September is one of the prettiest times of year in most of the United States, and unless you’re a child facing back-to-school time, it may be one of your favorite times of year. To get you rolling into fall, here are the 10 best September vacations. If you stay in a vacation rental at any of these destinations, you are bound to have the time of your life.
Less than two hours from Washington DC lies
Shenandoah National Park . If you take
Skyline Drive through the mountains, you will witness some of the most glorious fall colors to be seen anywhere in the country. The hiking and camping are first-rate, and the air is crisp and clean.
Having mentioned the nation’s capital in the entry above, it would be a terrible oversight to omit DC from any list of the 10 best September vacations. In September the kids are in school and the summer vacationers have gone home, so a visitor to DC can explore the historic monuments,
the National Mall and
the Smithsonian with fewer crowds.
Every September, Telluride hosts the three-day
Telluride Blues and Brews Festival , which in the past has featured performances by luminaries such as B.B. King, who said—referring to Telluride’s mountain views—that he’d been to ninety different countries in the course of his career, but he’d never seen anyplace as beautiful.
If you’re going to
Burning Man in Nevada’s
Blackrock Desert , you’ll be planning a rough week camping in one of the harshest environments in the West. Before you go, you may want to check into a vacation rental in Reno, which is only three hours away. While you’re there you can take care of the difficult logistical planning involved with the Burning Man experience, and maybe even do some gambling before you go.
New England is the one part of the country that equals the Shenandoah Valley for fall color, and if you go in September you can sample the finest desserts in the region at the
The New England Dessert Showcase .
Much like DC, Tampa is a busy city that is perhaps more enjoyable when it is less crowded. Best of all, by September the summer heat and humidity have faded, but it is still nice enough to go to the beach.
On the other hand, you may not be ready for summer to end, in which case you should take advantage of San Francisco’s famously backwards weather and make it one of the 10 best September vacations you’ve ever taken! The best weather in the Bay Area comes in the fall, and September temperatures average in the 70s and 80s.
For most of the year Pomona is a very nice city, but in September it explodes with life hosting the LA County Fair. It’s a great place to take the kids for rides, food, and music. They can pet live animals and eat—in true country fair tradition—fried Oreos and Twinkies.
South Dakota’s gorgeous Black Hills are where you’ll find the most inspiring work of patriotic art west of the Statue of Liberty—
Mount Rushmore . If you ask nicely, maybe the park rangers will let you re-enact that scene from Hitchcock’s North by Northwest.
Every American—indeed, every person on Earth—should see the Grand Canyon at least once in their lives, and the weather in Arizona becomes cool enough by September to make the experience as comfortable as it is humbling.
Rentals in Shenandoah Valley
River Haven Cottage is nestled on the beautiful Shenandoah River with a spectacular year round view. The very name River Haven hints to its warm and cozy place on the river. Life at the cabin is very low key, just the place to relax and take it ea...
A Perfect Fantasy Escape. 650 sq ft Cottage is beautifully secluded on 10 acres with a private pond. Sit in the hot tub and watch the waterfall cascade into a rock pool and flow into a beautiful 15,000 sq/ft lined swimming pond...or sit in the roc...
Enjoy the room of a spacious furnished townhome for the cost of a room in a local B and B. You and your family will have the conveniences of a new home within minutes of skiing, rafting, horseback riding, mountain hiking, and Shakesperian Theater.
Enjoy a retreat to nature in our privately owned and managed converted and furnished 2-Bedroom Barn. Nestled on 52 Acres of pristine land, the barn provides spectacular Mountain Views from nearly every window. Private Decks make for excellent wild...
Now professionally cleaned and staged. iBeautiful. Sunbathe nude. Make love on the deck if you want!Private. Secluded. Wooded. Near several major towns in the Shenandoah Valley with lots of opportuniies for antique shopping, sightseeing, and ...
Shenandoah Valley, Virginia