If traveling when the foliage is turning orange, the crisp breeze is beginning to blow, and soaking in spooky destinations sounds like a great time, you may want to consider traveling in the fall instead of peak vacation months. The United States is a big place, full of all sorts of autumn sites and activities.
Fall Festivals
No matter where you live, chances are good that somewhere near you, theres’s a town throwing a marvelous festival or fair during the fall season. If you’re looking to make the games and deep fried delicacies a vacation, Rebecca Shinners and Blair Donovan at CountryLiving have made a list of the 29 best fall fairs and festivals across the USA. Their list has everything to enjoy from coffee farm tours in Hawaii during the Kona Coffee Cultural Fest to live music and dining at the Fall for Greenville in South Carolina.
Historical Haunts
Pumpkin spice everything and the macabre seem to dominate the fall season for many people. If you like the latter, taking a trip to somewhere with a spooky past may be up your alley. In October, people flock to the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, Massachusetts. Their Halloween Ball is so popular, they start taking reservations a year in advance. If you decide to take a trip to this haunted hotel, you can swing by and visit the Lizzie Borden house, in Fall River, or any of the ghost tours and witchy history near the Hawthorne. Louisiana is another great state with a reputation for revenants and hauntings. The grave of the voodoo queen of New Orleans, Marie Laveau, located near the French Quarter, is one of the state’s biggest attractions all year round. If you decide to go to her tomb and ask her to grant your wish, you may want to check out the Hotel Bentley of Alexandria. Book a room to marvel at the ornate ceilings and carvings throughout the property but stay to do some amateur ghost hunting.
Foliage Watching
Hues that span from pale yellow to vibrant red can be spotted on trees in many parts of the U.S. if you plan your trip at the right time. The Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania are located in three distinct regions that each have their own fall foliage forecast that peak in various weeks from September until the southern color zone shines at the end of October. You can check out the forecast as well as other fun stuff to do and places to stay in the Poconos here. If you’ve always wanted to take a road trip out west, Visit Utah has listed 11 scenic roads for fall leaf viewing, explaining, “Utah’s geography creates a multitude of peak viewing times throughout the state, so you can come early or late in the season and still spot breathtaking colors courtesy of the canyon maples, quaking aspens, scrub oaks, Douglas hawthorns, serviceberries and more.”
You don’t have to travel during peak vacation season to find great activities. Skip the air conditioning and pick up some pumpkins instead.