Destinations for Late Fall Family Travel

As the weather turns colder and leaves fall from trees, northerners begin to think of warmer places for family travels. Consider these destinations for a late fall getaway:

Arizona

Although the Grand Canyon is Arizona’s best-known attraction, your family will find a lot more to do there. Relive the Old West in Tombstone, where you can see the famous O.K. Corral and watch staged gunfights in the streets. Kids can marvel at the wonders of nature in the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert or walk through the twisted sandstone walls of Antelope Canyon.

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston charms at any time of year, and so do the famous gardens of Magnolia Plantation. Kids can absorb some history on the Slavery to Freedom Tour of original slave cabins, hearing stories of the families who lived there. Younger children will like the plantation’s zoo and nature center. For more wildlife experiences, go to South Carolina Aquariumfor interactive shows and hands-on exhibits where they can touch sharks and other aquatic creatures.

Williamsburg, Virginia

A three-in-one experience in American history, Colonial Williamsburg is easy to combine with the nearby sites of Jamestown and Yorktown. The capital of Virginia during the Revolution, Williamsburg was at the center of the fight for independence, and kids can get a sense of those times at costumed presentations. Jamestown is the oldest British settlement in North America and Yorktown is where the Revolution ended. Kids can interact with costumed interpreters, visit a Powhatan village and board replicas of the three ships that brought Jamestown settlers from England.

San Diego, California

One of the finest zoos in the United States, San Diego Zoo replicates natural environments for animals from all parts of the world. In the Safari Park, all animals roam free in landscapes ranging from savanna to jungle, and you can ride through it in an open-air vehicle. The zoo is in beautiful Balboa Park, where there’s also Fleet Science Center, with hands-on activities and interactive galleries, as well as Kid City, an area designed especially for children under 5 years of age.