By Lynn O’Rourke Hayes
FamilyTravel.com
It’s the season to harvest new travel plans. Here are five ideas for your next fall getaway.
1. Discover “farm fresh”
Fall is an ideal time to celebrate our nation’s bounty by visiting farmer’s markets, joining in a barn dance or visiting a county fair. Take a farm tour and learn how our food moves from plow to porch. For a more immersive experience, spend the night or a weekend on a family farm. At farms across the country, kids can collect eggs, pet pigs, corral critters, tend to a garden brimming with fresh produce, or hang out in the shade of fruit trees.
Contact: www.FarmStayUS.com
2. Take a scenic drive
During a two- to three-hour drive via Trail Ridge Road at Rocky Mountain National Park, observe wildlife, crystalline lakes and jagged peaks. With proximity to the Continental Divide, it’s an ideal time to explain to the kids how the “roof of the continent” spills moisture to the east and the west. This expansive, peak-filled national park in Estes, Colorado, is also well known for its elk population. Also be on the lookout for bighorn sheep and the occasional moose.
Contact: www.VisitGrandCounty.com; www.VisitEstesPark.com.
3. Follow the flock
Head down to Southern Arizona, considered one of the best spots for birding in the country. Declare the historic and family-friendly Tubac Golf Resort & Spa your base camp and let the exploration begin. Besides birding, you can enjoy a round of golf, a stroll through the local art community or time at the spa. Hike near the resort and appreciate views of the Tumacacori and Santa Rita peaks in the distance.
Contact: www.TubacGolfResort.com; www.VisitArizona.com.
4. As the leaves turn and the elk bugle
This is your chance to enjoy Grand Teton National Park and the extraordinary beauty of this valley before it becomes a winter wonderland. Take a family-friendly hike along the Snake River. Check on the resident herd at the National Elk Refuge (sleigh rides are possible once the snow falls). Visit the National Museum of Wildlife Art and the local children’s museum for indoor fun.
Contact: www.VisitWyoming.com; www.JacksonHole.com; www.FourSeasons.com/JacksonHole
5. Discover the night sky
Death Valley National Park’s 3.4 million-acre expanse and the region’s clean, dry air combine to provide an ideal vantage point for observing shooting stars, meteor showers, the Milky Way and constellations galore. The conditions have earned the park Gold-Tier Dark Sky status. Stay at the Oasis at Death Valley and take part in Star Parties on selected evenings.
Contact: www.OasisatDeathValley.com; nps.gov/deva
