5 destinations to visit this fall

'Tis the season to get out and enjoy the wonders of fall. Whether you're looking to have a hair-raising Halloween or just want to enjoy the fall foliage in all its colorful glory, here are five suggestions for destinations to visit this autumn.

Sleepy Hollow, New York

Sleepy Hollow wakes up during the fall. This historic village, made famous by the Washington Irving short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," embraces Halloween, with several events taking place on a sliding scale of spookiness. Hulda's Night at Rockefeller State Park (Oct. 18-21 and Oct. 25-28) involves hiking to four immersive performances in the woods, with lanterns lighting the trails. You can also take a guided tour of the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery at night, pay a visit to the Headless Horseman Statue and catch a performance of The Legend Cirque, an acrobatic retelling of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." In nearby Tarrytown, the historic Lyndhurst estate is open for special candlelight tours, giving the mansion a ghoulish glow.

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Go up, up and away to Albuquerque, where the world's largest hot air balloon festival takes places every fall. Running from Oct. 7-15, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is celebrating its 51st year, with hundreds of balloons set to fill the sky during morning mass ascensions and evening balloon glows. October is also the best time to see the cottonwoods start to change color along the Rio Grande, and you can walk right by them on the paved Paseo del Bosque Trail, which also passes through the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park. 

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Asheville, North Carolina

In Asheville, North Carolina, fall unfolds over the course of six weeks. The leaves start to change in late September in higher elevations before the colors sweep down the foothills. The boutique Foundry Hotel, in the historic Block neighborhood, offers the "Leaf Peeping By Land & Lake" package in partnership with Asheville Wellness Tours and Hike Bike Kayak Asheville. Guests will go on a 2-mile hike through Bearwallow Mountain, where they'll take in the changing scenery and panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, then go on a kayak tour of Lake Junaluska. The experience can be customized based on stamina levels. Before you go, check out Asheville's fall color map for estimates on how the city's foliage will look during your visit.

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Fall is an excellent time to visit Grand Teton National Park. The summer crowds are gone, the cooler temperatures make hiking easier, and with wildlife starting its migration to winter grounds, opportunities abound to spot bison, pronghorn and elk. Even if you don't see elk, you'll likely hear them, as fall is the time the males start bugling. Hikes in the park range from easy to strenuous, with more than 200 miles of trails. The roads are also open through Nov. 1 if you'd rather take in the views by car. With all of the lodges closed by the beginning of November, book a hotel in Jackson Hole and make that your home base.

Savannah, Georgia

Legend has it that ghosts like to stick around in Savannah, and there are several ways to put those stories to the test. Sign up for a Hearse Ghost Tour (they proudly proclaim to "know where the bodies are buried") and book a room at the Marshall House, the oldest operating hotel in Savannah. The Marshall House was a hospital during the Civil War, and guests have claimed to see apparitions of soldiers with missing limbs. If you'd rather your visit not be all doom and gloom, Savannah is home to several museums, including the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum, named after the leader of the civil rights movement in Savannah during the 1940s and '50s; the Andrew Low House, where Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low lived shortly after starting the organization; and the Jepson Center & Telfair Children's Art Museum. The SCAD Savannah Film Festival is also happening Oct. 21-28.