I hope you’ve been able to enjoy some of the places, festivals, and events I’ve shared to kickstart your Fall family fun this year around America & even beyond. And of course if you’re in my neck of the woods, you can see my list of activities to do in Northwest Florida.
As you as take advantage of Mother Nature’s spectacular show for your next vacation, I have a few more suggestions for you for some other parts of the nation should you happen to find yourself there. Or perhaps you’re already lucky enough to live around these areas.
Summer and winter are the two most popular seasons for vacations, but we all know that fall vacation has a completely different character. Fall is the only time you can see the glorious changes in nature that occur in certain regions, with the added advantage of fewer fellow travelers. Through travel agencies, you can visit the top areas of the country where fall puts on its spectacular show.
Boyne Mountain, MN, celebrates fall with its own version of Octoberfest. They offer a free, all-day event every October when nature is just starting to suggest the brilliant foliage is coming. The event offers live music, food, drinks and other games and entertainment well into the night with special events for children and adults. The rest of the month offers excellent golf, zip lines through the colorful forest and many other outdoor activities.
Wisconsin Dells, WI, offers brilliant fall foliage near Mirror Lake State Park and along Highway 12 to Fern Dell Road. Considered the Water Park Capital of the World, there is plenty to do besides enjoying the scenery. With a craft beer walk and wineries, boat tours, zip lines, golf and discount shopping, it’s a great place to spend any vacation, but even more gorgeous in the fall.
Cape Cod, MA, is the place to go in October if you are an oyster-lover. The area has several oyster celebrations, including the Cape Cod Oyster Festival, the Wellfleet Oyster Festival and the Oyster Grand Tasting, all in October. This is also the month for harvesting cranberries and there are several celebrations for the tangy fruit including at the home of the cranberry cultivation of the first Mayflower settlers. Near the Cape is the annual America’s Hometown Thanksgiving that takes place the week before Thanksgiving. Along with historical reenactments of the first Thanksgiving, it provides music, food, crafts and free historic tours that include Plymouth Rock.
White Mountains, NH, offer some of the most brilliant fall colors in the northeast. Along with the turquoise water of the cool lakes and the rocky hills, it’s a great place to spend a vacation in the fall. There is a fall foliage tour on the Hobo Railroad that is a round-trip ride. You can have a Hobo Picnic Lunch and take advantage of the brief stops along the way to get off the train and walk among the trees.
Hershey, PA, calls itself the Sweetest Place on Earth, and you can prove it when you visit Hershey’s Chocolate World. Along with the theme parks and other attractions, Hershey is the home of the Swatara State Park that features one of the top 11 bike trails in the country. The magnificent show of color provided by the trees in fall make this one of the best time to make this journey.
Fall is the one season that puts on a show for free. You can still enjoy all the outdoor activities of summer, but get the added bonus of a striking palette as a background. The winter is great for skiing or heading to warmer climes, and summer is the proverbial best time for vacations, but fall is when the crowds are smaller and the scenery is brighter.
We don't see many falls colors in Arizona unless we travel up north. Luckily my mother-in-law lives in the White Mountains & we are able to visit to get a does of fall!