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Fall vacations are all about cozy vibes and crisp adventures: golden foliage, scenic drives, pumpkin patches, and that just-right chill in the air. It’s the kind of season where I can spend the morning sipping cider and the afternoon hiking under a canopy of changing leaves.
Picture this: I’ve got boots crunching through fallen leaves, a flannel wrapped tight, and a cinnamon donut in hand—all just steps from a postcard-worthy fall landscape. Who knew autumn could feel this magical?
Just a short trip takes me to the Berkshires in Massachusetts, where every backroad is bursting with color and charm. For a mountain-meets-fall experience, Asheville, North Carolina, delivers big time with the Blue Ridge Parkway and cozy cabins. And if I want harvest festivals, apple picking, and small-town charm, Door County, Wisconsin, checks every box.
"Bonfires, bright leaves, and sweater weather strolls? Absolutely!"
Unique Fall Vacation Ideas:
1. Explore Outdoor Bliss in Boulder, Colorado
2. Soak Up Art and Ocean Breezes in Laguna Beach, California
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There are many good reasons to visit Laguna Beach during the fall, including lovely warm weather, predictably blue skies and smooth glassy seas. You can take advantage of the “Indian Summer” weather by soaking up the sun on famous Main Beach, or move a little further up or down the coast to get active in Crystal Cove State Parkk, Heisler Park or Crescent Bay Point Park, all of which have good trails for hiking and biking and offer swimming, scuba and skin diving, picnics and barbecue facilities. You can spend hours exploring the numerous tidal pools on a guided Tidal Pool Walk or sign up for a guided hike. If you enjoy skim-boarding you should head to Table Rock Beach or Aliso Beach.
For a change from beach activities you can explore the city on a Laguna Beach Walking Tour, which touches on all the main historic and architectural highlights, or do you own tour using the free Laguna Beach Trolley - you can get all the details from the Laguna Beach Official Visitor's Center. Art enthusiasts can enjoy Californian art at the Laguna Art Museum
(which hosts a special Fall Exhibition), admire surrealist paintings and sculptures at the Kush Fine Art Gallery and take themselves on a self-guided Public Art Tour. Families can visit the Pacific Marine Mammal Center to see rescued marine creatures including seals and sea lions.
3. Wander Through New England Charm in Burlington, Vermont
4. Dance Through History and Culture in New Orleans
5. Dive Into Big-City Energy in Chicago
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Chicago is a year-round getaway destination boasting wonderful museums and cultural attractions, and when fall sets in and the leaves turn to red, the city puts on a brilliant fall display to delight all nature lovers and photographers. You can get a good overview of the colors from 360 Chicago, the observation deck on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Center, then move in for a closer look as you visit some of the city's many wonderful parks and gardens, such as the Garfield Park Conservatory, Millennium Park,
Lincoln Park or Humboldt Park.
Once you have admired all the fall colors you can enjoy another visual feast at the Art Institute of Chicago
which showcases every genre of art you can name, before moving on to listen to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Center in downtown, or watch a cutting-edge theatrical production at the Looking glass Theatre Company. If you are interested in architecture you can visit the very impressive Chicago Cultural Center
(which boasts two of the world's most enormous stained glass domes), the Driehaus Museum, or take an in-depth look at some of the city's famous sky-scrapers on a Chicago Architecture Foundation Tour. Families can enjoy the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Chicago Children's Museum, Legoland Discovery Center and the Shedd Aquarium.
6. If You Love Hidden Gems, Discover Sioux Falls
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The changing color of the foliage and the slight chill in the air herald fall in South Dakota, the perfect time of year to plan a weekend getaway in picturesque Sioux Falls. You can start your weekend by exploring Falls Park, a 123-acre green space surrounding the waterfalls on the Big Sioux River. There are around 19 miles of hiking and biking paths surrounded by beautiful natural scenery, which should be particularly spectacular in the fall. Another good outdoor area for walking, biking and ball games is Terrace Park, and you can also get plenty of exercise on the hiking trails in Great Bear Recreational Park (which is a very popular ski area in winter).
Art enthusiasts can visit the Washington Pavilion of Arts which contains an art gallery, theater and concert hall and features performances by the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra and the Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues Society, among others. If you enjoy learning about history you can visit the Old Courthouse Museum, the Pettigrew Home and Museum, the USS South Dakota Battleship Museum and the Veterans Memorial Park, which is dedicated to local war veterans. Families can tour the Butterfly House & Marine Cove, or make their way to the Great Plains Zoo
7. Step Into America’s Oldest City in St. Augustine
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Fall is a great time to visit St. Augustine, when the temperatures are a little lower and the city puts on a large variety of fall festivals and events. A good place to start exploring this historic city is in the cobbled Old City. You can go on a historic walking tour or take a sightseeing trolley bus tour or see the sights from a horse-drawn carriage. If you are interested in Victoriana you can visit the Lightner Museum
in the old Hotel Alcazar (which also has wonderful grounds to explore), and those fascinated by military history can tour Castello de San Marcos and the smaller Fort Matanzas National Museum, both of which date back to the Spanish occupation around 1692.
Anastasia State Park is great for nature enthusiasts, offering swimming, beachcombing and all kinds of boating, and the Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park, on part of the Florida Intracoastal Waterway, includes a Timucuan Village and a planetarium, besides the fabled Fountain of Youth well. There are plenty of activities for families including the gun demonstration and firing of the canonat Castello de San Marcos, the St. Augustine Alligator Farm, a Wheatstone Chocolate Factory Tour or a visit to the St. Augustine Wildlife Reserve.
8. Bask in Coastal Beauty on Cape Cod
9. Savor Laid-Back Luxury in Santa Barbara
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Santa Barbara boasts up to 300 days of sunshine every year and fall is one of the best times to visit to enjoy an array of outdoor activities. Although the water is a little cooler in fall, you can don a wetsuit and still enjoy a variety of water sports at the Arroyo Burro Country Beach or simply soak up the sun and picnic or barbeque in Shoreline Park. The lower fall humidity makes this the ideal season to visit some exceptional gardens, which include the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, the Ganna Walska Lotusland (which is bursting at the seams with exotic plants from all over the world) and Casa del Herrero, a beautiful example of 1925 Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, set in an 11-acre garden.
If you prefer museums to gardens you can tour the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center and the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, all of which are great for families. Art lovers can visit the Santa Barbara Museum of Art which showcases American, Asian and European artworks, and round off their day at the historic Lobero Theatre. Foodies can enjoy visiting local vineyards on a Sustainable Vine Wine Tour, tasting local specialties on a Santa Barbara Tasting Tour or exploring the many restaurants at Stearns Wharf.
10. If You Crave Sunshine and Style, Escape to Miami
I get asked this a lot so I decided to include it:
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Why is fall a great season for vacations?
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The fall season offers an unlimited selection of vacation options. From bright yellow aspens in
Colorado to crimson reds in Vermont,
fall foliage alone is reason enough for a quick getaway.
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When is the best time to see fall foliage in Vermont and upstate New York?
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Is Columbus Day weekend a good time for a fall getaway?
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Columbus Day weekend
is usually a good bet, but you should book your room well in advance because many couples and families go on a
long weekend getaway then.
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When does fall foliage peak in Maine?
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Maine fall foliage peaks during the early part of October.
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