Getaway: Autumn Weekends

Getaway: Autumn Weekends

Yes, I know it’s only August, with temperatures ranging from sizzle to sauna. But trust me: it’s not a minute too soon to plan your autumn getaway. Picture it: Roadside stands will be fragrant with fresh-baked apple pies. New England lobstermen will be pulling in their best catches of the year, and cranberry farmers will be waist-deep in blood-red bogs. In the North Georgia mountains, salty steam clouds will arise from giant cast iron cookers filled with boiling peanuts. And, of course, roadways and hillsides will be blazing in autumn’s golden, red, and yellow foliage spectacular.

Here’s the thing: an autumn getaway is not like a regular vacation. It’s a sensory experience that’s easy to fit into a long weekend. For once, skip the must-do checklist of tourist attractions and historic sites. Instead, seek out the back roads and u-pick orchards, pumpkin patches, and roadside farm stands. Breathe in the crisp chill beneath the still-warm sun.

I’m giving you the heads up now because airfares during peak leaf season get more expensive, while B&Bs and charming cabin rentals get more scarce the longer you wait. Here are a few images from my own autumn memory book.

Cranberries (sassamanash in Native American lingo) grow on vines in peat marshes. When they’re ripe, farmers flood the marshes to create bogs, and rake the berries to the surface. Then they (the berries, not the farmers) get sucked up in a giant vacuum hose and loaded into humongous shipping containers. The harvest is way more picturesque than the Ocean Spray commercials. Some farmers, like capecodcranberrybogtours.com, offer harvest tours between mid September and late November. Find more fascinating info at cranberries.org.

My buddies at the renowned East Dennis Oyster Farm (dennisoysters.com) explain that the taste of

oysters varies from farm to farm, just as the taste of wine, though it comes from the same grape, varies from vineyard to vineyard. Whose is the best? “That’s for you to decide,” they say, “so get shuckin’!” Check out all the Massachusetts and Rhode Island oyster farms at oystereater.com.

Although it evokes summer picnics to New Englanders, lobster is in season year-round, and autumn brings some of the best harvests. I love going down to the seaport to watch the boats unload. Some sell live lobster right off the docks.

Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge, Georgia, is famous for its home baked apple and pecan pies. With its beautiful u-pick orchard, vast country store, picturesque deli, and weekend autumn activities, it’s a cool free attraction. The kids will want a photo op on the old red tractor. mercier-orchards.com.

Boarding for the vintage Blue Ridge (Georgia) Scenic Railway car is at the base of a magnificent maple tree. The four-hour, 26-mile round trip includes a layover in two quaint mountain towns. Foliage tours run Sep. 29-Nov. 12. brscenic.com.

Florida’s Fall Festivals

Florida has its own take on fall festivals. If you’re drooling for the best grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the planet, head up to Williston for the super-fun Central Florida Peanut Festival on October 1. There are horse-drawn trolley rides, antique cars, TONS of peanuts (boiled, roasted, raw, and otherwise) and other festival food, plus music, crafts and games. Get a selfie with the Little Peanut King and Queen and Baby Peanut. willistonfl.com/peanut-festival.

See museum quality art and 3D illusions in sidewalk chalk at the world famous Chalk Festival in Venice November 10-13. There’s music, food, and entertainment, and even hot air balloons to see it from the air. chalkfestival.org.

Neapolitan Family Travel Editor KAREN T. BARTLETT is the award-winning author of more than a dozen destination coffee table books and several family guidebooks. See her autumn leaves and other stunning photos in Rhode Island, A Photographic Portrait. karentbartlett.com.