Fall foliage trips...and not caring about the fall foliage

Because sometimes the best part of an autumn getaway isn’t the leaves. It’s everything happening underneath them.

Fall is my favorite season. I LOVE a beautiful fall drive. Give me a winding road, brilliant red maples and a crisp blue sky, and I'm so happy.

But I'm not sure I would plan an entire vacation around seeing fall leaves. What if I miss it by a week, or a few weeks? I don't want my entire vacation ruined because I was counting on the leaves being perfect right when I'm traveling!

The good news is that some of the best fall vacations aren't really fall foliage vacations at all. They're food trips, spa escapes, biking adventures, train journeys and cruises that happen to take place while Mother Nature is showing off in the background.

Actually, I think that's a smarter way to plan.

Peak fall colors can shift depending on temperatures, rainfall and elevation. Instead of building an entire vacation around one predicted "peak" week or weekend, choose somewhere you'd genuinely love to visit anyway.

Choose the trip first. Then let fall make it better.

Eat your way through the Hudson Valley, New York

The Hudson Valley stretches north from New York City toward Albany, making it an easy getaway from NYC. Rhinebeck, for example, is approximatey two hours north of Manhattan.

Fall means harvest season here: orchards, farmers markets, seasonal menus and cider doughnuts that really should be eaten while they're still warm.

I'd base the trip around Rhinebeck and mix the food with some history and culture. Visit the Culinary Institute of America (and book a dining experience, of course!), and Franklin D. Roosevelt's home in Hyde Park. Explore Beacon and Dia Beacon, and leave time for farm stands and scenic drives along the Hudson.

One property I’d look at for this trip: Mirbeau Inn & Spa Rhinebeck, an upscale French-country-inspired inn that puts you close to town while adding a nice wellness component.

Soak among the aspens in Ouray, Colorado

Ouray sits in southwestern Colorado's San Juan Mountains, about 45 minutes from Montrose and roughly an hour from Telluride. For most travelers, flying into Montrose is the easiest way to get there.

In the fall, the surrounding mountains turn gold with aspens.

One property I’d look at for this trip: The Western Hotel & Spa, a restored 1891 boutique hotel whose Grotto Spa includes a hot soaking pool, cold plunge and dry sauna.

Then add a soak at Ouray Hot Springs, a guided 4x4 trip into the San Juan Mountains and a day in Telluride, including a ride on the free gondola between town and Mountain Village.

It's technically a fall foliage trip.

You're just viewing some of the foliage from a hot pool.

Mix American history with the Blue Ridge in Virginia

Charlottesville is about two hours southwest of Washington, D.C., with its own regional airport and Richmond another possible gateway.

Fall works beautifully here because you can combine American history with the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Visit Monticello, spend time in Charlottesville, and add a guided historical experience that provides more context than you'll get from reading plaques on your own.

Then head toward Shenandoah National Park for part of Skyline Drive, which follows the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains and delivers overlook after overlook across the Shenandoah Valley.

One property I’d look at for this trip: Boar's Head Resort, a AAA Four Diamond property outside Charlottesville with a Virginia country-estate feel.

Bike through Acadia National Park, Maine

Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park sit along the Maine coast. Bangor is roughly an hour away, while Portland is about a three-hour drive if you'd like to make this part of a longer Maine trip.

Acadia's historic carriage roads make this one of my favorite active fall ideas.

A guided e-bike experience lets you ride through forests, over historic stone bridges and past ponds and mountain scenery without requiring Tour de France-level legs.

I'd add a guided Acadia sightseeing day for places such as Cadillac Mountain, Thunder Hole and Jordan Pond, then leave plenty of time for wandering around Bar Harbor.

And lobster. Obviously.

One property I’d look at for this trip: Bar Harbor Inn for its waterfront setting and walkable location.

A girlfriend getaway to Door County, Wisconsin

Door County is the narrow peninsula northeast of Green Bay that's sometimes described as the Midwest's answer to Cape Cod.

Green Bay is the easiest airport for many travelers, about an hour from the southern end of the peninsula.

Spend a few days exploring waterfront villages such as Fish Creek and Ephraim. Visit Peninsula State Park, take a lighthouse or trolley tour, browse farm markets and shops, and experience a traditional Door County fish boil.

Dinner ends with a giant kettle deliberately boiling over an open fire, which certainly beats another forgettable restaurant meal.

One property I’d look at for this trip: Edgewater Resort in Ephraim for its waterfront location, or Landmark Resort if you want condo-style accommodations with more room for a group.

Let the train do the driving

Fall and train travel were made for each other.

The Adirondack railroad connects New York City and Montréal along the Hudson River and Lake Champlain. The entire journey takes around 12 hours, but I like the idea of turning it into a multi-stop trip: New York City, a night or two in Saratoga Springs, then Montréal.

The Conway Scenic Railroad leaves from North Conway, New Hampshire, roughly two hours from Portland, Maine. Its Mountaineer excursion travels through the White Mountains and Crawford Notch, making it particularly good for a multigenerational trip where everyone can enjoy the scenery.

One property I’d look at for this trip: White Mountain Hotel & Resort, and add another outdoor experience the following day.

Then there's Rocky Mountaineer for travelers who want to go bigger.

Its First Passage to the West connects Vancouver with Banff or Lake Louise, with an overnight in Kamloops along the way. Add time on either end and suddenly you have a very doable route:

Vancouver → Rocky Mountaineer → Lake Louise/Banff → Calgary

The train isn't simply transportation. It's part of the vacation.

Cruise through the Hudson Valley

Don't want to drive at all?

A small-ship Hudson River cruise is a wonderfully easy way to experience fall in the Northeast.

American Cruise Lines offers fall sailings between New York City and Albany, traveling through the Hudson Valley with the Catskills and colorful riverbanks as the backdrop.

But you aren't simply sitting onboard looking at trees. Depending on the itinerary, your shore experiences can include Sleepy Hollow, West Point, Franklin D. Roosevelt's home and Vanderbilt Mansion.

You unpack once. The scenery comes to you.

Hard to argue with that.

Give your fall foliage a passport

October can also be a beautiful time for a European river cruise along the Rhine or Danube.

Don't go just for the foliage. Go because you can explore medieval towns, castles, historic cities and vineyard regions during harvest season while autumn colors begin appearing along the riverbanks.

The right cruise makes a difference. Some river cruise lines pack the days with activities and excursion choices; others leave more time for independent exploring and slow mornings onboard.

That's where matching the cruise to the traveler matters more than simply finding one that sails in October. That’s where my expertise comes in.

Add a wellness stay in Quebec City

If you’re interested in a fall foliage ocean cruise, that’s another fantastic idea. They often begin or end in Quebec City. If this sounds like your cruise, don't automatically head straight for the airport at the end, or fly in the day your cruise departs. (If you’ve booked your cruise through me, I’ll recommend this every time!)

Stay a couple of nights.

Explore Old Quebec and Rue du Petit-Champlain. Take a guided walking tour. Stay at Le Monastère des Augustines.

The beautifully restored former monastery has nearly 400 years of history and combines heritage with wellness through quiet breakfasts, massages, treatments and wellness programming.

For an even deeper relaxation day, add a visit to Strøm Nordic Spa.

Before or after a week of cruise ports and checking your watch for "all aboard," two slower days in Quebec City sound pretty amazing.

Spend a romantic weekend in the Berkshires

The Berkshires sit in western Massachusetts, about an hour east of Albany and roughly 2½ hours west of Boston. Albany is actually one of the easiest airports to use.

Base yourself around Lenox, Stockbridge and Pittsfield.

Visit Edith Wharton's home, The Mount, in Lenox; see the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge; or head north to MASS MoCA.

Intentionally don't fill every hour.

Take the scenic roads. Have a long lunch. Browse the shops. Go back to your hotel and read before dinner.

One property I’d look at for this trip: Hotel on North in Pittsfield, a boutique hotel inside historic 1880s buildings with exposed brick and plenty of local personality.

Not every blank spot in an itinerary is a problem that needs fixing. Sometimes it's the point.

The secret to a great fall trip? Don't make it about the foliage.

Peak fall color is beautiful. It's also unpredictable.

A warm September, early frost or big storm can change the timing, which is why I love building fall vacations around experiences first. The fall colors can be a beautiful add-on.

Want food and charming towns? Let's look at the Hudson Valley.

Need some serious relaxation? Ouray, Colorado.

Want to get outside? Bike through Acadia.

Traveling with multiple generations? Take the train through New Hampshire's White Mountains.

Want someone else to handle most of the moving around? Cruise the Hudson (or a European river), or do an ocean fall foliage journey.

The goal isn't to find the single perfect red maple.

It's to create a vacation you'd love even if the leaves are running a week early or late.

That's also where thoughtful planning makes a difference. I can help you choose the destination that fits the way you actually like to travel, find accommodations that add something to the experience, arrange worthwhile tours and excursions, and leave enough open time for the things that are better discovered once you're there.

Then, if you wake up one morning and the mountains, coastline or river valley outside your window has turned red, orange and gold?

Even better!

The leaves should make a great vacation better. They shouldn't have to carry the whole trip.