Best US Destination in Autumn

Last year (spring, not fall) I spent several days in Wilmington, NC and visited the nearby beaches (Wrightsville, Carolina). We flew into Charlotte (as my hubby is a Nascar fan) but there is an airport in Wilmington.

I've been to Maine as well (also spring) but I've heard it's absolutely gorgeous in the fall and if you go before October, there is a good chance most of the stops along the way for lobster will still be open.

Easy - Northern Michigan.

You can fly into Chicago and drive up, or you can fly into Traverse City. September is beautiful with changing leaves and the wineries will be harvesting. The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island has specials that time of year. It is an amazing time to be there.

September is too early for fall foliage in NC or most of New England.

hi Buffy9297 --

Did you love Wilmington? Would you recommend renting a car?

And kelliebellie,

Northern Michagan, eh? I've been to Mackinac Island -- is there any other great places in the area? The trees start changing in September?

That is true, September is a bit early for leaves. I forgot. Here is a report from last year:

http://www.foliagenetwork.com

The problem with Michigan is if you wait for the leaves to change, you don't really want to be outside because chances are it is rainy and cold. If you come in September you will find glorious weather.

Here's a cool looking b&b with activities in Traverse City:

http://www.greyhareinn.com/packages.php

Old Mission Peninsula Wineries:

http://www.oldmission.com/

Here's the Grand Hotel:

http://www.grandhotel.com/

And Mackinac:

http://www.mackinac.com/

Petoskey and Harbor Springs are great too.

We were typing at the same time!

If you like wine, Old Mission Peninsula feels just like California. There is a lot to do in Traverse City. There was just a really good trip report about it. I will have to find it.

The drive up the Michigan coast from Chicago is really neat. A lot of little coastal towns and Sleeping Bear Dunes. If you like b&b's, it is a paradise.

Here's the trip report. It is around number 21.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?screen_name=beach_dweller&fid=1

Natural Bridge State Park and the Red River Gorge in Kentucky, but it would need to be October. You could drive on into the mountains; but as you are from CO, they might seem more like hills to you!

The Smokies are beautiful in the fall, but Gatlinburg will be wall-to-wall people during leaf peeping season. We sometimes go to Chattanooga.

The Carolina beaches are great in October. Yes, you will need a car. I'd steer clear of the Mt. regions as though beautiful, that beauty is somewhat tainted by the immigration of the 'leaf-peepers'. A nasty lot of people driving too slowly while gawking out their car windows @ (you guessed it) leaves. Key West is also great that time of year (actually even later is better). Any wine areas would also be good, be it California, Oregon, Virginia or NC.

Yes, ditto on what Wannabe said about the rental car. Even if I wasn't coming from Charlotte, you'd still want the rental car to drive south to all the beaches. We also took a car ferry to Southport, which is a great little town to explore. The purpose of the trip - besides fulfilling my Nascar hubby's wishes - were for me to see Wilmington, as one of my favorite shows, Dawson's Creek, was filmed there. Also, currently filming there is One Tree Hill.

Vermont/New Hampshire for the fall foliage

So it sounds like North Carolina would be fantastic! What about South...like Hilton Head? Is it more packed in the Northeast for "leaf-gazing" or in North Carolina? I have to admit -- I've been to 42 states, but never to the South! What's to expect? What's the BEST town to visit?

Michagan sounds great with all of the wine country and the coast. Enough to do in a whole week?

SEC Country. See if you can catch an SEC football game and get a true cultural experience. I'm not kidding.

If you are just looking for scenery and beauty, then I'm not sure you can beat Oregon, any time of year. Head to Portland and drive south to wine country.

Early September is too early for foliage in New England. Late September or Early October should be nice in Vermont an New Hampshire, and would be a nice trip as well.

What great options. Maybe you can work around the least outrageous airfare options. Yellowstone/Jackson Hole is great in the first few weeks of Sept. To me, ME is great just after Labor Day also, but the leaf season is too crowded for me. BUT, if you wait until October, places like Hilton Head are perfect because the hurricane season is generally past. As empty-nesters we have done all 3 in recent years and it's hard to pack a favorite.

There is definitely enough to do in Michigan for a week. Especially if you are driving up the coast from Chicago. First of all there is Chicago. Baseball season will still be going.

Saugatuck in Michigan will take a day to do. Lots of nice art galleries, stores, and restaurants. Here is a great b&b:

http://www.kingsleyhouse.com/


Grand Haven is another great harbor town.

If you like amusement parks, there is a good one in Muskegon.

Sleeping Bear Dunes is a must. It is a towering mountain of sand.

They do dune buggy rides at silver lake:

http://www.silverlakebuggys.com/

http://www.macwoodsdunerides.com/

Traverse City is great. As is the Old Mission Peninsula for wines. That trip report I mentioned has all the info for that and a place to stay.

Sutton's Bay is supposedly very cute.

Petoskey and Harbor Springs are also cute towns. There is a nice resort in Petoskey. If you ask at night they build a campfire by the lake and put out a free smore basket:

http://www.innatbayharbor.com/

There is tons of wonderful golf if either of you are into it. There are lighthouse tours, tall ships, beaches.

It is the reason we Michiganders live here the rest of the year.

Oh, and you could also fly home from Detroit and take in a Michigan or Michigan State football game or a Lions or Tigers game. Those are fun days to spend.

visitsedona.com

innatloretto.com

carmelcalifornia.com

Top 3 for me in early fall...

New York City! Why settle for less?

Vermont, New Hampshire or Maine. For romance try a B & B.

New England is about as beautiful as it can get in the Fall.

Foliage colors start getting strong around Oct. 5th onward. The colors start changing in the far north of NH and VT and work their way down as the month progresses. Plan your travel within NH and/or VT based on which days in Oct. you would be here.

Sept. is too early. No colors yet.

Plus there's a distinct fall harvest atmosphere here. The days are gorgeous and warm with blue skies and the evenings cool. It's the stuff poets have written about forever.

Reply with any questions.

Acadia National Park during Fall Colors. If you go to Yellowstone go early September.

Zion National Park the middle of October for the maples at higher elevations or first week in November for the cottonwoods on the valley floor. Take Utah 12 off US 89 for viewing the cottonwoods along the the canyon bottoms while driving high above on the way towards Escalante.
Blue Ridge Parkway in late October to early November. Avoid during the weekend. There is a section of the road closed about 18 miles north of the Folk Art Center just outside Asheville requiring a lengthy bypass however.

If you would like a town to visit in the SE, then I would suggest Charleston. That will also put you in close proximity to good beaches as well as some Plantations & awesome food.

A whole week? Me = Jealous. Wannabe's suggestion of Charleston is good - you'll get the southern flavor and the beaches.

I still wouldn't rule out the NC coast - Wilmington, Wrightsville, Southport, Bald Head Island...early Autumn is a perfect time to hit those places. Good food, nice beaches and plenty of little towns to discover. Plus it's less crowded at that time of year.

Best in the south you ask?

No question about it (wannabeinamontserrat has it right):

Charleston SC. Hands-down, the best single travel destination in the South. Great beaches are nearby, but Charleston itself is a fantastic little city, with loads of preserved history (a rarity in the south) and loads of outstanding restaurants.

What does it mean when everyone says that the NE is packed in the fall? Traffic jams? We want to relax -- would it not be worth it? Spirobulldog mentioned Acadia Nat'l Park -- would we need a car for the island? Is there enough to do for an entire week?

NC beaches sound great! I've been to 42 of our great states, but never to the south. Will labor day weekend and the week following be packed? Will the water still be warm enough to swim in?

Regarding Whyoming, which would be "better" -- Jackson Hole/Tetons or Yellowstone. Or all 3? There is soooo much hype about Yellowstone, why does it over shadow the Tetons? Being from Colorado, have I basically seen the Tetons?

Anyplace where there are leaves changing color, NE, the Smokies, etc. there will be hordes of people (although more in October). The NC beaches are awesome in Sept./Oct. & the water is plenty warm into November, typically. Of the places you have mentioned, you'll need car. The only place you may not need a car would be the city. The only city that we have really mentioned is Charleston, but for a week long stay, you'd still need a car. Gekko mentioned NYC as well, no car needed there. Curious about your being to 42 states but never the South, is that even possible ?

NC beaches are perfect in September (water is definitely swimmable). Kids go back to school 8/26 in NC and while you'll find an increase in traffic for Labor Day, it won't be as crazy as the weeks leading up to it in August.

Well, I have been to Florida. But not NC, SC, Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama, Vermont, Alaska, and Hawaii. So I guess not the "deep" south.

NC sounds amazing. I am going to look into it. Michagan too.

Thanks for everyone's help! Any more suggestions are very welcome too!

San Francisco and environs in September is pretty darn hard to beat. I'd consider it.

environs??

I'm loathe to share this "secret," but September is the best month of the year to visit San Diego. All the tourists visit in the summertime, but the "June Gloom" (marine layer of clouds along the coast) has often extended into July. So with the overcast and the crowds, summer isn't a good time. In September, kids have gone back to school, so crowds have all but disappeared, but the weather is absolutely gorgeous, and the ocean water temperature is near its warmest point.

Have fun!
Mike
My travel blog: www.stricklandia.com

Are there nice beaches in San Diego? Is the population of the city overwhelming for a vacation?

Try West Virginia. It is not as far to go as New England and just as beautiful! There are B & Bs all around the State with wonderful scenery, knowledge of fairs, festivals and activities, attractions, best restaurants, and shopping. See covered bridges, arts and culture, mouth-blown and hand-blown glass, train rides for color or driving tours to see it. (Psst - don't tell anyone but the lodging rates are less in WV than NE - for highest quality lodging at inns who are members of the MountainState Association of Bed & Breakfasts.) West Virginia has just about everything except an ocean, we are a bit short of ocean this year.

Having grown up in Kalamazoo, Michigan (southwest Michigan), I can verify that the area is absolutely gorgeous in the Fall. We would always drive out in the country near PawPaw, past the wineries, apple orchards for fresh cider, and piles and piles of pumpkins. Roadside stands full of indian corn and squashes. Think canopies of maples, oaks, red sumac...pretty pretty pretty!

Why not come to New Orleans. October is pretty much past hurricane season, the humidity is down. There is so much to do here. The food is fabulous, beautiful museums, great walks. And we need the tourism!! It's much less expensive than other cities as well. We are up and running and know you would have a fabulous town. We are close to many plantations, and the some of the Mississippi Gulf coast is up and running as well. COME!

Yes, environs.

1. the surrounding parts or districts, as of a city; outskirts; suburbs.
2. surrounding objects; surroundings; environment.
3. an area or space close by; vicinity.

I think Michigan sounds really nice.

I always love Boston in October (grew up there). It's wonderful about the second week - you may be there for the leaf change and they host a really fun sculling competition on the Charles River. College sculling crews come from all over the U.S., outdoor food vendors, etc. It's also a quick drive to Vermont, Maine or New Hampshire from there!

I'll second the motion for New Orleans, too (live here now). The city is absolutely beautiful in October. We have a world class zoo and wonderful museums, incredible food and hotels and more to do than you could imagine (and I'm NOT talking about Bourbon Street!!!!)

I've gotta agree with kelliebellie's suggestions for Michigan in September. The perfect time to see the fall colors in the North. If you make it up to Mackinac Island and have the time, head a tad farther north into the Upper Peninsula and check out Tahquamenon Falls--the copper color of the water combined with the gorgeous fall colors in the trees is fabulous!

Everywhere is nice in September, IMO. It is the one perfect month. If you want to see foliage without crowds in late September, Park City, Utah is lovely. It is quiet so the fabulous restaurants probably have great two for one specials. San Diego is lovely year round and is also great that time of year but no foliage scene.

We almost always vacation in early September...off season, not so crowded. We did go to the Tetons one year and had snow. The workers start heading out in October, something to keep in mind on that choice. Kelliebellie's idea of going to Mackinac Island seems like something you might enjoy. We had beautiful weather there and combined the trip with a visit to Pictured Rocks National Seashore and Sleeping Bear Dunes. We drove up from Chicago with bikes on the car (no cars allowed on the island) but you can rent them there. The boat trip at Pictured Rocks is worth every penny. Another great place to go in the fall is Door County, Wisconsin. Or, Toronto/Niagara Falls...awesome and so much to do. The weather was just beautiful that time of year. If you like to hike and don't mind driving, the Utah parks are also outstanding. We're going to Zion in October this year...no changing colors and still hot though. Have fun planning!

We went to Zion last October. If you are looking for perfect weather, Zion is a wonderful choice. Also, it is not a busy time of year since most families w/children are in school. (Our schools began a week-long Fall break about two years ago, and we completely love it.) It is a good time to hike the Narrows since the water level is lower than other times, maybe just right.

Average Weather Link: http://tinyurl.com/5nuq6o
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If you are looking for fabulous Fall foliage, you should choose elsewhere. Many posters have recommended great Fall foliage destinations. I'll offer that my idea of a perfect view (easier to find in cabins) has trees up close as well as a distant mountain view. So colorful!
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We will be in NYC this Fall break!

Central Park looks fantastic in the fall. You could appreciate the autumn colors and then go shopping in downtown Manhattan. I took a photo of the foliage in CP, during my autumn holiday to New York and this can be seen at
http://www.flixya.com/photo/356562/Golden_fall_colors_Central_Park_New_York

I agree Genuine. That's where we spent our Fall break two years ago. Lovely photo.

I am a born-and-raised Oregonian. My husband and I have done a lot of traveling, but I have to say that the late summers/early falls in the NW are the best. The weather is great...still warm from the summer, and skies are clear. And many years, the leaves turn early so you get an unbelievable landscape on your drives. You could meander through the Columbia River Gorge, which had gorgeous views; the Willamette Valley with rolling farm land and autumn trees...not to mention some of the best wineries in the country! And there is always Portland...a great city with charm and personality.

West Virginia stated "West Virginia has just about everything except an ocean, we are a bit short of ocean this year."

Ah, but we do have world-class white water rafting.
http://www.visitwv.com/
http://www.newrivercvb.com/

WV is a great outdoor playground.
http://www.wvtourism.com/default.aspx

My fav area is Canaan Valley - and it's gorgeous in the fall.
http://www.canaanvalley.org/

I would not be scared off by reports of New England being crowded. I live in Montpelier, Vermont and we are truly not bothered by the traffic. If you go off on the back roads, where you really see the foliage, you will be on your own. Fall is a special time in Vermont - many things to do. Drive or hike to the top of Mount Mansfield, our tallest mountain. Visit a cider mill or a farm stand. Pick apples. Tour a New England town. You would not be disappointed. If you'd like more information about Vermont, visit my site, www.mysecretvermont.com

I second northern Michigan! There is a lot to see and do and it is so beautiful. I worked at the TCCVB for many years, and usually the colors are best the second or third week in Oct. Keep in mind though, that if you are going to be there on a weekend, that you should book a month or so out to be able to find something. During the week, availability tends to be better and prices of course are less!

All wonderful suggestions. Personally, I love Portland/NW.

BUT, since you live in Colorado, I'd think you'd want to go someplace "different". Since you've never done the "deep south", I think you will be missing a great opportunity if you don't do southern Louisiana. It is definitely different!

You could base in New Orleans and do day trips from there, including tours of some of the most beautiful southern plantations you've ever seen. Then, there is the swamps and gator tours or a riverboat ride on the Mississippi. And a really beautiful place, and interesting to boot, is Avery Island (where Tobasco sauce is made). See website:

http://tabasco.com/tabasco_history/avery_island.cfm#targ

SO much to do and see, not to mention great food! (Try Copeland's..mmm good!) Of course, you'll have to try Brennan's, too. And how can you go wrong starting your day with beignets and coffee?

There are dozens and dozens of boutique hotels in this very sexy city. So, if you are looking for cozy, search this site for those. We last stayed at the Omni Royal Orleans, and they have a fabulous heated pool on the roof! (And of course a bar to go with it, as you must have a mint julep or bloody Mary to make the scene complete!) Here is there site:

http://www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/NewOrleansRoyalOrleans/HotelHighlights.aspx

New Orleans is fabulous and so is the surrounding area. (I also think it will be less expensive!)
And talk about romantic!!! OHMY!!! You'll love it!

Paula

I second beachdweller's suggestion of Charleston, SC beaches or stay downtown.

September and October are still summer for us but the oppressive humidity has gone away. Water temps still in the lower 80s which makes the ocean wonderful.

I'd split the trip and rent a house on Sullivan's Island or IOP for three nights and then stay downtown for four nights.

The coastal Carolina beaches. The heat and humidity is down from the summer and the crowds are much smaller. October is the best time to go and I try to take in a week each year in October.

I agree with the coastal Carolinas. If you decide on Charleston, it's an easy drive south to Savannah, another fantastic city that I personally favor over Charleston (although both are certainly wonderful).

Good luck and happy planning!
Tracy

Born in Mich and live in NC....Northern Mich is fantastic. Leelanau Peninsula near TC is beautiful, as is the run from Charlevoix,Petoskey, up to Harbor Springs, and then the tunnel of trees road along the Lake Michigan coast up to Mackinac....(Leggs Inn is a must stop?). Definitely a fall vacation though as you'd be lucky to get high 60's...

The NC mountains are nice as well, just stay away from the more touristy areas like Blowing Rock and parts of the parkway. Brevard is great, Asheville's art district area, the Nantahala River area if you are in to rafting, etc.

As for the SC coast, Charleston is just a fantastic place. Incredible restaurants, cobblestone streets, carriage rides, and great barrier islands 30 mins away. Historic area and homes are just really fun to tour in horse and buggy. Guides are usually great. Two Meeting St is probably one of the best B and B's in the country. Restaurants...McGrady's, Hominy Grill, High Cotton, Magnolias, Blossom Cafe...just hard to make a bad choice.

For my money, Kiawah Island is just spectacular. Whether you rent a villa on VRBO, or stay at the 5 star Sanctuary, it is just about the most relaxing place you can find. No high rises, tons of wooded bike trails (really can bike almost everywhere), and great beaches. It feels nothing like the hotel/tourist type islands along most of the east coast. Weather that time of year would likely be 70 to 80 or so, and you can ride into Charleston for dinner or a day shopping excursion. Just can't go wrong there in my opinion.