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Though this year is likely to be really different when it comes to holiday travel, some things remain the same. Board games around a fire, outdoor adventures, giant family meals: they're the stuff of TV commercials and the focus of our dreams as we plan our next get-together. Here are the best big-group vacation rentals we've found in each state. Be sure to check listings for COVID cleaning measures and changes.
Sleeps: 12
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Have some space-obsessed kids or a former astronaut in the family? This massive geodesic dome is a clean-lined model of modern design tucked into 1.5 heavily wooded acres. The house includes a koi pond and wrap-around decks. While there, you're just a short distance from the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.
Sleeps: 16
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This massive log home is surrounded by the spruce, cliffs, and mountains of Denali National Park. It has two living rooms, Jenn-Air appliances, and in the right season a view of the aurora borealis.
Related: 18 Travel Destinations Where One Visit Isn't Enough
Sleeps: 10
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It's a bit of a splurge, but this five-bedroom home has all the extras that will keep a family engaged and at peace during all that togetherness. In addition to a landscaped pool and hot tub, the home features outdoor, shaded dining, Ping-Pong, and a putting green.
Sleeps: 14
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That desert lifestyle can be yours for a few nights — even with the kids in tow. This half-acre property has six bedrooms, and four bathrooms, including a detached bedroom for teens that includes a lounge area and a ping pong table. The dining table seats 12, and the large pool has a sand volleyball court behind it.
Sleeps: 22
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Bring the entire crew for a ski-golf getaway at this 3-acre property, backing onto a river and just a few minutes' drive from the restaurants and shops of this Victorian ski town. The house sleeps up to 22 in private bedrooms and a bunk room. Amenities include two living rooms (kids, go to the basement!) and a hot tub.
Sleeps: 10
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This historic home overlooks the Mystic River, and has an adjacent cottage with loft beds. Bikes and kayaks are available for enjoying the town and the water. In the summer months, an outdoor shower expands the bathing options (there is only one bathroom in the main house).
Related: 19 Virtual Tours of Historic Homes
Sleeps: 10
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Just 15 minutes from the beach, this clapboard house has been smartly updated with modern furniture. It features an outdoor shower, grill, screened porch and backyard hot tub. It's a five-minute bike ride to Lewes Beach, and less than three miles to the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk. Curl up with a book or throw on your best wine cardigan for a walk on the beach.
Sleeps: 12
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Boaters and fishing folk will appreciate being just four doors down from the open sea, while housing the entire family in a turquoise-and-cream home decorated in high Florida Keys. There is a small above-ground pool, but what you're really here for are the water and the warmth.
Related: Best Fishing Spots in All 50 States
Sleeps: 16
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With seven bedrooms and nearly 70 surrounding acres of nature, this tasteful home offers plenty of sightseeing and hiking with Lookout Mountain nearby and Chattanooga, Tennessee only a short drive away. Adults can use the pool table while children tuck into the stadium-seating mattresses in the TV room. With all that, it's one of the most reasonably priced rentals we've seen.
Sleeps: 10
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It's not cheap, but not much in Hawaii is. Set on a former coffee plantation, this 1988 home was built from 90 cedar poles imported from Washington State. Its hilltop position brings sweeping views, and child-friendly beaches are just a few minutes away.
Related: 14 Warm Weather Destinations for Reconnecting With Nature
Sleeps: 16
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The hot tub for this five-bedroom home looks out on the Grand Tetons. An indoor fireplace and outdoor fire pit keep things warm, and the property is a short drive from national parks and the Snake River.
Sleeps: 16
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Chicago makes an easy destination for far-flung families, and this light-filled home has six bedrooms in the trendy Logan Square neighborhood. The El is just a few blocks away, as are the neighborhood's many restaurants.
Related: 70 Free Things to Do in America's Most Popular Cities
Sleeps: 16
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When you spend big, you want to live big. This house is only a few miles from the University of Notre Dame, but you may never want to leave the property. There are pools for swimming both inside and outside of the house, as well as an indoor basketball court and a tennis court.
Sleeps: 10
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American Gothic never had it so good. A half-hour drive from Iowa City brings you to a century-old farmhouse with chickens wandering the property. Instead of chores, you'll have a chef's kitchen, sauna, hot tub, and outdoor pool.
Sleeps: 22
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Max out the 22-person capacity of this log cabin, and your family will suddenly be 10 percent of tiny Reading's population. There are 8 bedrooms and 7.5 bathrooms. The living room is larger than most houses at more than 2,000 square feet, and has three sitting areas, each with their own TVs.
Related: Destinations to Avoid During the Holidays and Where to Go Instead
Sleeps: 10
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The Highlands, one of Louisville's most popular neighborhoods for shopping, drinking, and dining. This house is just steps away from Bardstown Road, but it will be hard to leave a walled-in rooftop deck with grill, fire pit, bar, and hot tub.
Sleeps: 16
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The trendy Marigny neighborhood is near the French Quarter. Bring 16 of your nearest and dearest to this five-bedroom home. It's made for big gatherings, with a dining room that seats 10 and another six at the kitchen counter. There are extra-long sofas throughout the home for game-playing and conversation.
Sleeps: 10
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An idyllic rocky coast overlooking the Atlantic Ocean is the setting for this four-bedroom house, with a deck overlooking the sea. Decorated in nautical blues and grays, the home is about an hour's distance from the shopping of Bar Harbor or the wilds of Acadia National Park.
Sleeps: 10
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South of Baltimore and east of Washington, D.C., Lothian makes an easy commute for a family reunion, and is fully equipped for babies and small children. The wooded neighborhood has a community pool and nearby golf courses, and the owners recently added an indoor hot tub.
Sleeps: 12
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You may track sand in your bed, but that's the risk you take when you rent a home that opens directly onto its own private beach. Kayaks and paddleboards are included for those willing to brave the chilly waters. If you need more space, there's a one-bedroom guest cottage next door available as well.
Sleeps: 16
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With six bedrooms, the entire family can get a little privacy in this modernist home just a few minutes from Saugatuck and Lake Michigan. Indoors, three large-screen TVs, a foosball game, and pool table are available for entertainment.
Sleeps: 12
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If the weather doesn't cooperate, indulge in the basement screening room of this five-bedroom waterfront home. Its recliner sofas face a 150-inch television. The back deck offers a fire pit, and when the sun comes back out, you may enjoy the motorcycle also available for rentals.
Sleeps: 16
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You'll have plenty of space at this seven-bedroom home on 12 acres of lakefront land. A pavilion with picnic tables and an outdoor fireplace with cooking grills overlook the lake. The rental includes access to a community pool, kayaks, a children's playground, and a sand volleyball court.
Related: Best Lakes in All 50 States
Sleeps: 20
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You can even bring the cousins you don't like to this large lodge, which offers six king-size bedrooms, each with its own TV. Not only can 20 sleep here, but they can all be seated for meals as well. The massive deck overlooks Lake Taneycomo and features an outdoor pool table. Use the fishing boat to venture farther out onto the water.
Related: Vacation Rentals With Thanksgiving Meal-Worthy Kitchens
Sleeps: 12
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Aspiring hobbits will love this sod-covered earth house, just outside of Helena. There is even a shower entered through a tree trunk. Don't expect much privacy, though: There are four sleeping nooks, but only one separate bedroom.
Related: Spectacular Caves You Can Rent
Sleeps: 16
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Don't plan to hang from the chandeliers — there's already a monkey doing that at this zoo-themed home. Leopard-fabric barstools, giraffe statues, and jungle murals add to the vibe of a home that stands in tribute to Omaha's esteemed Henry Doorly Zoo.
Related: Best Zoo and Aquarium Live Streams for a Virtual Visit With Cute Animals
Sleeps: 18
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You may feel like a high roller in this home. Minutes from the airport and the Las Vegas Strip, it has an outdoor waterfall pool and putting green. Indoors, lush plants warm up a spa with a hot tub and bar.
Related: 22 Must-See Las Vegas Attractions That Aren't on the Strip
Sleeps: 12
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Set on 10 acres, this stone and timber lodge offers plenty of outdoor space for leisurely hikes. The living room features wood ceilings and a fieldstone fireplace. You can gaze at the White Mountains from the comfort of the front porch.
Sleeps: 10
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On the site of a former summer camp, this wood-shingled home backs onto a bucolic lake. Inside, it is ready for families, with a crib and a play area in the living room. Just 25 minutes away: Shawnee Mountain ski slopes.
Related: 13 Destinations for Cheap Skiing
Sleeps: 30
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Bring up to 30 people to gaze at the stars on this 750-acre property in the bootheel of New Mexico. For sleeping, there's the main house, two guest houses, and six RV pads. The high desert compound also features a game room, heated pool, and hot tub, as well as an airplane hangar for events.
Related: 40 RV Destinations for Snowbirds
Sleeps: 9
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Near the Canadian border, you'll be surrounded by trees on nine acres near Whiteface Mountain ski resort and Lake Placid, site of the 1980 Winter Olympics. After a day in the snow, you can indulge in the seven-person hot tub and look at the surrounding forests and mountains.
Sleeps: 10
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Industrial chic with a nautical flair informs this polished home with unobstructed views of the Atlantic Ocean. It comes not only with a hot tub, but with a good deal of history as well. The four-bedroom, four-bath cottage was originally built in the 1800s as a stable for the horses that pulled lifeboats from the boathouse to the water and back.
Sleeps: 14
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Live the frontier life in this 1889 home in the heart of Fargo. The shingled home has five bedrooms and is walking distance to coffee, pastries, and the theater. The kitchen is well-stocked and ready for big family meals.
Sleeps: 8
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This inventive container home stands out among the oversized log cabins of the vacation magnet of Hocking Hills State Park in southeastern Ohio. Stylish details fill the home, but the centerpiece is a treehouse hot tub that sits six. In the area, outdoor activities abound, including ziplining, canoe trips, and horseback riding.
Sleeps: 10
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An easy trip for residents of Dallas, Oklahoma City, or Hot Springs, Ark., this log cabin offers three bedrooms and a sleeping loft. A creek runs through the wooded property, which also contains a fire pit and a hot tub. Just a few minutes away is Broken Bow Lake.
Sleeps: 8
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Two flights of exterior stairs lead to sweeping views of the dramatic Oregon coast from this house, which offers three bedrooms, including one with two sets of bunk beds for the kids. The beach is steps away, seldom used, and has its own cave. This is a neighborhood that turns off the lights at night, so expect plenty of stars when skies are clear.
Related: 50 Most Beautiful Views in the World
Sleeps: 15
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On the edge of Allegheny National Forest, this large cabin has plenty of sleeping room, but who wants to sleep when there is so much to do outside? You can swim or fish right off the house's dock, and there are two lakefront beaches nearby. Kayaking and paddle boats are available, as well as two area golf courses and a community pool with a water slide.
Sleeps: 10
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It's not the Gilded Age, but you can dream in this four-story shingled home, just a short walk or drive from the mansions of Newport as well as the waterfront. The townhouse has decks on the top two floors and five parking spaces, a rarity in Newport.
Sleeps: 10
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You're a block from the beach here, and just a short drive into the history and restaurant scene of Charleston. This five-bedroom, five-bath home is situated in a resort community with a golf course and swim complex. On rainy days, gather around the pool table in the sunroom.
Sleeps: 14
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Nestled among the pines of Gilded Mountain subdivision, you'll be just five miles from Deadwood and three from Terry Peak ski resort in this log home. The rental comes with access to the community's heated saltwater pool, two hot tubs, sauna, pool table, air hockey, and exercise room.
Related: 18 Towns Where You Can Still Experience the Wild West
Sleeps: 15
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High in the Smoky Mountains and in the heart of Cherokee National Forest, this historic hemlock-log home sits just half a mile from the Appalachian Trail. The four-bedroom home overlooks Paint Creek; fly fishing and whitewater rafting are nearby.
Sleeps: 12
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Spend a lazy day in an inner tube on the Guadalupe River at this vacation home less than an hour from San Antonio. If you're feeling more energetic, get into the river by way of the rope swing or slide. Kids can use the trampoline while the more sedate gather along the riverfront deck by the fire. An adjacent cabin is also available to sleep four more.
Sleeps: 12
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Your commute to this snowy home is via ski, just a few minutes from the lifts of this resort town. From the deck, you can sit in a hot tub, feel the flakes fall, and look down on Park City. Should you want to head into town, it's just a 10-minute walk to Main Street.
Sleeps: 10
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Bring the whole family, because there are no neighbors near this mountaintop home at the end of a dirt road (4-wheel drive recommended in winter). Feel the warmth of the woodburning stove, or venture onto the second-story deck for views of the surrounding hills.
Related: World's Most Remote Hotels
Sleeps: 14
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This home overlooking Smith Mountain Lake is designed for multiple families to share. Three docks allow for boating (a kayak, canoe, and pedal boat are all available). Inside, you'll find an 80-inch projector TV, game room, pool table, and toys.
Sleeps: 15
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Set against the Pacific Ocean on the Olympic Peninsula, Seabrook is a 17-year-old model of New Urbanism, where you're likely to see people strolling around the town's shops and restaurants or to its many amenities. This somewhat pricey house directly overlooks the beach and is just steps away from the water. It offers five bedrooms and five bathrooms, and the basement features an HD projection screen and arcade games.
Sleeps: 20+
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Run your own family ski lodge for the week at this seven-bedroom log cabin. A free shuttle service at the top of the driveway will whisk you to the slopes. Inside, there are two kitchens, eight TVs, a game room, a covered front porch and a large back deck.
Related: Great Winter Rentals Under $100 a Night — If You Share
Sleeps: 14
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This spacious home overlooks Lake Michigan and has stairs for lake access. The remodeled open kitchen leads to comfortable seating for 10 (and couches nearby for overflow). You can gather on the upstairs balcony, with seating for 12, to play a game or watch a storm roll in.
Sleeps: 14
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The wealthy may spend their time in Jackson, but for dramatic mountains and gentle alpine meadows, Dubois can't be beat. The evocatively named Cracked Noggin Lodge is on Union Pass, with ATV and snowmobile trails accessible from the property. The home is built from hand-peeled logs and has a wood-burning stove.
Related: Best Winter Home Rentals in America
