Once the kids are back in school some people like to start traveling again for a variety of reasons. These are some of the top destinations for fall travelers with some of them hosting fall festivals.
1. Italy – Alba
Alba lies in the Piedmont region in northwestern Italy. It’s a popular place every fall due to its International White truffle fair. The medieval community can be found about an hour south of Turin by train and it’s also quite popular for its jams, wines, and nocciola, which is a creamy type of hazelnut chocolate. The White truffle Fair takes place each weekend between early October and mid-November. The fair is launched with a historical re-enactment, a medieval parade, and donkey races.
2. Poland – Great Masurian Lakes
The Masuria region is located in northeastern Poland and is home to about 2,000 lakes as well as forested islands. The community is just over 150 miles outside of the capital of Warsaw. Many people explore the region by sailboat or kayak as there’s a network of canals and rivers. It’s a popular spot in the summer, but winter comes early to this part of Poland. The fall’s an ideal time to visit to see the colorful foliage and bike or hike through the Augustow Forest. This is where you may see some boars, elk, and European bison. The Pisz Forest is also beautiful and it belongs to the Masurian Landscape Park. In addition, there’s biosphere reserve here at Luknajo Lake, which is a breeding ground for swans. There are plenty of trails, charming towns and villages, baroque churches, Teutonic castles, and World War II bunkers etc.
3. Pennsylvania, USA – Arendtsville
The yearly National Apple Harvest Festival takes place over a pair of weekends in October. The communities of Biglerville and Arendtsville celebrate the autumn with a wide variety of events in honor of the apple. You’ll find some tasty treats here such as homemade sauce and dumplings, fresh cider, apple pies, and apple bobbing and pie-eating contests. You’ll also be entertained by classic and antique auto shows, scarecrow displays, chainsaw carving, arts and crafts, and hayrides. The festival takes place at the South Mountain Fairgrounds.
4. Zambia, Africa – Livingstone
The best time to visit here is between September and December as it’s the driest season. This is the site of the highest waterfall on the planet at 360 feet. At the top of the waterfalls is a swimming area known as Devil’s Pool. You can reach the swimming area from Livingstone Island, which lies in the Zambezi River in Zambia. The other side of the river is in Zimbabwe. The river is slow and low in the fall and the natural rock walls enable swimmers to enjoy themselves at the top of the falls without the danger of being swept over them. There are plenty of trails in the local rainforest where you may run into some vervet and bushbuck monkeys.
5. New Mexico, USA – Albuquerque
Albuquerque is New Mexico’s biggest city and it hosts the annual International Balloon Fiesta every October. This features hundreds of hot air balloons that are launched at the same time. 2012 is also the 100th birthday of the American state and there are plenty of centennial events on tap to celebrate it. One of the biggest events is taking place at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. There are exhibits here that are paying tribute to the giant dinosaurs that used to roam the state millions of years ago.
