Five U.S. Small Lodgings Offer Creative Fall Treats And Outdoor Activities To Get You…

You may be understandably hesitant to travel, but these fine small lodgings have sweetened the deal with special autumn treats to let you know things will be fine, if you remember health guidelines and focus on seasonal, outdoor fun.

Pie on the Pillow

Wandering byways, antiquing and such may take much of your day. But at night, at the Caldwell House Bed and Breakfast in Salisbury Mills, New York, in the Hudson Valley, a slice of pie greets guests on their pillow. The inn, about an hour’s drive from New York City, offers cherry, cream, and apple. (The apple pie recipe is here.)

Riverboats and Foliage

Stay at the Huron House Bed and Breakfast in Oscoda, Michigan, and hike through the majestic Huron-Manistee National Forest. Next day, consider a trip on the AuSable River Queen, the only paddlewheel river boat of its kind in the north. You’ll see Bald Eagles perch on the trees along the river bank. A “land and sea foliage” package is available.

Apple-Caramel Dippings

At The Hotel Saugatuck in Saugatuck, Michigan, start your visit at the nearby Crane Orchards and hand-pick your own apples. Then return to the lakeside property in the evening for a private in-room caramel apple feast for two. The hotel will provide warm caramel and a selection of toppings so you can dip and ‘decorate’ your freshly picked apples. 

Pumpkin Patch Hayride with Photography

At BlissWood Bed and Breakfast Ranch, an hour west of Houston Texas, take a hayride from the barn to the lake this October, then to the pumpkin patch, where you’ll pick your own pumpkin.

BYO pumpkin carving kit and carve funny, silly or spooky faces at the barn. Take take photos and enter into the “Creative Pumpkin Carving Contest” on Saturday, October 31st. An independent judge will pick the winner, who will receive a free one-night stay.

Forest Massages

Arrive at Stanford Inn and Resort in Mendocino, California, and smell the Pacific. Watch the sunset over the Pacific from your deck and then sit by the fire, listening to the crackle of the burning wood.

By day, canoe, kayak or paddle boat on Big River Estuary,
 mountain bike on logging roads and trails. And most interesting of all, experience a forest massage amid towering trees and the ocean beyond.