5 Places to Go This Fall (My Personal Travel Bucket List) 🍁
Fall is such a good time to travel. The weather starts to shift, the scenery gets beautiful, and certain destinations just feel extra special this time of year. Whether you're dreaming of mountain views, charming towns, theme park fun, or a cozy seasonal getaway, there are so many great options — here are five of my personal favorites.
🍁 Helen, Georgia This little Bavarian-style mountain town in North Georgia goes all out for fall. Helen's Oktoberfest is actually the longest-running Oktoberfest in the country, and 2026 marks year 56 — it runs September 10 through November 1, with a parade and keg-tapping kickoff, live music, and a Halloween costume party to close it out. Pair that with the leaf-peeping drive up into the mountains and it's the coziest possible fall weekend. I grew up visiting Helen and it will forever be one of my favorite places in the fall & summer to visit!
🍁 Walt Disney World Fall at Disney means Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival overlapping — costumes, treat trails, and some of the best food booths of the whole year, all in the same season. I've already written full breakdowns of both on the blog if you want the details. Mid November is one of our favorite times of year to visit when the Holiday vibes are starting to creep in, but still all the fall magic is in the air. The weather and crowds are PERFECT.
🍁 Stowe, Vermont If you want the quintessential New England fall — covered bridges, cider mills, mountain views — Stowe is it. Peak foliage typically hits the last week of September into the first week of October, though it shifts by elevation, so you can chase the color from Smugglers' Notch down into the village as the weeks go on. This is on my bucket list & a place I have not visited yet but one day I will!
🍁 Universal Orlando Resort Halloween Horror Nights turns 35 this year, and it's the earliest start in the event's history — running August 28 through November 1, 2026, across 48 select nights. All 10 haunted houses are announced, including Hellraiser, Stranger Things 5, and Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness, with Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow teaming up for the anniversary storyline. If your family (or your no-kids self) loves a good scare, this is the fall trip.
🍁 Asheville, North Carolina A little closer to home for us, but no less special — Asheville in the fall is Blue Ridge Parkway views, Fall at Biltmore (think evening Luminère walks, live music at the Bandstand, and wine tastings at the estate winery), and all the cozy downtown breweries and River Arts District wandering you could want.
If you've been thinking about a fall trip, this is your sign to start planning it. And if it's Disney or Universal calling your name, I'd love to help you build it — head to thatkatiefath.com/travel and let's get it on the calendar.
Someday isn't a plan. Today is. 🤍
xoxo,
Katie