Just because summer is in the rear-view mirror doesn’t mean that travel has to stop. New Mexico Living recently spoke with travel expert and award-winning author Sarah Dandashy about some of the best fall destinations for 2023.
First up: San Francisco, California.
“Small but mighty city. You can really cover a lot in a short amount of time. It’s this perfect mix of outdoorsy and cultural with this incredible food scene,” says Dandashy.
She recommends staying at The Clancy near the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and touts the mild weather as another reason San Francisco is a great fall travel destination.
Next: Seattle, Washington.
“Don’t overlook the Pacific Northwest, and head to Seattle,” says Dandashy. “Interestingly enough, from October 12 through 15, they are having the refract festival, which is celebrating Seattle’s glass art community. It’s a thing up there, so you can get a changing color of the leaves as well as this whole world of glass art.”
Dandashy suggests staying at the Sheraton Grand Seattle, which is close to a lot of other must-dos in Seattle, including Pike’s Place Market and the Space Needle.
Then, there’s Santa Barbara, California.
“It’s this sort of perfect blend of a coastal city as well as nature. Really, kind of tucked into 78 acres of beautiful landscape. You’ve got the Ritz Carlton Bacara in Santa Barbara, which is honestly one of the best hotels in the area, hands-down,” says Dandashy.
While you’re in Santa Barbara, Dandashy says to take advantage of the ‘Ambassadors of the Environment’ program the Ritz Carlton is doing. There, you can choose from different activities like an eco-hike or a naturalist-led class where you can learn about the ecosystem. She also recommends visiting the Channel Islands National Park.
And finally: Gallup, New Mexico.
“Right along historic Route 66, you can stay at The Fairfield Inn and Suites in Gallup, which just kind of puts you at an easy 8-minute drive from Red Rock Park, which is great,” says Dandashy.
She also mentions El Moro National Park and Cibola National Park as places to go. As another travel mention she makes, she recommends searching for airline deals on either Tuesday or Saturday.
