Fall travel: 7 places to visit in order to fully embrace and enjoy the fall season

Fall is in full swing across the United States with many cities and regions offering a variety of activities and picturesque scenery to view and enjoy.

In the fall, the following places offer activities for Halloween such as trick-or-treating, costume parties and tours of haunted locations, as well as other events not related to Halloween, such as food festivals.

There are also plenty of outdoor activities for the fall, such as boat tours and hikes through fall foliage.

Here are seven cities and regions that serve as idyllic destinations for fall trips.

Saratoga County, New York

Saratoga County in New York is a popular destination in the summer, but according to USA Today, it is also a great place to travel in the fall.

There are multiple ways to enjoy the fall scenery there, such as railways through the area as well as boat tours.

Tourists can also visit Saratoga Spa State Park to view the fall foliage and the multiple mineral springs around the park, per Discover Saratoga.

There are also tours available allowing visitors to take a look into Saratoga’s haunted history, including walking tours and trolley tours.

According to Discover Saratoga, the end of October in Saratoga features the “Witch Walk & Dance” along with the Downtown Saratoga Springs Fall Festival.

The Berkshires

A gem of the New England area, the Berkshires region is located in rural western Massachusetts, per U.S. News & World Report.

The area, which is home to picturesque mountaintops and sprawling farmlands, serves as an ideal retreat for anyone looking for a countryside getaway.

Tourists can take advantage of the activities available in the mountains such as hiking, climbing and zip lining, per U.S. News & World Report.

The Berkshires region also hosts a variety of festivals throughout the fall and is home to a variety of local museums.

According to U.S. News & World Report, the region is dotted with picturesque small towns full of local shops and restaurants perfect for window shopping and visiting.

Savannah, Georgia

A famously haunted city, according to Travel + Leisure, Savannah, Georgia, goes all in during the fall with activities like the City of the Dead Tour.

There are also notoriously haunted places to visit such as the Moon River Brewing Company, and haunted hotels like the 17Hundred90 Inn & Restaurant.

According to Visit Savannah, fall in Savannah is full of a wide range of festivals and events such as Oktoberfest at Plant Riverside District, the Eastern Wharf Food Truck Festival and the SCAD Savannah Film Festival.

The city also embraces Halloween in many ways and holds an annual “Wag-O-Ween” event, a pet-friendly Halloween festival.

Mackinac Island, Michigan

Though traditionally a popular summer destination, Mackinac Island in Michigan is an ideal place to travel in the fall, according to USA Today.

The area is full of fall foliage colors, and home to a resort town on the water full of activities and events.

Mackinac Island features great activities to enjoy in the fall such as carriage and boat rides.

According to USA Today, Halloween in Mackinac Island offers trick-or-treating throughout the town as well as costume parties in the evening for adults.

Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon, is on the banks of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, and as the biggest city in Oregon, it is a great place to visit in fall, according to Travel + Leisure.

Fall in Portland brings with it an array of fresh ingredients, such as salmon from the Columbia River, as well as heirloom tomatoes and butternut squash that fall right off the vine.

According to Travel Portland, throughout the city, tourists will find around 500 food carts, perfect for trying new local foods.

There are also plenty of outdoor activities in Portland in the fall with nearby forests, public parks and gardens to visit, per Travel Portland.

New Orleans, Louisiana

The city of New Orleans, Louisiana, is as festive as ever in the fall with activities like the “Krewe of Boo!” Halloween parade and Oak Street Po-Boy Festival, per Travel + Leisure.

During the fall, the crowds are smaller and the humidity is lower than in the summer, creating an idyllic fall atmosphere.

According to Travel + Leisure, during football season, tourists can join the New Orleans community at Champions Square for festivities and tailgating before each New Orleans Saints home game.

San Antonio, Texas

The steaming hot city of San Antonio in Southern Texas cools down in the fall, allowing more events to take place outside, per Travel + Leisure.

There are a variety of festivals happening through the fall in San Antonio such as Oktoberfest, Day of the Dead and the Tasting Texas Wine and Food Festival.

In November, the nearby city of New Braunfels hosts the 10-day celebration of Wurstfest celebrating all things sausage.

According to Travel + Leisure, other outdoor activities available include kayaking along the San Antonio River as well as a bike ride or hike along the River Walk.