Best Places to Visit in October
By Mark Ellwood by cntraveler.com
After months cooped up inside, some of us are starting to consider dipping our toes into travel again. Even amid current constraints, there are options for a rewarding trip. How far from home you might go is based on personal comfort levels, but during the current pandemic, all vacations should be planned as responsibly as possible, with an abundance of caution.
If you’re staying domestic, check entry requirements at each state you’re visiting—and where you’ll be returning. If you're comfortable traveling overseas, remember to check CDC guidelines on your destination. Remember, as well, to update your travel insurance, ensuring that the coverage you have will apply during the pandemic, whether it’s a standalone policy or insurance that’s bundled with one of many travel-focused credit cards. The places we've chosen for 2020 are all open to Americans, but if you're not quite ready to travel this fall, it's never too early to start planning for next year.
Salem, Massachusetts
It’s Halloween this month, so where better to book a trip than America’s unofficial witching capital. Book a room at The Hotel Salem or The Merchant (they’re both owned by Lark Hotels, famed for its funky makeovers of countless New England inns) and then make your way into town. Salem celebrates its connection to the occult all month with a program of events, including a fair with psychics on hand to read your future. All events are subject to change, depending on pandemic protocols, but an updated list of happenings is here.
During the festivities, it’s worth pausing to consider the history of Salem’s witch trials at the 1692 Salem Witch Museum. The museum recreates the trials using actual documents as the basis for its life-size stage sets, and hosts an exploration of witchcraft in all its forms through the ages. Take a moment at the city's memorial: The names of everyone who was accused and executed in the mayhem are inscribed on the 20 stone benches. And of course, remember to check state guidelines before booking anything: Massachusetts requires certain out of state visitors quarantine and current requirements will be updated here.
Sonoma, California
The best time to explore Sonoma's more than 400 wineries is during the thriving harvest season. Though the pandemic means that many of the typical events have been canceled or postponed for a year—the Harvest Fair, for example—there will still be celebrations at the various wineries and vineyards themselves. Consider a four-course food and wine pairing dinner ($55 per person) at Kendall-Jackson, served on the outdoor patio, or book a tasting at Siduri, a deliberately unfussy winemaker headquartered in a warehouse that’s renowned for its pinot noir. The best place to stay is the Hotel E downtown, housed in a Beaux Arts–era building on Old Courthouse Square and within easy walking distance of most restaurants and bars. Note that there are no restrictions on travel to and from the state, per California’s own edicts, but the tourism body has issued guidelines, dubbed the Responsible Travel Code.
Antigua and Barbuda
Although the country reopened to international visitors without quarantine requirements on June 1 (coronavirus testing is mandatory upon arrival), many resorts here remained closed through the summer months—traditionally a slower period for the region. In October, though, most of the hospitality industry will reopen for the winter season, including the gorgeous all-inclusive Curtain Bluff on the southwest coast. Such widespread reopening is pegged, in part, to the traditional period of celebration in the run up to Independence Day on November 1. The government hopes to host socially distanced concerts and events during this month, though the schedule remains in flux (check the latest here). Otherwise, there are plenty of other things to do outdoors, like the half-day hiking route across Mount Obama (also known as Boggy Peak) or the zip line trails that whizz over the canopy of the rainforest. It’s also an ideal time to visit the Frigate Bird Sanctuary, one of the largest in the world. Of course, you can always just go to the beach: Antigua and Barbuda claims to have one for every day of the year. Try the pink sand Half Moon Bay on the Atlantic coast, which is ideal for windsurfing.
Bermuda
The second edition of the Bermuda Championship, a new tournament on the PGA tour at the Port Royal Golf Course, is slated to take place from October 26 to November 1. Golf fans can come watch the pros, while also playing a few rounds themselves at top-tier courses like the 200-acre Tucker’s Point. If you come a little earlier in the month, closer to the full moon in the first week, keep your eyes peeled on the ocean at night, when glow worms light up the water. Bermuda reopened to international visitors in July; it requires that arrivals take a PCR COVID-19 test at the airport, and wait for eight hours at their accommodation until negative results are confirmed, so why not book a plush room to hole up in while you wait? The Rosewood Bermuda is offering 35 percent off nightly rates on any of its suites or residences through the end of the year.
Hudson Valley, New York
Make a leaf-peeping trip to the lush, tree-filled Hudson Valley in upstate New York. It’s the perfect time to go apple picking, or just sip some hard cider made from local produce at Angry Orchard, if you’re feeling lazy. Alternatively, take in a movie at the Four Brothers Drive-In Theater or celebrate Halloween with the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze in the grounds of Van Cortlandt Manor (advance reservations required). More than 7,000 pumpkins are displayed there each night, including a 25-foot-tall Statue of Liberty, all of which are carved onsite by a team of 1,000 volunteers. Book a room at Troutbeck, the 250-acre boutique resort designed by interior designer Alexandra Champalimaud and owned by her son Anthony; the hotel has just added a new fitness and spa facility, the Wellness Barns, built from wood reclaimed from the original Tappan Zee Bridge. Most of New York’s facilities have now reopened, but visitors from 31 U.S. states and territories are currently required to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. It’s under constant review, however, so check updated COVID-19 travel advisories here.
Montana
Many travelers have sought to reconnect with nature as a result of the pandemic, and there’s no better place to do so than the original Big Sky Country, Montana. In October, when the weather is crisp and clear, and you’ll see national parks like Glacier and Yellowstone lit up by fall foliage. It’s the tail end of fishing season, too, the ideal time to catch a few salmon. If you’re adventurous, consider biking down the Bitterroot Trail, close to the western border with Idaho: a paved parkway, it shadows US-93 for 50 miles between Missoula and Hamilton. The state is also renowned for its ultra-luxe lodges set in the spectacular countryside, many in safari-style tents for the ultimate glamping adventure. To fully explore, though, it’s easiest to work with a travel specialist like Original Travel, which can help coordinate an itinerary and any coronavirus-related requirements—updated mandates will be found here.
Los Cabos, Mexico
The resort region at the tip of Baja California has long felt like a self-contained country-within-a-country, a standalone from much of the surrounding region. Once synonymous with all-inclusive resorts, in the last five years it has pivoted its focus to the luxury market. New five star openings over that time include Zadún, the fourth property in Ritz Carlton’s toniest collection, Reserve, and the Rosewood-run Las Ventanas al Paraiso. If you’d prefer more seclusion, book a villa like La Datcha Cabo San Lucas, on the southernmost tip, which can accommodate up to 20 people. However, all properties here, most of which reopened in July, are operating at reduced capacity to allow for social distancing, which only adds to a sense of splendid—and safe—isolation. If you're comfortable with international travel, flight schedules from the U.S. are increasing again, making it easier to reach the region, and you’re almost guaranteed good weather every day; the rainy season has passed, and highs this month hover in the low 90s.
Barbados
Forget visiting for a few days in October—why not move here for the year? Barbados, which has logged just over 100 cases of COVID-19, recently announced its Welcome Stamp visa for sun-seeking digital nomads. Valid for 12 months, it allows anyone earning over a certain salary to live and work remotely temporarily. If you’re not ready to commit to a year-long visit, it’s still worth flying down here this month: Book an oceanfront villa at The Crane, on the southeast coast, one of the country’s finest resorts, and spend a few days exploring the Bajan rum circuit. Though it’s now ubiquitous across the Caribbean, rum was formally first distilled at the Mount Gay Rum HQ in 1703. Head to its visitor center and you’ll be able to learn more of that history, as well as sampling a range of great dark and white blends. Compare its product with those from Foursquare in Saint Philip Parish, and Mount Gilboa, a 100 percent pot still rum made by the Mount Gay distillery.
Originally posted: https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/best-places-to-travel-october?fbclid=IwAR3GfW-WeoON0QTr0Xfsg8PQrUWMnY5h2r1yPE7QAtDshHEiKqHKwIFUWcI