These Weekend Getaway Worthy Fall Foliage Tours
Vegetation, Nature, Natural landscape, Cloud, Deciduous, Landscape, Plant community, Leaf, Nature reserve, Stream. Nothing says autumn like a long, leisurely drive through Mother Nature’s glorious color changes. Roll down the car windows, savor cool autumn breezes, and escape to these fall getaways where autumn’s brilliance beckons. Let find out These Weekend Getaway Worthy Fall Foliage Tours below.
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These Weekend Getaway Worthy Fall Foliage Tours
Lake Champlain Islands, Vermont
Travel past farmland surrounded by shining lake waters and mountain vistas. Follow route 2 along the islands in the middle of Lake Champlain from Alburg to South Hero. Or start your trip by taking the ferry in either direction from Plattsburgh, New York to Grand Isle, Vermont. What else to do: Enjoy a stroll on one of the longest beaches on Lake Champlain at Alburgh Dunes State Park, or venture back 480 million years in time at the Chazy Fossil Reef and Fisk Quarry Preserve, a site first quarried in 1664 by the French.
Picnic at the serene grounds of St. Anne’s Shrine, once site of Samuel Champlain’s explorations in 1609. The boutique Hotel Vermont with its rustic yet chic decor in downtown Burlington is close to nearby eateries on Church Street. Reserve one of the dog-friendly rooms ahead of time.
Coopers Rock State Forest, West Virginia
Bands of dramatic rock cliffs line the Cheat River Gorge and offer spectacular panoramas and overlooks, while winding back roads boast eye-catching color. Head southeast of Morgantown off Interstate 68 to Coopers Rock State Forest. Or drive farther south to follow route 7 past Kingwood or along the backcountry on route 50 to Aurora. What else to do: Hiking trails of every level of difficulty crisscross the park. The best overlook is on the short path from the Overlook Trading Post.
Other easy hikes include Reservoir Loop and Virgin Hemlock Trail through a hemlock grove that’s more than 300 years old. For a more relaxed pursuit, visit Forks of Cheat Winery and Distillery for a sample of local wines and apple pie moonshine. The Chestnut Boutique Hotel in downtown Morgantown features locally crafted furniture, individually decorated rooms and a rooftop bar. Its central location makes it walkable to nearby restaurants and shops. That is once of These Weekend Getaway Worthy Fall Foliage Tours.
Upper Peninsula, Michigan
Gorgeous colors appear along routes 41 and 26 along the peninsula. Follow route 41 through the Tree Tunnel coming into Copper Harbor, and make a side trip to Brockway Mountain Drive, the highest paved road between the Rockies and the Alleghenies. At the top, there’s a stunning 360 degree view of Lake Superior. In Hancock, learn about the region’s copper mining history with a surface tour of Quincy Mine Hoist, and journey seven levels underground into the mine on the cog rail tram car.
Stop at Eagle Harbor Lighthouse Museum Complex. Or visit at Fort Wilkins State Park, a restored military outpost dating to 1844. Laurium Manor Inn, where you can tour the 13,000 square foot home built in 1908 by one of the region’s copper barons. It was built for $50,000 in an age when the copper miners made 25 cents an hour.
Missouri Ozarks
Rolling hills and pristine rivers along back country roads offer a relaxed amble through some of the state’s best fall colors. Take route 19, south of Salem, with side trips east and west on route 106 toward Alley Spring and Eminence. Ozark National Scenic Riverways area includes the Current and Jacks Forks Rivers, which are fabulous destinations for tubing, canoeing and kayaking.
Explore natural springs in the area such as the spectacular Blue Spring off Route 106 east of Eminence. Hike, fish, bike and paddle in Sinking Creek within Missouri’s brand new Echo Bluff State Park. Each room at the new lodge at Echo Bluff State Park has its own balcony with views of the bluff. For larger groups, cabins sleep up to 12 and accommodate pets. That is once of These Weekend Getaway Worthy Fall Foliage Tours.
Cascades Foothills, Oregon
Aufderheide Scenic Byway offers brilliant colors, lushly set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Cascade Mountains. Follow the byway, which connects route 126 in the north and route 58 in the south. Hike the Delta Old Growth Nature Trail, an easy half-mile loop that wends through beautiful old growth forest in Willamette National Forest. Or explore the region’s nearby waterfalls Sahalie, Koosah, and Proxy. For the more adventurous, book a rafting or fishing trip on the McKenzie River. Eagle Rock Lodge in Vida is a charming hideaway with four acres of gardens right on the McKenzie River, a prime spot for fly fishing.
