During winter, we find lovely wrapped gifts underneath the tree on Christmas morning. From clothing to books to electronics, people give their friends and family members physical gifts that they think they will enjoy, but what are some unique winter experiences you can give to loved ones for Christmas?

A fan favorite and an inexpensive experience you can give to someone who loves Christmas lights is to take them to the Symphony of Lights in Columbia, Maryland or to the Miracle on 34th Street in Baltimore.

Both places allow the participants to walk through a beautiful array of Christmas lights and decorations at night. Miracle on 34th Street is free and open to everyone, and the destination is at 700 W 34th Street, Baltimore.

The Symphony of Lights opens at 5 pm and is open to everyone; however, it does cost $20 to drive through the display of lights.

Christmas isn’t quite complete without ice skating during a cold, snowy winter day. This is a great gift idea for someone who loves skating or making memories. There are a ton of indoor and outdoor skating rinks in Maryland.

My personal favorite is ice skating at the Avenue in White Marsh, which is open from mid-November to early March, and its hours are 10 am to 8:30 pm. The rink does require a reservation for skating, and the price is $11 for children over 13, and $16 if you rent skates.

For the loved ones who are difficult to shop for or who are a bit picky with their gifts, a shopping spree may be the perfect gift experience for the holidays. This way, friends and family members can pick out what they know they will enjoy and use in the future.

Of course, as the gift giver, it is important to create a price cap on the things they may buy, but this idea is open to interpretation. A great place to do this would be the Towson Town Center, which is open from 11 am to 6 pm or the outlets at Rehoboth Beach, which are open from 10 am to 7 pm.

For those who love adventure and live on adrenaline, skiing is another experience unlike any other winter activity. Roundtop Mountain Resort, located in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania and Liberty Mountain Resort, located in Fairfield, Pennsylvania are two very large and popular skiing resorts close to Maryland.

Each resort is about one hour and 45 minutes away from John Carroll. However, this experience can be expensive, costing between $50-120 for a skiing pass for the day.

In my opinion, the most beautiful place in the United States to experience Christmas is New York City. Rockefeller Center has one of the largest Christmas trees in America, a gorgeous and very famous ice skating rink, and numerous boutiques and high-end shops and centers. Just walking in New York in general is a beautiful sight with pretty Christmas lights and decorations.

Though this trip can be expensive and time-consuming, it is a wonderful way to spend quality time with a loved one this year.