Coronado, California
Every summer, San Diego’s Coronado Island bustles with vacationers (locals call them Zonnies because most of them are Native Americans from Arizona). The beach is a staple of everyday life year-round, but fall is the perfect time to toast marshmallows over a waterside campfire
Joshua Tree, California
Joshua Tree is home to Joshua Tree National Park. Joshua Tree National Park is a powerful attraction. And with daytime temperatures finally dropping to a comfortable 75 degrees and summer visitors moving on, autumn is the most glorious time to dive into the magic of the dusty, juniper-scented desert.
Vashon Island, Washington
Washington’s rustic Vashon Island is an easy day or overnight trip from Seattle. The island is best known as the longtime home of Betty MacDonald, author of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s children’s books.
Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
Located off the south coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard await you. Two of England’s most picturesque islands. A trip to the ‘Islands’ in the fall is always quieter than a stay in the middle of summer, but this season is especially so if not for the island’s annual half marathon and vineyard food and wine festival.
Hudson, New York
A short two-hour Amtrak ride from New York City’s Pennsylvania Station, New York City is home to antique and vintage furniture stores, cocktail bars, and boutique hotels worthy of a long weekend (or, for some New Yorkers, second-hand hometown hub). If you want to stay in the center of town, stay on Warren Street. Either the retro Rivertown Lodge, where you can rent a wood stove and bikes, or the newly opened Maker Hotel. It’s full of unique atmospheres. Furniture appropriate for the place is appropriate.
Aspen, Colorado
Aspen may seem like the obvious choice – hello, the mountains are full of yellow leaves – but it’s clear that it’s not necessarily a bad thing. This fall is a great time to visit as it offers perks.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
In the fall, the selfie-taking hordes of summer travelers lull, and the wildlife and clear skies migrate to Jackson Hole, a valley surrounded by the Grand Tetons. By mid-October, when the frost sets in, the nights are cool and the days warm, perfect for hiking and biking the extensive trails of the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
Berkshires, Massachusetts
The Berkshires of western Massachusetts are year-round ski, trail, and swim destinations, but fall is always the season. At that time, the region’s giant oak trees color a spectrum of gold, red, and orange, but the chill in the fresh New England air forced us to abandon our Adirondack hike a little earlier than planned and head inside.
Bermuda
With its pink beaches and year-round warm weather (especially a two-and-a-half-hour flight from New York). Bermuda has always been a destination for long weekends of East Coast ricotta and charatieri (fresh tagliatelle). Try it here.
St. Michaels, Maryland
Blue crab season may start in April, but fall is when fans think it peaks. October is a great time to visit Maryland’s East Coast. Not only because of the nice weather and fewer people, but it’s also the time when the crabs are the meatiest and at the best prices.
Asheville, North Carolina
Make Asheville your home base and explore the parkway in either direction. Head south to Pisgah National Forest, filled with waterfalls and foliage-covered hills visible from Looking Glass Rock, and head north to the winding Lynn Cove Viaduct. Grandfather Mountain offers some of the parkway’s most famous views. The city’s architectural heritage, which mixes Art Deco, Beaux Arts, and Neoclassical styles, is the perfect retro-urban backdrop for the quirky energy emanating from local shops and art galleries, unique restaurants, and exciting entertainment venues.
Kansas City, Missouri
Fall is the perfect time to visit Kansas City, Missouri. And not just because it’s officially football season (KCMO happens to be home to the country’s reigning Super Bowl champion). But when it comes to quintessential fall delights, nothing beats Lewis Berg Cider his mill.