The perfect fall destinations for couples, whether you want to chug beer, get spooked or snuggle up.
By Alexandra Churchill — Written on Sep 18, 2013
If summer is the sexiest 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.
Acadia, Maine
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 is when 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.
acadianightskyfestival.com
Salem, Massachusetts
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.
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The White Mountains, New Hampshire
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!
kancamagushighway.com
The Hudson Valley, New York
When daylight has dimmed, drive out of the city to The Great Jack O' Lantern Blaze: a breathtaking after-dark celebration in which the riverside is decorated with thousands of giddily grinning jack-o-lanterns. The two of you can saunter through the made-for-couples attraction: the Tunnel O' Pumpkin Love and gawk at the illuminating gourds carved into incredible pieces of glowing art! Why not carve one yourselves?
hudsonvalley.org
Providence, Rhode Island
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.
waterfire.org
Napa Valley, California
Take your movie date night to a whole new level in America's premier wine country this fall. The Napa Valley Film Festival where you're invited to partake in exclusive screenings of upcoming films, film and culinary panel discussions and wine tasting pavilions. For a fine dining feast, visit the Peju Province Winery for its 30th Harvest Celebration. The two of you will be treated to tasting some of their finest wines from the cellar and a scrumptious meal, after which you're free for a night of dancing under the stars.
napavalleyfilmfest.org
Atlanta, Georgia
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, horseback riding adventures in the woods and a live performance of The Sleepy Hollow Experience at their playhouse. (Oh, and did we mention that you can win this getaway for two ... for free?)
ghosttoursinsavannah.com
Denver, Colorado
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.
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San Antonio, Texas
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?
visitsanantonio.com
Woodstock, Vermont
If you're looking for a more rural romantic vaca, 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
