Best Fall Trips

Cooler temperatures, striking colors, smaller crowds—autumn is the perfect time to travel, and here are ten of the best fall trips, picked .Where do you want to go this fall?.

 Emerald Coast, Florida

Photograph by Jim Vail, My Shot

 

Autumn along northwestern Florida’s 24-mile-long Emerald Coast brings fewer tourists and lower, “value season” rates to the wide, sugar-white beaches of Destin, Fort Walton, and Okaloosa Island. The summer-worthy temperatures (highs in the 80s, lows in the 60s) are ideal for swimming in clear, emerald-green Gulf of Mexico waters or for golfing the more than 1,080 manicured, championship holes. October’s monthlong Destin Fishing Rodeo draws more than 30,000 saltwater anglers to the self-proclaimed World’s Luckiest Fishing Village to compete for daily, weekly, and overall prizes. Watch the daily weigh-ins of king mackerel, marlin, sailfish, and other game fish on the docks at A.J.'s Seafood & Oyster Bar. Sample fresh-from-the-docks seafood at historic Staff’s Restaurant, the Emerald Coast’s first eatery, which is housed in a 1913 barrel-shaped Fort Walton warehouse and open daily for dinner. The signature Broiled Skillet—grouper, shrimp, scallops, and crabmeat stuffing drizzled with cheese—comes with baskets of fresh-baked wheat bread.

Pictured here:Boaters stop for a break in the green waters off Destin, Florida.

Zanzibar, Tanzania

Photograph by Paul Bruins

 

Sultans, sailors, slaves, and spice traders have all passed through this mystical Indian Ocean archipelago on East Africa’s Swahili Coast. Located 22 miles from mainland Tanzania, semi-autonomous Zanzibar consists of two main islands—Unguja (Zanzibar) and Pemba—plus numerous smaller islands. The diverse human history (dating back at least 20,000 years to the Paleolithic Age) and natural beauty (turquoise water, coral reefs, and white sands) create an exotic backdrop for a fall beach or diving vacation based at a small-scale resort like Chumbe Island Coral Park, a private nature reserve featuring palm-thatched bungalows. Skies typically are clear through the end of October, with “short rains” returning in November. Supporting the islands’ geotourism efforts includes respecting the majority Muslim population’s modest dress code, particularly when wandering the beguiling maze of cobbled lanes in Zanzibar's ancient trading port, Stone Town. Join a living history tour to learn the stories of this UNESCO World Heritage site. Top stops include the haunting slave memorial erected on a former auction block, and Beit al-Ajaib, a 19th-century sultan’s palace that's now the House of Wonders Museum of History and Culture of Zanzibar and the Swahili Coast.
Pictured here: Chumbe Island Coral Park's thatched-roof bungalows peek from lush vegetation in Zanzibar.

Day of the Dead, Puebla, Mexico

Photograph by Russell Gordon, Aurora Photos

 

There are better-known Día de los Muertos celebrations in Mexico, but spending the extended holiday (October 31-November 2) in the Puebla state capital puts you in close proximity to the elaborate Day of the Dead ofrendas (offerings) in tiny Huaquechula. Families here spend thousands of dollars erecting towering, multistory altars (typically a cardboard foundation draped in satin) adorned with wax candles, a photo of the deceased, and a sampling of his or her favorite food and drink. Hire a local guide in Puebla to make the bumpy, 35-mile ride west, and then follow the trails of marigold petals to homes where guests are welcome to pay their respects (and, perhaps, share a tequila toast to the dearly departed). Bring along a few coins or a sugar calavera, or skull—available from village vendors—to place on the ofrenda table. Back in Puebla, head to the Casa de la Cultura to view the indigenous and modern altar-building contest entries and visit with the artists.
Pictured here: Family members visit the graves of relatives on the Day of the Dead in Huaquechula, Puebla, Mexico.

Churchill, Manitoba, Canada

Photograph by Paul Nicklen, National Geographic

 

No roads lead through the remote northern boreal wilderness directly into tiny Churchill, so plan to arrive by train or plane to see the area’s most famous fall residents—polar bears. More than a thousand of the world’s largest land carnivores migrate through the “polar bear capital of the world” during October and November, when the first ice forms on the edge of Hudson Bay. The frozen conditions make it easier for hungry bears to hunt for seals (by walking instead of swimming) and give super-size Tundra Buggies solid ground on which to carry small tour groups out to see the wildlife. Prepare for snowy, winter weather—insulated boots, jacket, and gloves; layered clothing; thermal underwear; and wool socks and hat are required. Stay in town at the cozy, trading-post-style Lazy Bear Lodge (and hop a sled dog ride next door at Wapusk General Store), or bunk among the bears in the bare-bones Tundra Buggy Lodge at Polar Bear Point. These module units are assembled annually in a Wildlife Management Area site chosen for optimal 24/7 polar bear viewing.
Pictured here: Two polar bears spar, or play fight, in Churchill, Manitoba.

 

White Mountains, New Hampshire

Photograph by Pat and Chuck Blackley

While peak fall foliage varies annually, the 100-mile White Mountain Trail typically delivers brilliant fall colors from the end of September through the second week of October. Yet, even after the leaves have faded and the leaf-peeping crowds have gone home, meandering this National Scenic Byway reveals classic New England fall scenes—historic covered bridges, granite mountain peaks, dramatic gorges, rushing cascades, and bucolic Colonial-era farmhouses and barns. Each section of the loop displays a unique personality. Drive the 37-mile Kancamagus Highway—“the Kanc”—for mountain vistas, moose sightings, and bird-watching; visit North Conway for tax-free outlet shopping, the trail’s largest concentration of restaurants, and Conway Scenic Railroad train trips; and travel the Crawford Notch-to-Bartlett stretch to ride the Mount Washington Cog Railway to the 6,288-foot summit of New England’s highest peak, or drive to the top via the Mt. Washington Auto Road. The iconic New Hampshire tourist attraction celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2011 and, weather permitting, is scheduled to remain open for passenger car travel until October 23 this season.
Pictured here: The Swift River runs through Rocky Gorge, next to the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire.

 

Columbus, Ohio

Photograph by Shari Lewis, Dispatch Photos

 

Ohio’s capital and largest city celebrates harvest season with a bounty of traditional fall festivals, farmers markets, and corn mazes. Pick your own apples (September) and pumpkins (October) at Lynd’s Fruit Farm in Pataskala, and, the first weekend in October (contingent on the harvest), jump in the barrel to stomp whole grapes at Via Vecchi Winery’s annual grape crush. Enjoy east-central Ohio’s spectacular fall colors by walking, biking, hiking, or camping at one of the 17 Columbus-area Metro Parks. The largest, Battelle Darby Creek in Galloway, covers more than 7,000 acres of flowering prairies, restored wetlands, and forests, and is home to diverse wildlife, including six female bison introduced to the park in February. In October, Columbus also hosts thousands of migratory birds at the Grange Insurance Audubon Center. The 72-acre Scioto River oasis, built on a reclaimed industrial waste site, is a ten-minute walk from downtown. Other areas to explore on foot include the brick-paved streets of the historic German Village neighborhood—originally settled by German immigrants in the mid-1800s—and the Short North Arts District, home to galleries, restaurants, pubs, and one of the hometown-favorite Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams shops.
Pictured here: Customers pack a Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams shop in the Short North Arts District of Columbus, Ohio.

Lavaux Vineyard Terraces, Switzerland

Photograph by Davide Erbetta, SIME

 

The Lavaux Vineyard Terraces blanket the lower mountain slopes along the northern shores of Lake Geneva. Each autumn, the 2,050 acres of ancient vineyards—established by Benedictine and Cistercian monks in the 11th century and protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2007—attract hikers who walk and taste their way along the 21-mile Grand Traversée de Lavaux from Ouchy in Lausanne to Chateau de Chillon Castle. Yellow arrows mark the main path, which leads though working vineyards (Chasselas is the region’s predominant wine grape variety) and medieval villages, facilitating frequent refueling stops at local wine cellars, pubs, and restaurants. Saturdays through October 15, the Lavaux Panoramic wine tasting tourist train rolls—on tires, not tracks—through the villages of Chardonne, Chexbres, Rivaz, and St-Saphorin. A crisscross network of public and private railways makes it easy to explore the entire Lavaux region on foot or by bike. Or, if you’re up to the challenge, join the thousands of runners expected for the Lausanne Marathon on October 30, which follows the shore road between Lake Geneva and the terraced hillsides.
Pictured here: A couple walks through the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces along Lake Geneva in Switzerland.

Fuente:   National Geographic Travel

 

Merida, Venezuela Holidays

 

 In this university town in western Venezuela, it's possible to relax in a park honoring Beethoven, sample more than 800 flavors of ice cream in a Guinness-record-holding shop and ascend into the surrounding snow-capped Andes mountains via the world's longest and highest cable car. The historic downtown, centered on Plaza Bolivar, contains an impressive church inspired by Spain's Toledo Cathedral. Adventure tour companies run paragliding, mountain biking and trekking excursions outside the city

Fuente: Tripadvisor