Get Ready for Leaf Peeping & the Fall Foliage Travel Craze
Autumn is, without a doubt, my favorite time of the year! Football is back, we are easing our way towards the holidays (and there's my birthday), temperatures are starting to cool, and it's usually when I take a vacation! Fall is one of the best times of the year to travel. The crowds tend to be smaller, with the kids back in school, prices are typically more moderate than what you would find in the summer, and again...the weather is great.
One of the most popular fall travel activities is leaf-peeping! Each year Mother Nature treats us to panoramic vistas of red, orange, and gold. I like to think of it as our reward for surviving another sweltering summer! While we see some beautiful late-season color in Northeast Florida, traveling a few hours north is worth it for resplendent hillsides painted with shades of autumn.
If you would like to get out and explore the spectacular landscapes that fall gifts us with, there are several ways to do so. The easiest, of course, is to hop in your car and head north. The mountains of North Georgia and Tennessee bring out their fall finery towards the end of October. It is a great weekend getaway, where you can enjoy cooler temperatures and bright colors within a day’s drive of Jacksonville. If you have more time, consider traveling along the Blue Ridge Parkway, or even as far north as Acadia National Park in Maine.
For those of you who would prefer to leave the driving to someone else there are a variety of tour options available. Most of these tours begin in Boston and spend ten days exploring jagged coastlines, farms, national parks, the White Mountains and even a glimpse into colonial America. If you are a Sound of Music fan (I cannot possibly be the only one!) you can even spend a couple of nights in the Trapp Family Lodge in Vermont!
Cruising is another fantastic way to explore the riches of fall in the northeast. Ships depart from several different ports along the east coast of the US and Canada (hopefully soon!) and explore the coastline of New England. As we return to a post-Covid world, you will also be able to bask in nature’s beauty in the Canadian Maritime provinces and along the St. Lawrence Seaway. These are a few of my favorite things.
However you choose to enjoy your fall vacation, preparation is key as people are yearning to travel, with things getting "back to normal!" Fall foliage travel continues to grow in popularity. Early booking – whether for hotel stays, tour packages or cruises – is important to ensure that you will be able to enjoy nature’s glory at its peak! We invite you to get out and engage with your favorite Fall craze.
