Fall Vacations in the U.S., Mexico and British Columbia

item 1 of Gallery image View Of The Rugged Coastline And Ocean Of Cape Palmerston On Vancouver Island In British Columbia Canada, Unique Fall Vacation Destinations

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PHOTO BY: All Canada Photos / Alamy

Go Storm-Watching on British Columbia’s Vancouver Island

Storms that pack a real wallop begin to descend on Vancouver Island in November. Local inns and restaurants on the West Coast have turned the natural spectacle into a tourist attraction, offering special deals to come snuggle up to watch the show with a blanket or a glass of wine. Book a room at the Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino, a hotel designed specifically to take in the best views of the storms.

item 2 of Gallery image Bread And Puppet Performance In Vermont, Unique Fall Vacation Destinations

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PHOTO BY: Randy Duchaine / Alamy

Bread and Puppets in Vermont

School children may be back in their classrooms, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy puppet theater in Vermont. Since 1963, Bread and Puppet Theater has been entertaining crowds — often with performances focusing on political and social issues. Sourdough rye bread is served in the theater, which sits on a 20-acre farm. Shows run through September.

item 3 of Gallery image Close Of A Bar Shelf Filled With Beer Kegs, Unique Fall Vacation Destinations

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PHOTO BY: Tim Greenway

Pedal for Brew in Portland, Oregon

With over 50 local breweries and a go-green bicycle culture, beer and bikes are a logical combination for anyone visiting Portland. Take advantage of some of Portland’s best weather in fall, and book a three-hour, five-mile (mostly flat) tour of the city, where a guide will take you to dozens of microbreweries and brewpubs for samples and behind-the-scenes tours.

item 4 of Gallery image A Bunch Of Migrating Monarch Butterflies Cling To A Branch, Unique Fall Vacation Destinations

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PHOTO BY: Tom Uhlman / Alamy

Visit Migrating Monarchs in Monterey Bay, California

There is never a bad time to visit the Monterey Bay area, but visit during mid-October through the end of winter and you’ll lay eyes on a unique migration: 25,000 monarchs that have gathered in the local pine and eucalyptus trees to escape cooler climates. Following the patterns of the generations before them, monarchs return each year to Monarch Grove Sanctuary, a city park just north of Monterey in the town of Pacific Grove. The best time to view the clusters of monarchs is between noon and 3 p.m.

item 5 of Gallery image Explore Your World, A A R P Real Possibilities, Colorful sunset reflected in still water. wooden row boat with oars in foreground center

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item 6 of Gallery image A Whooping Crane about to take flight in marshland

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PHOTO BY: richardseeleyphotography.com/Getty Images

Watch Whooping Cranes on the Gulf Coast

If you follow the bugle call of the whooping cranes as they head south from Canada, you’ll find yourself at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Gulf Coast of Texas, just outside Corpus Christi. By November, several hundred whooping cranes, the most endangered of all cranes and the tallest bird in North America will have made the wetland their winter home and will stay there until spring. Expect to also spot pelicans, herons, egrets, alligators and bobcats.

item 7 of Gallery image The Moon High Above The Anza-Borrego Desert State Park In California, Unique Fall Vacation Destinations

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PHOTO BY: Niebrugge Images / Alamy

Stargaze in a Southern California Desert

Many assume spring is the best time of year to travel to the desert — when spectacular wildflowers are in full bloom. In the fall, you can also find stunning beauty, you just need to look skyward. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, 80 miles east of San Diego, offers low humidity and night skies that are free from light pollution — the perfect combination for stargazing. Bring your telescope and camera, and time your trip for a full moonrise over the badlands in October, once the park reopens after summer closure

item 8 of Gallery image Vineyard And Mountain In Background In Napa Valley California, Unique Fall Vacation Destinations

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PHOTO BY: Patrick Batchelder / Alamy

Go Vine-Peeping in Wine Country

Need a new spin on the New England leaf-peeping drive? Head to Northern California’s wine country, where the grapevines turn brilliant crimson, orange, yellow and lime hues in mid-October to early November. Timing is everything: The changing of the color coincides with harvest, a time of year when the Napa and Sonoma county regions are hosting wine festivals to celebrate the area’s favorite crop.

item 9 of Gallery image Locals Enjoy Dia De Los Muertos In Oaxaca Mexico Also Known As The Day Of The Dead, Unique Fall Vacation Destinations

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PHOTO BY: Danita Delimont / Alamy

Celebrate Day of the Dead in Puebla, Mexico

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is celebrated throughout Mexico, but head to the tiny town of Huaquechula, just west of Puebla, to see truly elaborate offerings. Families create altars several stories tall and adorn them with wax candles, photographs and the favorite foods of their departed. Visitors are often invited into homes to see the altars and share a cup of hot chocolate, a slice of sweet bread or a shot of tequila.

item 10 of Gallery image Wild Mushrooms Grow In The Forest With Adventurous Foragers In The Background, Unique Fall Vacation Destinations

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PHOTO BY: FORGET Patrick/SAGAPHOTO.COM / Alamy

Forage for Wild Mushrooms in British Columbia

While everyone else is seeking out the perfect pumpkin or wandering in a corn maze, head to the rain forest in British Columbia and forage for something deliciously edible —wild mushrooms. Gold chanterelles, oysters and porcinis are all in season in the fall, and tour guides lead hikes through the woods to locate the best places to find mushrooms that are safe to eat.

item 11 of Gallery image Lake of Cochrane - Patagonia, Chile

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PHOTO BY: mihtiander

Also of Interest

Must-see: 2018 Fall vacation destinations

9 Unique Vacation Ideas for Fall

Go Storm-Watching on British Columbia’s Vancouver Island

Bread and Puppets in Vermont

Pedal for Brew in Portland, Oregon

Visit Migrating Monarchs in Monterey Bay, California

AARP Offer: Explore Your World

Watch Whooping Cranes on the Gulf Coast

Stargaze in a Southern California Desert

Go Vine-Peeping in Wine Country

Celebrate Day of the Dead in Puebla, Mexico

Forage for Wild Mushrooms in British Columbia

Also of Interest

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