In this section we take a look at where to get away in luxury this fall to some of the world’s top destinations. If you’re looking for culture, check out Mexico’s Guadalajara which offers museums and great nightlife. For a quiet, family holiday consider Lake George in upstate New York, which offers leaf peeping and boat rides as well as some great galleries. Further afield, Düsseldorf, Germany, offers a mixture of historic monuments and modern architecture.—Sascha Brodsky
Ulster County, N.Y.
The Berkshires, Mass.
Lake George, N.Y.
Outer Banks, N.C.
Hilton Head, S.C.
Miami Beach, Fla.
Anguilla
Guadalajara, Mexico
Düsseldorf, Germany
Ulster County, N.Y.
Just two hours from Manhattan, Ulster County offers the attractions of both the Catskills and of the scenic Hudson Valley. Keep this area in mind for hiking, spa treatments, fall foliage, crisp air and quaint charm.—Heather Corcoran
WHERE TO STAY
Deep in the heart of the Catskill Forest Preserve, the Inn and Spa at Emerson Place is a newly renovated 19th-century inn with an upscale restaurant featuring local ingredients. Opulent guest rooms inspired by Africa, Asia, Persia, the West Indies and the Victorian era cost between $450 and $1,100 a night. At the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, a lake-view suite in the Victorian castle high atop the Shawangunk Mountain Ridge is pricey at $1,500 a night.
WHAT TO DO
In the fall, Ulster County becomes New York’s unofficial home of Halloween. The spooky tales of Washington Irving come alive in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in nearby Westchester County, where the author himself is buried, and Sunnyside Mansion, his charming Tarrytown home. After listening to the story of the Headless Horseman, visit the sprawling haunted house (three houses, actually) by the same name in Ulster Park. All year long, the area’s spas offer myriad ways to unwind after a day of fresh-air activities like horseback riding, hiking and fishing.
WHAT TO EAT
The freshest food in Ulster County comes straight from its many orchards and farm stands, but gourmet American and Continental cuisine are also available. The artists’ colony of Woodstock is home to the Bear Café, a streamside restaurant that features seafood along with an impressive wine list. The Depuy Canal House in High Falls offers creative, hearty fare in a centuries-old stone tavern – a sushi restaurant and bistro share the building.
WHERE TO DRINK
At the Gilded Otter in New Paltz, raise a pint of seasonal clove-pumpkin ale from the on-site brewery. For those who prefer the grape over grain, a trip to a winery is a must for a tasting and tour.
GETTING THERE
Ulster County is about a two-hour drive from the city, and the county is almost the size of Rhode Island, so having a car is necessary. Figure about $250 to rent a hybrid car for the weekend.
The Berkshires, Mass.
Mixing relaxation and culture, a New England vacation could be the elixir for city stress. In the fall, Massachusetts comes alive with the splendor of fall foliage, and in Berkshire County, breathtaking hills and quaint chimneys provide an 18th-century backdrop to numerous family-friendly festivals and outdoor activities.—Bosede Adenekan
WHERE TO STAY
Canyon Ranch Resorts offers outdoor activities like hiking and kayaking, or meeting with health experts to explore ways to optimize your personal health. There’s also a state-of-the-art spa, which, like the ranch’s sister resort in Arizona, offers yoga, fitness classes, saunas and massage, while the kitchens serve up gourmet meals. Prices for this all-inclusive healthy vacation start at $2,610 for three nights.
WHAT TO DO
If you’re seeking something to do aside from admiring the flaming-bright foliage on hikes or bike rides, there’s the Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge, Mass., which was one of the first regional theaters to be established in the United States. This season it’s presenting “Educating Rita,” a comedy about the relationship between a Liverpool hairdresser and an English professor, and “A Christmas Carol.”
WHAT TO EAT
For those who desire rustic charm, Old Inn on the Green in New Marlborough offers a candlelight dinner of nouvelle New England cuisine inside 18th-century rooms. If you’re seeking something slightly more urbane, visit Blantyre in Lenox, a French restaurant in an imposing Tudor mansion that doubles as a hotel.
WHERE TO DRINK
The Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox is famous for showcasing musicians in a variety of genres, from classical to rock. This season features the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
GETTING THERE
The Berkshires are a three-hour drive from Manhattan, but you can also book a reservation on Amtrak to Albany, where a shuttle van will take you to Canyon Ranch if you opt to stay there. A roundtrip train ticket costs between $72 and $114.
Lake George, N.Y.
Though this lake in the Adirondacks gained fame as a summer colony – attracting the likes of Alfred Stieglitz and Georgia O’Keeffe in its heyday – it also has plenty of fall cachet. If you’re not an outdoorsy type, there are galleries, boat cruises and war reenactments in and around Lake George Village to keep you busy. – Cotton Delo
WHERE TO STAY
Hardy visitors to Lake George may choose to camp, but if roughing it isn’t your style, book a room at Antigua Resort on Plum Point, which boasts 10-mile views of the lake and free use of canoes and rowboats. Lakeside suites range from $510 to $750 per week through Nov. 1. If you’d like something more rustic, consider Collette’s Stony Hill Cottages. A two-room cottage with a patio overlooking the lake can be had for $700 per week. You’ll be looking at dirt-cheap rates across the board this time of year, as hotel operators try to entice visitors with off-season prices before the biting cold sets in.
WHAT TO DO
The potential to commune with nature is what lures most visitors to Lake George, but there are rainy-day sights like the restored colonial-era Fort William Henry, which inspired events in the novel “The Last of the Mohicans.” The region is also a mecca for public golf and mini-golf courses. If you’re looking for something unconventional to do, book a hot air balloon ride – at sunrise or just after sunset – over the Adirondacks.
WHAT TO EAT
Foodies will appreciate Saratoga Rose Restaurant – situated between Lake George and Saratoga Springs in Hadley, N.Y., and located in three ground-floor rooms of a swanky Victorian bed-and-breakfast. Closer to home is The Algonquin in Bolton Landing, which hugs the lake and has a moderately-priced seasonal menu.
WHERE TO DRINK
You won’t be overwhelmed by the off-season nightlife options so one possibility if you’re craving a few drinks is to take a daytime cruise with the Lake George Steamboat Company, swill some wine and curl up by your fireplace by the time the sun sets.
GETTING THERE
Lake George is about a 200-mile drive from New York, so – barring traffic – you can make it there in three and a half hours. It’s $660 to rent a Volvo Sedan sports car for the week.
Outer Banks, N.C.
This 130-mile-long chain of barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina is dotted with lighthouses and pocketed with secluded beaches. There’s history too: It’s the site of the Lost Colony which vanished without a trace in the 16th century and the location of the Wright Brothers’ first flight in 1903.—Cotton Delo
WHERE TO STAY
You’ll find slashed rates up and down the strip in the off-season. One highly-regarded hotel is The Sanderling, located just five miles from the town of Duck and touching both the Atlantic and the Currituck Sound. There’s a spa overlooking the sound, and ocean view suites are $209 per night. Further south, you’ll find the more heavily developed and bizarrely named towns of Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head, where national chain hotels are packed close together; if you want something with style, check out the First Colony Inn in Nags Head, where nightly off-season rates hover at about $100.
WHAT TO DO
If you’re a bird watcher, now is the time to dust off your binoculars, since the Outer Banks is a haven for 400 species of birds. One recommended spot is the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge – a wintering ground for snow geese, tundra swans and 25 species of ducks – on Hatteras Island. If you’re adventurous, an obligatory experience is to hang glide over the sand dunes with Kitty Hawk Kites. There are several museums in the Outer Banks, but the most morbid is The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, which delves into the region’s maritime history, which includes 4,000 known shipwrecks on the sea floor.
WHAT TO EAT
Seafood is an obvious must, as well as Southern staples like ribs and hushpuppies, but if you’re looking for something sophisticated, try Elizabeth’s Café and Winery in Duck, which serves prix fixe six-course wine dinners.
WHERE TO DRINK
There’s a Hooters in Kitty Hawk – proving there’s something for everyone in the Outer Banks, which has the neon-suffused look of Virginia Beach and the Jersey Shore in its developed bits. But also in Kitty Hawk is Argyle’s Restaurant and Piano Bar, which offers a different kind of entertainment for patrons.
GETTING THERE
The Outer Banks are a 500-mile drive from New York, so speedsters who encounter no traffic could potentially do the drive in eight hours. Or, you can fly to Norfolk, rent a car and drive 90 miles south. Non-stop flights to Norfolk start at $200, and flight time is 90 minutes. First-class flights have one connection and start at $560.
Hilton Head, S.C.
Though not the ideal destination for wild nighlife, this exclusive island where locals have vigilantly restricted development and preserved wildlife offers luxurious ways to relax. Its palmetto-lined roads, marshlands and ubiquitous Spanish moss make it a prime example of the mysterious and sultry beauty of South Carolina’s Low Country.—Cotton Delo
WHERE TO STAY
Hilton Head is a nesting place for the affluent, so there’s no shortage of upscale places to stay, but New Yorkers might find the local habit of referring to gated communities as plantations off-putting. The villa-style Main Street Inn isn’t on the beach, but it has opulently furnished rooms, Charleston-inspired gardens and afternoon tea service to compensate. A room with a royal queen bed and a balcony is $139 per night. If you prefer a spot on the beach, make a reservation at the Hilton Oceanfront Resort, where oceanfront suites with a parlor start at $309 nightly.
WHAT TO DO
Though Hilton Head’s climate is officially subtropical, it’s slightly too chilly for swimming by October, but there are other ways to get outside if luxuriating in a spa doesn’t tempt you. The island is an established destination for tennis players and high-powered golfers, with over two dozen courses – 15 of which are open to the public. It’s also consistently named one of the top beach destinations for families, so wholesome pursuits like hiking, biking and kayaking are popular. Nature tours are available to seek out bobcats and bottle nose dolphins.
WHAT TO EAT
One venerable dining institution is the Barony Grill, which has a AAA four-diamond rating, serves up Low Country specialties – especially seafood and beef dishes – and has the formidable look of a hunting lodge. If haute Southern cuisine isn’t appealing, check out Michael Anthony’s, which serves upmarket Italian food.
WHERE TO DRINK
Hilton Head isn’t known for a raging nightlife, but if you’re itching to get out, try The Jazz Corner for drinks and live music.
GETTING THERE
First-class flights to Hilton Head Island with one connection start at $870. Flight time is five hours.
Miami Beach, Fla.
Hardly your sleepy beach town, Miami Beach is the center of a hedonistic culture that’s not for everyone. Whether you choose to admire the celebrated architecture of its Art Deco District or the well-toned flesh of topless sunbathers depends on what you’re into. – Cotton Delo
WHERE TO STAY
For an oceanfront South Beach experience, check out The Palms, which has a garden with hammocks and pools ringed with palm trees to produce the feel of a tropical compound. The average daily rate for an oceanfront room is $668. Another SoBe best bet is Hotel Astor, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places due to its Art Deco design. One-bedroom suites are $330 per night.
WHAT TO DO
October is still a prime month for beach-going in South Florida – provided no hurricane approaches – with temperatures reaching the 80s. In order to make a showing next to the models and Latin American demi-goddesses, you’ll need to sport the right bikini, and one place to look is Alea on Jefferson Avenue, which sells dangerously cut Brazilian bikinis. If you’d prefer to keep shopping, you’ll find high-end retailers, art galleries and spas on the main drag of Lincoln Road. Collins Avenue boasts haute couture, including Armani, Versace and Nicole Miller.
WHAT TO EAT
Judging from the waifish frames of vacationing catwalkers and the famous South Beach Diet, it would be understandable to anticipate starvation in Miami Beach, but top restaurants with sleek, dramatically lit interiors are plentiful. New Yorkers with a longing for the familiar should check out Nobu Miami Beach, which also has a lounge. Prime One Twelve serves up excellent steak.
WHERE TO DRINK
A spiritual cousin of Rio de
Janeiro, Miami Beach is a magnet for Latin America’s glitterati, drawing fabulously wealthy Brazilians, Colombians and Mexicans whose vacation homes are status symbols. Though you might be able to get away with it in New York, shabby-chic won’t cut it in Miami. One sceney outdoor dancing venue is the Opium Garden, styled to look like an Asian palace.
GETTING THERE
Non-stop first-class flights to Miami start at $780. Flight time is three hours.
Anguilla
This tiny Caribbean island just north of St. Martin is quickly becoming a hotspot, luring celebrities like George Clooney, Penelope Cruz and the Clintons for a low-key beach vacation without the Club Med crowd. The British territory of Anguilla is a sophisticated mix of old and new, fine dining and luxury accommodations flavored with an English accent.—Heather Corcoran
WHERE TO STAY
The exclusive Covecastles Resort is praised for its crisply modern design and privacy, as well as the fine white sands of Shoal Bay West Beach, just outside the villa doors. The five-bedroom Point Villa starts at $3,500 per night mid-season with prices spiking around the holidays. For a less expensive plot by the turquoise waters of Shoal Bay West Beach, stay at the Blue Waters Beach Apartments, where a two-bedroom apartment costs around $450 per night during the high season. The CuisinArt Resort on the southern Rendezvous Bay offers five-star pampering at the Venus Spa and gourmet food from the resort’s organic gardens, all in a Mediterranean-inspired setting for $1,500 a night for a luxury two-bedroom suite.
WHAT TO DO
In Anguilla, life revolves around the sea. Sailing is the island’s national sport, but the coral-filled waters mandate hiring an expert crew when taking to the sea. While on the island, be sure to get close to nature, whether by swimming with dolphins at Dolphin Discovery or snorkeling at one of the island’s quiet bays.
WHAT TO EAT
Even if you don’t stay at the CusinArt Resort, venture a trip to its poolside Medeterraneo restaurant. Chef Denise Carr prepares dishes that feature herbs and vegetables grown on the resort’s hydroponic farm. Another hotel restaurant, Malliouhana, by the western Turtle Cove beach, boasts the Caribbean’s largest wine cellar at 25,000 bottles strong and dishes that combine Caribbean and Mediterranean tastes. At the Straw Hat, settle into a seat directly above the Caribbean for fresh crawfish and seafood in Forest Bay.
WHERE TO DRINK
Prepare for some serious celebrity spotting on this glamorous island, but even without an invitation to a star’s private yacht or villa, there are still ways to let loose in Anguilla. Many resorts provide nightly music and dancing, though you can venture away from the hotel for salsa dancing and jazz at Sandy Grounds nightspots like Johnno’s Beach Stop.
GETTING THERE
Flying economy to Anguilla takes about 12 hours, including a layover; tickets cost about $400. Switch to first-class and the trip will take 24 hours with two layovers and cost $1,000.
Guadalajara, Mexico
Guadalajara has been called the most Mexican city in Mexico, and it boasts all the excitement of the capital, Mexico City, without the crowds, crime and pollution. The western city is Mexico’s cultural gem with a new branch of the Guggenheim Museum on track to open in 2010. – Heather Corcoran
WHERE TO STAY
The Presidente InterContinental Hotel Guadalajara offers classic luxury and impressive views of the city and surrounding Sierra Madre Mountains. A room with a balcony to enjoy the scenery runs $200 a night. At the Quinta Real, colonial architecture and cobblestone garden paths make for a cozy, hacienda-style stay in the residential district on the outskirts of town. The grand suite costs $250 per night.
WHAT TO DO
Students drive Guadalajara’s vibrant cultural scene. The University of Guadalajara showcases contemporary art in its Museo de las Artes and on Saturdays open-air concerts and exhibitions take place in the Plaza Benito Juarez by Agua Azul Park, Guadalajara’s Central Park. Mexico’s famous muralist, José Clemente Orozco was born nearby, and some of his best work can be seen throughout the city, including a massive painting at the Government Palace. While in Guadalajara, be sure to pick up a souvenir crafted by one of the city’s artisans at a market: Mercado Libertad or San Juan de Dios. Sports fans will want to be sure to check out the local soccer team, Chivas, at Jalisco stadium, a major point of tapatío pride.
WHAT TO EAT
The mercados are a great place to sample local fare, including tortas, a type of sandwich. At El Sacromonte, local flavors are interpreted in a gourmet menu that includes rose petal quesadillas, grilled shrimp and sirloin served with chile sauce. Even at this upscale restaurant, prices are reasonable, with entrees available for less than $20.
WHERE TO DRINK
Guadalajara is the birthplace of both mariachi and tequila, and they can be sampled at the low-key cantina La Fuente in the Centro Historico. Be sure to sip fine tequila slowly, or enjoy a glass of sangria on the side. After tasting the difference between reposada and añejo varieties, dance to rock and electronic music at the nightclubs in the upscale Zona Minerva.
GETTING THERE
A first-class flight, with one transfer, costs about $1,000 and takes eight hours.
Düsseldorf, Germany
Located in the North Rhine-Westphalia region, fashion-forward, family-friendly Düsseldorf is a German center of commerce, media, arts and culture. From historic monuments to modern architecture, old and new Germany blend to create a unique cultural environment. – Kerri Fortune
WHERE TO STAY
The Steigenberger Parkhotel is a luxury five-star hotel with 133 guestrooms, many of which have city views or views of Hofgarten Park. The hotel has its own gourmet restaurant, terrace, bar and spa. Another five-star hotel is the Renaissance Düsseldorf Hotel, which has 236 guest rooms and 8 suites. The rooms are among the most spacious in the city. The penthouse panorama pool has city views.
WHAT TO DO
Get your party on at one of Düsseldorf’s famous festivals. In November, the Hoppeditz Awakes celebration sees over 5,000 people stand before city hall to hear the Hoppeditz sarcastically recap the year’s events. Experience history at the Goethe Museum or view contemporary art at K20. The German Opera on the Rhine and Tonhalle Düsseldorf provide classical entertainment. Roncalli’s Apollo Variete shows clown and acrobatic acts. Shopping fanatics will adore the Königsalle’s luxury stores and the Altstadt’s hip boutiques. Appreciate the architecture, namely the Rheinturm, the tallest tower in the city, and three buildings constructed by architect Frank Gehry. Go for a scenic stroll along the Rhine embankment promenade.
WHAT TO EAT
A diverse group of people frequent café and restaurant Muggel, a favorite among locals because of its food, service and value. Wine lovers will appreciate the high-quality French and Italian wines and gourmet cuisine that can be had at master cook Jürgen Fehrenbach’s restaurant, Fehrenbach. The traditional German dishes have a twist and Italian influence. Tafelspitz 1876 promises culinary exploration and the finest wines. It offers a natural and private atmosphere with only 26 seats, so make a reservation to guarantee service.
WHERE TO DRINK
To immerse yourself in the German experience, go to one of the city’s many beer gardens and chug some Altbier. Bavarian customs rule at Rennbahn Biergarten Düsseldorf, where you can also partake in betting games. Sip brews and enjoy the views of ships on the Rhine and the Altstadt promenade at Rheinterrasse. Go to Bar am Kaiserteich for a trendy bar experience in a room with psychedelic décor. Visit popular nightclubs, like Checker’s Club, that play a variety of music, particularly dance, hip-hop and soul.
GETTING THERE
The average flight time from New York to Düsseldorf is seven hours and 15 minutes. A non-stop, first -class, round-trip flight from New York to Düsseldorf costs upwards of $6,100. LTU (ltu.com) offers non-stop flights to Düsseldorf from $199 round-trip.
