For some families, Christmas away has become as normal as going to Grandma's house. Every other Christmas for a decade, two dozen members of the Follansbee clan have gathered at The Asilomar Conference Grounds hotel in Pacific Grove, Calif., coming from as far away as New York and Florida.

"The simplicity of the locale, in a facility without televisions, radios or phones in the rooms, allows for the family to focus on the gathering and not be distracted in ways that we face daily the rest of the year," said Stephen Follansbee. "We can have fun together, walking, talking, eating, working on puzzles, and playing on the grounds, or at the beach."

Rebecca Barfknecht spent last Christmas at The Asilomar with 12 others. They decorated a small tree in a living room reserved for their family and later roasted marshmallows over a bonfire. "It was a nice, relaxed place to be together," she said.

For guests at the Biltmore Inn, one of the biggest draws is the nearby Biltmore House.

Thousands of visitors pour in to see the holiday decorations at the historic home, a virtual castle built in 1895 for George W. Vanderbilt III.

But guests at the inn, which is located on the grounds of the estate, have exclusive access to the Biltmore House on Christmas Eve from 3:30 p.m. on.

"The fireplaces are lit, and we have a candlelight tour of the estate," said Marjorie Snook, who will spend her third Christmas at the Biltmore this year. "It's cold outside, and we go for a buggy ride. They have Christmas trees all over. We don't feel like we're missing a thing."

David Workman of Winter Haven, Fla., enjoys traveling over Christmas because his son is off from school. "That's our midyear vacation," he said.

They've spent Christmas at the Biltmore, in Alaska and in Utah, but they always exchange gifts with other family members beforehand. And even though they're going away, Workman's wife and son insist on putting up a tree and lights.

"I tried to get out of that last year," Workman said, "and they were going to throw me off the moon."