The 6 Best Wellness Retreats In The U.S. For Fall (And Beyond)

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California has a reputation for sunshine, beaches and palm trees – but that’s only part of the picture.

Summer nights may be great for August’s Perseid meteor shower, but it’s hard to beat fall for stargazing. Longer, darker nights and the earlier rise of the bright stars of Perseus, Taurus and Orion make it the ideal time to indulge in one of the hottest trends in travel—astro-tourism.

Whether you’re already planning a getaway or simply fantasizing about fascinating horizons, the new Great Outdoors U.S.A.: 1,000 Adventures Across All 50 States(National Geographic Books) is an action-packed, info-generous, photography-rich, bright beacon. This ambitious 736-page, colorful and insightful travelogue encourages all levels of nature lovers. It illuminates fun, spirited pursuits in every state; surprising, off-the-beaten-path gems; and full-throttle epic journeys. Perhaps coolest are the heart-warming verdant oases unveiled in urban areas.

A gorgeous little sprawl straddling the River Nore in Ireland’s southeast, Kilkenny is a place you can walk in a day, fall in love with over a weekend and still find things to discover after a week. Its imposing Anglo-Norman castle and 13th-century cathedral bookend the Medieval Mile, a historic strip cutting through the city. But it’s between the old set pieces that the magic happens — the record store hidden down an alley; the talkative host of a pub squished into an Elizabethan townhouse; the stumbled-upon galleries, craft studios and vintage shops. Late summer and early autumn are good times to visit, with Culture Night (22 September) followed swiftly by Kilkenny Animated, and the Savour Kilkenny food festival a month later. 

From world-class museums and cultural sites to great outdoor activities like hiking and biking in South Mountain Park, there’s no shortage of things to do in Phoenix. These Phoenix hotels give you easy access to the best of the city and its surrounds.

For adventurous summer hikers, spending time outside, where you can enjoy longer days of sunshine, fresh air, and a vibrant culture within outdoor communities, is a top priority. Autumn, however, is a brilliant period to get out on the trails. Exploring during the shoulder seasons, when kids are back in school and working professionals are returning to the grind, opens up all of the popular nature-y locales so that you can revel in the peace and solitude of wide open spaces and nature.

As any jaded traveler will tell you, there are some stays that are luxurious and a great experience, and there are others— albeit few and far between- that leave you blown away.

Russian River Boutique Hotels support one another to meet the rise of tourism in up-and-coming destination.

In addition to booming tourism numbers worldwide, travelers this summer have experienced scorching temperatures. That blistering heat has made travel difficult and could potentially create chronic health problems.

If the pandemic taught the travel industry anything, it is that change is necessary. For some local tourism officials in the U.S., transformation had been under way well before 2020, but new plans to serve visitors and local communities alike crystallized in the past year.

While there’s no shortage of stunning wine regions scattered all across the planet, few destinations can match the prestige of Napa Valley. First launched to international stardom in the wake of the 1976 Judgment of Paris, this sunny California county has earned worldwide acclaim for its high-end Cabernet Sauvignon—yet in the modern era, wine is far from the only amenity that draws visitors to Napa in droves.