Fall Travel and Trip Deals

Along with falling leaves, autumn brings falling prices in many destinations where September through November is shoulder season. Take advantage of the deals to vacation in the mountains, on beaches, in the desert and along the river.

Image Credit: Whiteface Lodge

Explore the woods: Whiteface Lodge, Lake Placid, NY

Lake Placid hosted two winter Olympic Games—in 1932 and 1980. Although associated with winter, the mountainous region is especially beautiful in fall. In the nearby six million acre Adirondack Park, hike miles of trails and drive scenic roads. At Whiteface Mountain ride the gondola for panoramic views of the billowing foliage. You can up the thrills by zooming down the bobsled run at speeds approaching 30 mph at the Lake Placid Olympic Sports Complex. The Whiteface Lodge is a log and stone, Adirondack-style, all-suite hotel.

With the Adirondack Experience Stay and Play package, receive $100 resort credit for a two-night stay and $300 for a three-night stay. The credits can be used on property and off as long as the activity is booked by the resort.

Image Credit: Club Med

Go to the beach: Club Med, various locations

Book Club Med’s Break Free Sale by October 26, 2016 for stays at the noted all-inclusive property now through April 27, 2017. Save up to 50% on bookings, and receive up to $300 air credit, plus children age four and younger stay for free. The deal is available at the following Club Med properties: Cancun Yucatan, Mexico; Ixtapa, Mexico; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Columbus Isle, Bahamas; Turkoise, Turks and Caicos; Caravelle, Guadeloupe, French West Indies; Buccaneer’s Creek, Martinique, French West Indies; and Sandpiper Bay, Florida. Exclusions apply for certain dates and properties.

Image Credit: Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain

Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, Scottsdale, AZ

In Arizona’s Sonoran desert, you can walk among sagebrush, saguaro cacti and mesquite thickets and hike red-rock Camelback Mountain, Scottsdale’s iconic landmark. Desert adventures are much more doable in autumn when summer’s heat subsides. Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, rated among the best US resorts for 2015 by Travel & Leisure, features a top-rated spa. Pamper yourself with Asian-inspired treatments such as a Thai, Zen shiatsu, or Reiki massage. Shoulder season rates start at $529 instead of high season’s $679.

Discover the desert:

Image Credit: 1000 Islands Harbo Hotel

1000 Islands Harbor Hotel, Clayton, NY

Named for the more than 1000 islands that dot the St. Lawrence River and the eastern part of Lake Ontario, the Thousand Islands region offers a scenic, water-based getaway. Take a day cruise past isles splendid with fall foliage, drive a section of the 518-mile Great Lakes Seaway Trail, and sample the wines at local wineries. At the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel, an AAA Four Diamond rated riverfront property, fall rates start at $139 per night compared to $329 in summer.

Cruise the river: