Sensational picks for an end-of-summer escape
By Suzanne Rowan Kelleher
Flickr: louelke – on and off
As summer draws slowly to a close, many places are entering into their most glorious season. Here are five places that are primed for a September escape.
Yellowstone National Park
As summer crowds dwindle, there’s more availability for lower-priced rooms at Yellowstone’s wonderful Old Faithful Inn, as well as other lodges, cabins, and campsites. The weather becomes milder, with temperatures averaging in the 50s during the day and often dipping to the freezing point overnight.
(MORE: Family traveler’s reviews about Yellowstone)
Orlando
It may be back-to-school time where you live, but in Orlando, September is deal season—and a particular boon time for families with preschoolers. Every year around now, America’s most family-centric destination holds a giant sale-a-thon, rolling out the best prices of the year on attractions, restaurants, hotels, and more. How can a family of four save over $150 on one-day tickets at SeaWorld? Find out here: 4 Ways to Save Huge at Orlando Theme Parks.
Vermont
We love Vermont in the summer. We adore Vermont in the winter. Yet our all-time favorite time to visit is late-September, when the state’s famous maple trees begin their annual explosion into a fiery panoply of rich reds, eye-popping oranges, and dazzling yellows. Leaf peepers would be wise to book a hotel now.
(MORE: View a family trip plan: Quechee and Woodstock with ‘tweens.)
California Wine Country
September is California Wine Month in the Napa and Sonoma valleys, where many wineries offer enough kid-friendly activities (and grape juice tastings) to make for a surprisingly family-friendly getaway. Between samplings, take the kids for an open-air Jeep tour of the 400-acre Safari West wildlife reserve, home to giraffes, cheetahs, zebras, and other exotic creatures.
Atlanta
Some say “Hotlanta” refers to the city’s lively music scene and nightlife, but the nickname takes on added significance during the sweltering summertime. Come September, when temperatures fall to the bearable low 80s, Atlanta enters its most pleasing season, with smaller crowds and far less of the pollen allergy sufferers encounter in the springtime. For the perfect weekend getaway, find a hotel near Piedmont Park for the Atlanta Arts Festival (Sept. 14-15, 2013) or Music Midtown (Sept. 20-21).
Suzanne Rowan Kelleher contributed this to www.MiniTime.com.
