9 Places The Young & Cool Are Traveling This Fall — And It's Not New York Or California
The perfect fall destinations for couples whether you want get spooked or snuggle up.
MStudioImages, puhhha | Canva If summer is the splashiest season of the year, fall is by far the most romantic. Breathtaking foliage, piping hot pumpkin lattes and there's a nip in the air that makes you want to cuddle up to your sweetheart.
If you're itching for some alone time, here are ten getaways for you and your significant other to truly fall back in love with, well, fall.
1. Acadia, Maine
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There's quite possibly nothing more romantic than snuggling up under a blanket and admiring a star-studded night sky. To view one of the best stargazing spots in the country, trek up to Acadia National Park in Maine where the Milky Way galaxy shines under the largest expanse of naturally dark sky, east of the Mississippi.
After dark, people come out for the Acadia's Night Sky Festival. Put on by the local communities that call the national park home, the festival features an array of stargazing events practically made for lovers: a star party on Cadillac Mountain and a nighttime paddle around Castine Harbor, where you can see glow-in-the-dark water organisms.
2. Salem, Massachusetts
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For a spooky vacation, take a trip North of Boston together to experience the Haunted Happenings in the witch-y city of Salem. It's a month-long festival all around the spine-chilling history of the infamous Witch Trials of 1692.
There are specialty Pagan shops and haunted houses lining the cobbled streets, spooky storytelling tours and reenactments all over town. It's okay to get a little creeped out. After all, it's been proven that being scared brings you closer.
In 2022, the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism reported 19.5 million domestic visitors and welcomed 810,000 international travelers.
3. The White Mountains, New Hampshire
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Leaf-peeping couples flock to New England every year for one thing: the changing color of the leaves. Go to New Hampshire during the month of October to see the fiery foliage at its peak. For a more private foliage excursion, drive out onto the Kancamagus Highway that winds through the White Mountains. From these sky-scraping heights, you'll be able to truly appreciate the warm, flushing foliage.
Make a stop at Oktoberfest at the nearby Loon Mountain where you can gorge yourselves on delicious German fare: sauerkraut, stew, strudel, bratwurst, knockwurst and let's not forget the beer!
4. Providence, Rhode Island
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The tourists ooh and ahh over the opulence of Newport's mansions every summer, but every true New Englander knows that autumn is the state of Rhode Island's true time to shine. For a truly unique nighttime experience, attend the WaterFire event through October.
In the fall, the city ignites more than eighty bonfires for a celebration of music, art and culture. Just imagine the heart-stirring scene: strolling hand in hand along the water's edge at Waterplace Park, entranced by worldly music, the aroma of smoke and the flickering torches.
5. Islamorada, Florida
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For the warm weather crowd, make fall ... summer by heading South to Florida's Keys. Islamorada is a village encompassing 6 of the Florida Keys, known for their coral reefs.
Paddle-board, cabana-hop, and belly-rub bottle-nose dolphins at Hawks Cay Resort, a 60-acre tropical paradise near Marathon, FL. Islamorada’s Sixth Annual Oktoberfest brings a taste of Germany to The Keys, or head even further South for the Key West Fantasy Fest, an outrageous 10-day costuming and masking celebration featuring flamboyant masquerade competitions and more than 30 uniquely themed parties.
6. Atlanta, Georgia
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A Southern state like Georgia may be sultry in the summer, but when Halloween season approaches, there's a chilly shift in the air (and we don't just mean the temperature). The South is steeped in ghost stories with tours of cities like Savannah and Atlanta.
For a spine-chilling stay, check into The Inn at Serenbe, a restored farmhouse nestled deep in the woods of Chattahoochee Hills. There, you can treat each other to wholesome, farm-grown meals and horseback riding adventures in the woods. (Oh, and did we mention that you can win this getaway for two ... for free?)
7. Denver, Colorado
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Denver is known for its love of two thing: the great outdoors and beer. So if you're either a brewsky-chugging or adventure-loving couples, the and the greater state is for you! In October, get your buzz on at the Great American Beer Festival which showcases more than 3,000 beers.
Once you've gotten your fill of beer, explore outside the Mile High City and trek out onto the mountain trails. The crisp, cool fall weather is prime time for afternoons spent outdoors together hiking, mountain biking and rafting. Oh, and of course there is always the awe-inspiring view of the mountains themselves.
8. San Antonio, Texas
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For couples looking for some culture, head south in early November for Dia de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead. A longtime Mexican tradition, families welcome back departed loved ones with erected altars and cemeteries decorated with marigolds, pan de muerto and sugar skulls. It's a holiday that makes you appreciate your loved ones, so why not spend it with someone you love?
9. Woodstock, Vermont
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If you're looking for a more rural romantic vacation, get out into the Vermont countryside to admire the natural scenery.
At the Billings Farm & Museum, you can visit a working dairy farm and harvest root vegetables, pick apples, sip on sweet, homemade cider, and cook apple butter in the farmhouse. After a day's work on the farm, you can unwind under a forest of sugar maples at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park.
Alexandra Churchill is a digital editor who currently works for Martha Stewart Living. Her work has been featured on numerous sites including The Huffington Post, Her Campus, USA TODAY College, and Northshore and Ocean Home magazines.
Andrea Zimmerman is the deputy editor of YourTango.