Goodbye to summer, hello to fall. With fall officially starting, the season seems to end much earlier. Schools generally start towards the end of August and families are taking their final summer vacations on Labor Day weekend.
But if you have the extra time for another vacation, after Labor Day is the perfect time.
Some of the benefits of traveling after Labor Day include smaller crowds, cheaper rates, and cooler temperatures.
And with gas prices at their highest, you won’t have to travel far to enjoy some relaxing getaways. Virginia is the perfect place to bask in the sun at the beach or cool down in the Virginia Mountains or neighboring states.
Off peak traveling season is generally around September through mid spring.
If you’re not into traveling during cold weather, September through October offers comfortable temperatures for vacationing.
At Virginia Beach, the average air temperature for September is lower 80’s with water temperatures at lower 70’s. October air temperatures are in lower 70’s and water temperatures upper 60’s.
As the temperature drops, so do the hotel prices. A stay at Best Western during off-peak season can be as low as $50 for an ocean front view. While a stay at the same hotel during peak season could cost up to $200 nightly.
With fall colors soon approaching, mountain retreats during off peak season can also be a great time to travel.
An example of the differences in prices between peak and off peak season is Asheville, North Carolina’s cabin rentals.
Off-peak prices are $90 nightly, while peak prices range from $125-$150 nightly.
Asheville, heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is an excellent area to explore the outdoors and is also home to the Biltmore estate, a 250 room mansion built in 1895, which is open for tours.
Other mountain retreats with exceptional discount rates for off-peak season are in the Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Gatlinburg offers golf, hiking, shops, Ripley’s Aquarium and much more to please any member of the family.
But you don’t have to travel out of state to enjoy mountain getaways.
Wintergreen in the Blue Ridge Mountains offers 30 miles of hiking and biking trails, golf courses, rock climbing, skate park, and skiing for late fall through early spring.
Massanatten Resort in the Shenandoah Valley offers golf, skate park, hiking, biking, fishing, tennis, and equipment rental for every sport. Skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing are also available for late fall through March. Bryce Resort in the Alleghany Mountains also offers golf, hiking and biking, skiing and snowboarding.
Smith Mountain Lake offers 20%-50% off vacation rental during off peak season. At Smith Mountain Lake, you can enjoy boating, parasailing, golfing, hiking, and cruise the lake with a 19th century paddle wheeler. Many restaurants are also available.
Not to mention the Blue Ridge Parkway is nearby to enjoy.
All vacation spots are cutting their costs for off peak season and now is the time to take advantage of these great deals while enjoying the fewer crowds and cooler weather.