Pretty and good places to go would be Aspen and Crested Butte in Colorado, numerous spots in New Mexico and Stratton Mountain, Burlington, Killington and Magic Mountain in Vermont. About 100 miles north of here is Hidden Valley Ski Area west of St. Louis -- a possible one-day vacation.

5. Las Vegas. Temperatures in Las Vegas this past week were in the mid-50s and 60s. While we may or may not hit the 50s around here, in Las Vegas you can pretty much count on it. I've never been to Las Vegas, but it's generally warmer there than here, and there are shows to see and gambling to be done -- if you like gambling.