Take Advantage of Lower Prices and Beautiful Scenery with These Fall Vacations

Couldn't get away for that summer vacation? You're in luck! Whether your destination is an amusement park, camping spots, a fall cruise, or a tour of beautiful autumn foliage sites, fall is a great season for vacation. Why? Deep discounts, of course! Fuel prices are generally lower, and there is much less traffic to contend with traveling by roadway.

Fall also is a great time to get away since crowds are smaller. That makes for great choices in accommodations and travel arrangements.

Amusement Parks

In the off-season, many theme parks offer discount packages. Disney World and Sea World in Orlando, as well as Niagara Falls attractions all offer fall packages well below the normal participation prices. You may want to check in advance, though, to make sure of what attractions are open, as some may be closed during the off-season for routine maintenance.

Attractions in Niagara Falls include Clifton Hill, Falls View Indoor Water Park, Ride Niagara: The Ultimate Thrill, Marineland, and Niagara Skywheel. You can find out more about Niagara Falls attractions and lodging here:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g154998-Activities-c22-Niagara_Falls_Ontario.html

Orlando's Disney World and Sea World are just two of the main attractions in this great vacation destination city. Wet and Wild Water Park and Universal Orlando are also located there, and they both also offer discounts for fall travelers. You can also visit the Everglades, Cape Canaveral, or the Barrier Island Sanctuary. You can see complete information about an Orlando trip here:

http://travel.away.com/Florida/travel-vacation-11-1848-Orlando.html

Disney World and Disney Cruise Lines also offer a 7-day land and sea cruise vacation discounted September through December.

Fall Camping:

Many outdoorsmen actually prefer the fall season for camping. There is lovely foliage to view, fewer campers to contend with, and many camping sites are available.

Oregon is known to be a popular fall camping locale. The weather is mild and there are many choice sites open until the end of October through the State Park system. They provide a wonderful opportunity to view gorgeous fall foliage while you are avoiding the crowds. You can check out the Oregon State Park campgrounds here:

http://www.oregon.gov/OPRD/PARKS/camping.shtml

Many Colorado State Park campgrounds are also open in the fall, with another fantastic opportunity to see some gorgeous fall colors from canyon to forest. Some guided tours are available. You can look for details and contact information on fall Colorado trips here:

http://www.parks.state.co.us/fall

If you prefer coastal camping, you may want to think about fall camping in California. There are some beautiful campgrounds on the California coast which are open in the fall months.

Patrick's Point is a beautiful coastal camping location, in the heart of redwood country, north of Eureka. You can hunt for driftwood and agates, watch seals, and observe gorgeous sunsets. Hiking trails and bicycling are favorite activities or campers at Patrick's Point.

Another scenic camping location on the California coast is Manchester Beach in Mendocino County. There can be heavy rainfalls in the autumn in this location, so you will need to be prepared and check the weater forecast! Temperatures though are mild, and Manchester State Park has many features that make it a desirable destination. There is a heavy supply of driftwood to find along five miles of sandy beach. Two creeks, Alder and Brush, provide excellent salmon fishing. Manchester Beach provides a swan habitat, and there is a huge variety of coastal wildflowers.

You can check California fall coastal camping here:

http://www.parks.ca.gov/

Fall Foliage Vacations:

Of course, a favorite autumn vacation is a fall foliage tour. The prime autumn tours will take you throughout New England, including New York, Maine, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Some of the available tours also stretch north into Canada.

The New England fall foliage tours normally are in their prime from the middle of September through the early weeks in October. Be ready with your camera!

You will probably want to plan your trip around local attractions in each of the states. Here is just a sampling of what you can find on a fall tour of New England: Vermont's covered bridges, Cape Cod, New Hampshire's lake regions, Newport in Rhode Island, Boston Common. These are just a small part of the sights you can plan to explore on your fall vacation through New England.

Kim Knox Beckus, the New England tour guide at About.com provides a free New England newsletter and several resources for planning your fall tour of New England. You may wish to visit her About.com page here:

http://gonewengland.about.com/cs/planyourtrip/a/aatravelplanner.htm

Although New England is the region most considered when planning a fall foliage trip, you can find spectacular scenery in the Rockies as well during this time of year.

Colorado affords breathtaking views and autumn colors. To take advantage of the beauty of southern Colorado in the fall, you will probably want to tour the Durango area, travel up the Million Dollar Highway, through a beautiful locale which is known as "little Switzerland." Spectacular colors in both the leaves and the rock are highly renowned as a can't-miss opportunity for photographers and vacationers alike. Train trips are also available through the scenic mountain passes, and this is a popular method of travel for picture-taking.

You can discover more about Colorado's fall attractions here:

http://www.colorado.com/

Fall Cruises:

A prime destination in discounted fall cruises is the Caribbean. Norwegian Cruise Lines, Holland America, and Carnival all offer Caribbean Cruises at lower rates in the fall.

Bermuda and Mexico are two other popular cruise destinations in the fall. You can also find discounted rates to these locales through several prominent cruise lines.

No matter what your vacation goal, fall is a great time to travel with or without the kids. Take advantage of the discounts and plan that off-season vacation now!