Fall Travel

Every year when the leaves begin to change and the air is crisp, I begin to think of possible travel plans. It seems that everyone has the same ideas, visiting some pumpkin patches and possibly finding some apple picking destinations. This year I figured I would dig a little deeper and locate a few beautiful fall destinations that are sure to have a lasting impact on my view of this wonderful time of year. I am a local to the windy city so for me, I don’t have much access to nature outside of the occasional prairie and vast amounts of farm land south of the big city. I want to see more than just flat lands and wilting corn husks. That’s why my first destination researched is the Smokey Mountain region. Although the drive may seem a bit daunting, (coming in at just over 10 hours) I believe it will be worth a trip. The magnificent rolling mountains are covered with a variety of trees that change color as the seasons begin to progress down through the mountains. Just viewing pictures makes me rethink why exactly I live in the Midwest. I have read a few other travel blogs that have also mentioned this as a great destination. Nature is not everybody’s thing, but trees with this much color might just change your mind. This time of year brings the perfect climate, at least in my opinion, to enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, bike riding, and camping under the stars. This type of trip may be a bit removed from traditional autumn travels, but it would certainly be a rewarding one.

After digging into more details and possible activities I came across a great thought. I love to travel with groups but making the trip isn’t always the easiest thing to organize. Depending on the size of the group, coordinating airfare is not a task that I want to delegate to myself. One alternative that isn’t commonly thought of is a bus charter. This gets all members of a traveling group all together in one private area. I know it may seem expensive but it really can become a cost efficient way to travel when compared to airfare. To me, chartering a bus is a fantastic way to bring a group together and create some wonderful memories. Now it’s just convincing your group to think outside the box!