Somehow, summer will come to its final conclusion next weekend, and yet we already feel like it never happened. The perfect tans we had planned were replaced by pale skin which shivered in the office A/C, the rooftop cocktails we planned to consume were drunk instead while watching Stranger Things from bed, and the many trips we intended to take were lost to the wedding weekends of friends and family. Rather than be bummed about summer’s impossibly premature end, however, we thought it might be prudent to plan at least one fall getaway ASAP in order to give ourselves something to look forward to as temperatures dip. Here, seven getaways, at least one of which should be quick, easy and cheap from wherever you live (especially with airfares at an all-time low).
Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico City may just be the it destination du jour. If you're looking for some of the world's best food, art and culture within a stone's throw of the American south, this, the largest metropolitan area in the US, is your best bet.
What To Do: Stay at the Downtown Mexico hotel, eat at Quintonil, visit the largest private art collection in Latin America, shop the La Merced market, visit the ruins at Tenochtitlan and sample mezcal at La Clandestina. If you happen to be in town for Day of the Dead celebrations in early November, we suggest you plan to attend the festivities in San Andres Mixquic, a small community in the southeast part of the city.
Temperatures (October): High, 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Low, 50.
Getting There: Flights from Dallas are just 2.5 hours in duration, and will cost you around $250 for weekends in October (if booked now).
Sedona, Arizona
If you're looking for a quiet spiritual experience to usher in the changing of the seasons, and to prep your wits for holiday madness, tranquil Sedona provides for the perfect setting. Many people believe that the Sedona area is sacred, and that it's "the center of vortexes that radiate the Earth's power."
What To Do: Stay at the Enchantment Resort, try Diamondback Rattlesnake cakes and Cactus Fries at The Cowboy Club, take a UFO Night Tour and drink biodynamic organic wine at Chocola Tree. Depending on your interests, you can also sign up for a weekend of healing, like this one offered by Hope Yoga.
Temperatures (October): High, 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Low, 52.
Getting There: Flights from Los Angeles to Phoenix are just 1.5 hours in duration, and will cost you around $150 for weekends in October (if booked now). Sedona is a two-hour drive from the airport.
Detroit, Michigan
Travel + Leisure named Detroit one of its best places to visit in 2016, and its been increasingly compared to uber-cool artist haven Berlin as of late.
What To Do: Stay at Honor & Folly, eat at Mabel Grey and Katoi, shop the Eastern Market, visit Tyree Guyton's Face-ology exhibit and otherwise peep his Heidelberg Project before it's dismantled, pick apples at Blake Farms Orchard & Cider Mill and, if you happen to be in town October 21-October 22, enjoy the Detroit Fall Beer Festival.
Temperatures (October): High, 64 degrees Fahrenheit. Low, 48.
Getting There: Flights from Chicago are just 1 hour in duration, and will cost you under $200 for weekends in October (if booked now).
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is experiencing an explosion of great food at present, which is reason enough for us to make the trip. It was also named the best city in the world by Conde Nast Traveler this year, so there's that.
What To Do: Stay at Zero George or The Spectator Hotel (ranked #1 in the U.S. by Travel + Leisure), eat at The Grocery, drink beer at renovated gas station Fuel Cantina, join the Gospel Sunday Brunch at Hal's Chophouse, take the 40th Fall Tour of Homes, History & Architecture (October 6-30) and make a day trip out to Sullivan Island.
Temperatures (October): High, 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Low, 66.
Getting There: Flights from Miami are 4 hours in duration, and will cost you around $250 for weekends in October (if booked now).
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is another city currently experiencing a booming food scene, and the Steel City generally seems to be undergoing a renaissance of sorts fueled, as most are, by an influx of the young.
What To Do: Stay at The Ace Hotel, eat at the Smallman Gallery and Apteka, sip cocktails at Acacia, visit the Andy Warhol Museum and the Mattress Factory to indulge your artistic side and, if you're in town in October, we recommend you take the Haunted Pittsburgh Walking Tour.
Temperatures (October): High, 66 degrees Fahrenheit. Low, 47.
Getting There: Flights from New York City are just 1.5 hours in duration, and will cost you around $250 for weekends in October (if booked now).
Boise, Idaho
We've been hearing a lot of buzz about Boise lately, which is a phrase we potentially never thought we'd utter. Not long ago, Conde Nast Traveler called it "The World's Best Kept Secret," and those who've visited recently tend to agree.
What to do: Stay at the Modern Hotel or the Anniversary Inn for some serious kitsch, eat at State & Lemp, visit the Basque Block (Boise has one of the largest Basque populations in the US) and sip a Basque cider at Bar Gernika, shop the Treasure Valley Flea Market (on specific weekends), hike the Boise Foothill Trails or enjoy a lazy raft ride on the Boise River, and drink something autumnal at microbrewery Cloud 9.
Temperatures (October): High, 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Low, 44.
Getting There: Flights from Seattle are just 1.5 hours in duration, and will cost you around $200 for weekends in October (if booked now).
Omaha, Nebraska
Quite a few of the coolest people we know in Los Angeles hail from Omaha, so we can vouch for it as a bucket list destination and trust us, you do not want to skip the vintage shopping portion of this program—even the Goodwills are good in this zip code.
What To Do: Stay at Hotel Deco XV, eat at Modern Love (beautifully pictured above in much chillier temps), watch live music at the Slowdown, shop at Paperdoll or Lion's Mane for vintage and take snaps at Henry Doorly Zoo, one of the most Instagrammed spots in America.
Temperatures (October): High, 67 degrees Fahrenheit. Low, 44.
Getting There: Flights from Denver are just 1.5 hours in duration, and will cost you around $150 for weekends in October (if booked now).
