With a long weekend coming up, sometimes it’s nice to take advantage of the time and make a little vacation out of it (even if you just go somewhere for the day). Here are some of my favorite places to travel during this month that are perfect for fall and won’t break the bank.
1. Woodstock, Vermont
This small town about an hour south of Burlington is an autumn gem. The downtown is full of New England charm and looks like it came straight out of a fall Hallmark movie. Outside of the downtown you can visit Sugarbush Farms and do a (free) maple syrup and cheese tasting. You can also go a step further and make the trip up to Burlington as well, which is an equally quaint Vermont town with tons to do. From UNH, Woodstock is about a two-hour drive, so it can easily be made a day trip as well.
2. Salem, Massachusetts
This is a Halloween classic. It’s full of some spooky history, which is why Hocus Pocus was filmed there! Most of the iconic monuments in Salem show up in the movie, so it’s especially fun to watch it before or after you visit. Salem gets a huge makeover in October, with tons of decorations and tourist attractions for Halloween, but the town is a great spot to visit all through autumn. October tends to draw a big crowd, so be prepared for lots of people. Salem is less than an hour from UNH, so it’s another great spot to just stop by for the day.
3. Québec City, Québec, Canada
Going outside of New England, Québec City has a beautiful European-style downtown that’s perfect for a fall getaway. Not only is the weather amazing this time of year, but the city goes all-out with Halloween decorations. Like Salem, Québec City has a darker past, and lots of late-night ghost tours and haunted attractions are set up year-round, which makes it perfect for Halloween. Québec City is about a six-hour drive from UNH, so it’s probably not something to do in one day. However, there are lots of reasonably priced Airbnb’s in Levis, which is a 10-minute drive away from old town Québec.