It ’s always entertaining to run across people who call themselves " well traveled , " but have never been west of Ohio . Like , really ? We ’ve got a big , vast nation of dramatically different states and you have n’t been to two - thirds of it ? Sure , Copenhagen was endearing , but we ’ve got 50 res publica to bring down , and if you have n’t been to many of them , mayhap this year is the meter to explore . And while you might have heard that fall in New Hampshire or Christmas in Hawaii are the right time to inspect , that ’s not necessarily the case . Sure , sometimes the most popular times to visit a plaza are also the skilful , but in a lot of province there are even better time that you may not have gain . We speak to locals , touristry board , and our immense mesh of acquaintance and contributors to rule out the best times to visit all 50 states .
Alabama
Late SeptemberNo , we ’re not suggesting you base your holiday around watching grown men survive vicariously through 18 - year - olds . But a secret plan in Tuscaloosa or Auburn is a must - see American spectacle , and there ’s a political party every Saturday in every townsfolk in the res publica . Not into football ? The rest of the state is just perfect this time of year ( and all the crowds are distracted by football ) . The beaches of theRedneck Rivieraare still as warm as they are all summertime , with a fraction of the mass . And for the more active , hiking and kayak through the just - changing trees is well-fixed since the summertime heat has subsided .
Alaska
AugustThe stateliness of the Alaskan glacier and the privileged passage is beautiful from pretty much May to September . But unless you want to go all Al Pacino and drive yourself crazy with eonian daylight , waiting until a petty later in the summer can allow you to kip in between glacier gazing . kyphosis giant are still in full military unit this time of year , the temperature can actually get all the way into the 70 , and the wildlife is highly active . Plus , the northerly lights are most visible towards the end of the month .
Arizona
MarchThere is utterly nothing well-fixed about 110 stage , no matter how " ironical " anyone says it is . But absolutely nothing beat the pleasant air of Arizona in the springiness . you could rock trunks all day but sweat through them , and the nights bring a pleasant desert gelidity . The Grand Canyon is still there , but with about one-50th of the people you ’d find in June or July ( though you should stillremember to bring good deal of water ) . And in Phoenix , you ’ve gotCactus League leap training , which not only wreak Major League Baseball in intimate venues , but also fetch the gang and night life that descend along with it .
Arkansas
Early OctoberWord on the street is Arkansas ’ unexampled fall touristry slogan is " All the fall colors , none of the Patriots fans ! " We chaff , but one of the more underrated dimension of this southerly state are its changing leaves , which make a driving through the Boston Mountains every bit as scenic as anywhere near actual Boston . Beyond the leaves , there ’s the War Eagle Mill Fall Arts and Crafts Fair in Rogers , and the requisite SEC football game mania every Saturday during Razorback games .
California
April ( northerly ) ; former September to early October ( southern)Northern California : California is the only state with two drastically different enough climate and cultures that it justify separate consideration for compass north and south . There ’s a quotewrongly attributed to Mark Twainabout the coldest winter he ever spent being a summer in San Francisco . But whoever said it is right . summertime in SF is really more in April , when the fog subsides for a little while and makes way for temperatures on a regular basis in the 80s . Up the road in Sacramento and the wine-coloured country of Sonoma and Napa , temporary worker are n’t ungodly hot yet so you could bask your degustation without SPF 150 . And in true California fashion you may enjoy all this warm sun then take a two - minute drive up toTahoeand ski the next day .
Southern California : Since summer in SoCal does n’t really start until after the June gloom , LA is get to the end of its summertime stride while the relief of the country is cool down in October . Added incentive : all the kids are back in shoal ! So your trip to Disneyland , SeaWorld , LEGOLAND , or Palm Springs wo n’t be pack with families . On the Central Coast , areas likeSan Luis Obispoand Santa Barbara are their fond of the year , which micturate this choice beach clock time for the entire neighborhood . And traffic will be … OK , well , it ’ll still be awful . But at least nobody will be freak out out because five raindrops fell onthe 405 .
Colorado
JanuaryAs charge up as we all are by craftiness beer and the outlook of legal weed , the snow is still Colorado ’s main attraction . And all those ski streamlet are a lot more sport when you do n’t have to share them with the intact world . The post - Christmas change of location season is slower in Colorado , so you ’ll still have all the fresh pulverisation without the tourist . And while you might guess going in winter will define your power to delight a beer outside in the quite a little , commemorate , this is Colorado . So a 74 - arcdegree Clarence Shepard Day Jr. in January is n’t at all unusual .
Connecticut
OctoberThe endless scenic landscape painting and attractor with fall - theme special events make for memorable vacation and colorful day trip . Autumn means crop festival , antique , autumn pumpkin patch , apple- and vegetable - picking , farm mazes , picturesque vineyards , Fannie Farmer food market , canoeing and kayaking , and , of course , " foliage peeping " on fall foliage drive circuit .
Delaware
Mid - May to mid - JuneThe weather is right , the beach are ready , and the year ’s best events are in full swing . The Firefly Music Festival brings 90,000 people and some of the humanity ’s top artist , NASCAR soar up into Dover International Speedway , and the annual spot - to - Point steeplechase is like the Kentucky Derby , on a huge line of business once owned by the DuPont category . The heyday are all in bloom at the beautiful garden of the former DuPont estate – Winterthur , Nemours , Hagley , and Mt. Cuba Center . And if you need to go to the beach there are slap-up deals to be had on things to do and place to appease before the summer rush begin .
Florida
MarchYes , it ’s spring break . Butif you pick the right beach , you’re able to quash the crowds altogether and enjoy the best weather Florida has all year . Though if you do n’t mind crowds , this is when Florida is its most fun . away from the requisite college tike , the state also hosts half ofMajor League Baseball for leaping training . If you ’re more into booze than baseball , Universal Studios has its one-year Mardi Gras festivities , with parades every weekend . And in South Florida , Miami Music Week andUltra Music Festival fetch beautiful peoplefrom all over the public to Downtown Miami . Plus the Miami Open – one of the big non - grand - gibe lawn tennis tournaments – land up the month off with human beings - class lawn tennis .
Georgia
MarchWhile Georgia has a pretty soft clime and can be fun to visit well-nigh any time not squall August , March has a special tie . Even if you do n’t have tickets , the ambiance around the Masters in Augusta makes it one of the most galvanizing weekend in sport , or even non - sports . And the St. Patrick ’s Day parade in Savannah is mentioned with places like Chicago and Boston when talking about the best in America . The weather is still in the 70s , and not nearly as humid as Florida .
Hawaii
September to OctoberPicking the best time to gossip Hawaii is kind of like attempt to clean themost delicious flavor of Pringles : they ’re . All . Amazing . But if you need your Hawaiian vacation to consist of more than beaches , vent hikes , andsurprisingly nerveless historical museums , these two calendar month have the most pass on . The Aloha festival run throughout September with solemnisation of Hawaiian cultivation tha'’ll give your trip a more authentic feeling . And the end of October brings the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival , give you far greater dining choices than you ’d typically feel on the beaches of Waikiki .
Idaho
MarchWhile the whitewater raft and biking are as good as anywhere in America in the summertime , to get the most out of Idaho you ’ll want to go in March . The skiing in Sun Valley is still going inviolable , and a tour through the Snake River Valley vino region will be pleasantly nerveless and still scenic . But the bounteous draw in March is festival , or " fort " time of year . No matter what your appreciation , you ’ll recover something : Filmfort , Alefort , Yogafort . Though the most famous is Treefort , an one-year rock festival that ’s broadly speaking moot the West ’s best alternative to South by Southwest .
Illinois
Late June to early JulyWhen you put up a Chicago winter , the first part of summer feel like being released from a frigid , gray weather condition prison . And this sentence during other summertime is Chicagoans ' release appointment , when weekly street fete and reproducible sunshine have everyone in the humour to drink , eat ( we suggest one of these Chicago eating place ) , and just generally enjoy life . Wrigley Field is pack since the Cubs are still mathematically animated ( and this year , even mathematically kicking ass ) , and the rest of the Department of State is bask the only part of the year when you ’re guaranteed to not get rain down on , freeze , or swelter .
Indiana
September to OctoberThough sadly the larger-than-life Pawnee Harvest Festival does n’t actually exist , it ’s not completely made up either . In agriculture - rich Indiana , fall is harvest time season , and across the body politic there are over 620 festivals to celebrate it . The leaves are change color and it ’s the only time of year a drive through the State Department can genuinely be considered " scenic . " And biz solar day in Bloomington and West Lafayette , while not bringing the monolithic crowds you ’d find in Michigan or Pennsylvania , are still fantastic Midwest tradition .
Iowa
Mid - AugustThe Iowa State Fair is without a doubtthe can’t - misfire eventin the state , where big - name country acts headline the fair every Nox , and you ’ll rule all the nutrient , games , and 4 - H club excitement befitting a Midwestern expo . The conditions is also at its full , so you may search the bluff or limestone caves at Maquoketa Caves State Park , the most beautiful position in Iowa . It ’s also the double-dyed metre to remove up Iowa City , where you’re able to love pie shakes at the Hamburg Inn and all the other things that make it one of thebest modest cities to spend the weekend .
Kansas
Late MarchMost of us do n’t screw a whole lot about Kansas other than that it occasionally has tornadoes that lift houses into magical lands filled with flying monkeys . What are we pretermit out on ? sunflower and basketball . Both of which are in teemingness in Kansas during recent March . The nation ’s iconic yellowed bloom commence to bloom and massive fields of them scatter across the prairie . Most years the Jayhawks basketball squad is making its traditional deep run into the NCAA tournament , and while it might be a little late to learn out a plot at thebest arena in college hoops , the excitement around the squad permeates everything in the state .
Kentucky
Early MayThe early summer mist in Kentucky clear for magical dawning along the Ohio River and the Bourbon Trail has a specialje ne sais quoiwhen chit-chat … nah , dude , it ’s the KENTUCKY FREAKING DERBY . Not that Kentucky ca n’t be fun the rest of the twelvemonth , but if you ’re going to make a trip to the Bluegrass State , do it around the Derby . Yes , it ’ll be crowd , flights will be more , and the Bourbon Trail will have more mass on it than the 405 freeway , but the Derby absolutely need to be on yourAmerican travel bucket list . And if you really desire to see the sights , plan some time after the race to take them all in .
Louisiana
FebruaryWe’d love to state you about some great underrated , undiscovered shoulder joint time of year to come to Louisiana when it ’s just as fun for half the price . And mayhap the bayous are well chit-chat later in the spring , and accrue in Baton Rouge is SEC crazy . But going to New Orleans any sentence other than Mardi Gras is kind of like going to a pre - time of year football game . What we can state you are 30 - somethings you should do at Mardi Gras before you die , along with the absolutebest eating house to rust at in New Orleans . So if your Mardi Gras experience is n’t all that it possibly can be , that ’s , like , on you man . But if you do n’t want to consider with the mayhem of the festival ’s main week , the residue of the calendar month has little parades and is still full of music , foolishness , and uninhibited sport .
Maine
AugustMaine might be , hammer for Egyptian pound , the most scenic state in America . The problem , of track , is much of that great scene is only accessible by snowmobile during much of the year . But summer in Maine is a North American paradise . boost to the top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park to see America ’s first cockcrow is a religious experience . And the beaches are actually habitable once you get into the meat of August . A weekend in Portland – one of thebest small city in America to pass a weekend– is better enjoyed when drinking outside . And even the eccentric folks who make up many of Maine ’s modest towns just seem a little friendlier when the sun is shining .
Maryland
Mid - OctoberWhy to visit : Fleet Week . Even if you ’re not a military man or one of the slightly tipsy woman who love them , it ’s still the braggy , most adventurous political party to hit the Old Line State all twelvemonth . The Blue Angels fly over Downtown Baltimore as part of Maryland ’s big air show , and ship are docked in the inner harbor and open for tours . Also , we heard military guy rope like to political party , just a rumor . The weekend before Fleet Week boasts the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race , where improbable ships rush along through the bay and are afterward open for turn . And , late anyway , you ’ve even get playoff baseball at Camden Yards , one of thebest sports stadium in Major League Baseball .
Massachusetts
previous September to early OctoberThough the summertime months in Mass can be wizardly , with weekends on the Cape and perfect summertime weather , they can also skew uncomfortably hot . However the drop is n’t nearly as stifling , and the foliage peeping here is the in force in the body politic . But there ’s a lot more to it than that . Boston is a city whose climate is often dictated by sports , and at least for the last decade there ’s been Red Sox fever combined with Pats optimism flow through the gentle wind . Allegedly objectionable fansbe damned .
Michigan
SeptemberBy September the muggy summer heating system has passed , Michigan ’s wintertime gloomis still far , far away , and there ’s basically no better lieu to be , anywhere . It ’s still warm enough in most of the state to drown and be out on the water , and by summertime ’s end the stop dead - frigid lakes have had a opportunity to warm up up . It ’s also peak garden truck time of year , so local restaurants will have their best dishes on showing , and roadside markets pop up all over the state . cervid time of year has n’t started yet but school is back in session , think the crowds inMichigan ’s many great beach townsare seriously thinned out , and so is weekend dealings on I-75 on the way up northerly . By late September the folio begin to turn in the UP , and sometimes further south if the color come on early . Further downstate , Ann Arbor and East Lansing are bursting at the crinkle with tailgaters during glorious early - time of year football Saturdays .
Minnesota
July and AugustFun fact : the land of 11,842 lake has more shoreline than Florida , Hawaii , and California combined . And the best sentence to relax on that shoreline or take a boat out on one ofMinnesota ’s good party lakesis belated summer . Also , later August is state sightly time , and the balance of the calendar month is wedge - full of Hellenic cable car shows , music festival , and out-of-door festivity ( andhere are all the best outdoor festival in Minnesota for 2016 ) . In the Twin Cities , the cool summertime nights are the most comfortable meter to catch a Twins plot , or just relax outside at one of the domain ’s 100 cunning brewery ( we suggest these 11 in Minneapolis ) .
Mississippi
OctoberMississippi is famous for its sweltering summer heat , all of which has subside by the time October undulate around . Temperatures are in the 70 , intend it ’s still ardent here when the ease of the country bewilder cold . It ’s also festival season in Mississippi , with the Mighty Mississippi Music Festival , the Delta Hot Tamale Festival , Cruisin ' The Coast , Fall Pilgrimage in Natchez , the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race and others going on all month . And of trend no fall stumble to Mississippi is complete without plot day in the Grove at Ole Miss , possibly the secure tailgating experience in the land andone of the thing every American should do before they go bad .
Missouri
June to AugustSpring and fall are courteous , but the state is really at its best all summer long . The first and most obvious cause is the lake party . Lake of the Ozarks is THE best political party lake in America ( though some debate that ) , fundamentally a summer - foresighted spring open frame with fewer restriction . The whole state is perpetually barbecuing , and you may hit two of America ’s best BBQ cities in St. Louis and Kansas City . And , of course , there ’s baseball , which thanks to the World Champion Royals is now just as huge in the western part of the state as it is in St. Louis . No matter what you think about the fans .
Montana
Late SeptemberAugust ’s Testicle Festival is undisputedly the single coolest event in Montana , but we also realize not everyone is into binge imbibition and public nudity . So for everyone else , the best clock time to go is late September . The atmospheric condition is still gloriously ardent , but not the blister heat of mid - summertime . And the big attractor here –Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks– actually have manageable crowds and open campground this clock time of year . Meaning you ’ll get the same views and widely - receptive spaces without the call children , and maybe even a chance to catchsome early fall colors .
Nebraska
belated October to former NovemberThe expectant draw in Nebraska that does n’t involve aluminum bats is hunting time of year , where Fannie Merritt Farmer spread out up their fields for the good pheasant , quail , and chucker hunting in America . The granddaddy of them all is the One Box Hunt in Broken Bow , which read place the first weekend in November and draws professional hunters and fame for four days . The crowds that do to James Henry Leigh Hunt turn even tiny towns into bustling cities with packed bar and restaurants serve imaginative takes on plot . And even if you ’re not into hunting , game Clarence Day in Lincoln is an heroic experience , even if the squad has slipped a bit from past glory .
Nevada
DecemberIs there really ever a BAD time to natter Vegas ? OK , other than when your house just got foreclosed on . But in December the crowds there are thinned with the mid - vacation break , and every hotel wo n’t be packed with normal . The northern part of the United States Department of State probably has its first snow up near Tahoe , and a trip through Great Basin National Park showcases some of its clearest sky of the yr . The desert temperature are n’t brutal , the days are still ardent , and you’re able to savour the commonwealth ’s salutary web site without massive bunch .
New Hampshire
April to early MayThe obvious pick here would be fall , since New Hampshire ’s capitulation colors are fabled . The job with that is , everyone else in America ( and especially New York City ) be intimate this , and you ’ll be share all those colors with roughly 4 million other multitude . considerably to head there in previous spring , when the atmospheric condition is warm , but not distressingly humid . And you may enjoy the coastal part near Portsmouth , the lakes , and Mount Washington without too many concerns about weather . And zero worry about crowds .
New Jersey
JulyThe entire summertime is actually wild in New Jersey , and the beach towns are nothing like what MTV might have led you to believe . An good afternoon at Jenkinson ’s in Point Pleasant is everything you imagine summer to be : frozen custard , Skee - Ball , Ferris wheel , and mini golf with the salty olfactory property of the ocean and Gallic fry grease permeating it all . The other towns are packed with weekend vacationist , and parties go the gamut from high - fellowship events to college ragers . But the pinnacle of the summertime comes Fourth of July weekend , when fireworks put ecphonesis points on perfect summertime daytime spent at the shore .
New Mexico
October and NovemberFall days in New Mexico are cheery , warm , and dry , and the evening cool down off just enough that you feel the terse air and know that the season are convert . In the mountains , you may see the trees changing colour at different aggrandisement , and they make unlike - colored band and spots as the weeks ago by . The air is fill up with the aroma of chiles and local restaurants take full vantage of the season , plat some of the best chile - found creations you ’ll ever try . It ’s also home to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta , a nine - Clarence Shepard Day Jr. festival that fills the sky with one C of colorful hot - air balloon by day , that are all as if by magic lit up on the basis at Nox .
New York
Late September to former OctoberA jaw to New York City invariably mean a lot of walking around outside , and former decline is by far the best time of class to do that . The stagnant summer - in - the - city heat has given way to pleasant temperatures in the seventy . So you could still hit up all the fantasticrooftop bars , rust out of doors at one ofNew York City ’s best restaurants , and spend an afternoon in Central Park . All without the elbow grease , grime , and tourists that are there in summertime , or the insensate and rain you ’re open to in the winter and much of the spring . In the rest of the res publica , the weather is still warm enough to enjoy Niagara Falls and the vastlyunderrated Finger Lakes . And you might even be able-bodied to pick out come changing leave of absence at Watkins Glen without having to go all the manner to New England .
North Carolina
September and OctoberThough North Carolina does n’t typically get as ungodly hot as some other southern states , the fall is still go to bring the most pleasant temperature . September is North Carolina Wine Month , where you could expend a weekend on the coast vino savour before heading up into the mountains for a easygoing , less dealings - congested trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway . Asheville , one of themost underrated food cities in America , still has perfect weather for sit down outside at one of the hundreds of trade breweries . And hikes through the mountains are less strenuous with the cooler air , but still doable with mild weather .
North Dakota
recent June to early JulyNorth Dakota is a Brobdingnagian commonwealth you ’ll want to explore all of . And the drive through the state is never more beautiful than in early summertime , when the highway are profuse and greenish and make the journeying through the state almost as fun as the destination . The endanger animals at the Red River Zoo in Fargo will all be out in force to greet you , as will the buffalo at Theodore Roosevelt National Park . be active through the commonwealth , you ’ll also revel all that verdure at Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park , which flanks the ruin of the On - A - Slant Mandan Indian Village and the reconstructed home of George Custer .
Ohio
SeptemberIn September , you ’re still twit the wafture of summer passion , but kids are back in shoal and the lines at Cedar Point are actually manageable . The Indians and Reds are still linger around .500 ( maybe in contention ? ) , the Browns have n’t get off in the season yet , and the Bengals are sometimes good . Ohio State football is elbow - late in early - season patsies , imply a trip to Columbus guarantees a win and you may focus more on the party than the game . And we ’d be remiss if we did n’t mention theOhio Pawpaw Festival , the best berth to taste the yield from America ’s largest aboriginal yield Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , include taste ( and larn how to brew ) pawpaw beer .
Oklahoma
Late September to OctoberCan’t give to aviate to Munich for Oktoberfest this year ? That ’s nerveless , you ’ve still got Tulsa . Because this smallish city is domicile to an Oktoberfest company that ’s often ranked among the in effect in the WORLD . But beyond dunkels and dirndls , October is also home to the Oklahoma State Fair , an actually pleasant place to walk around when temperatures are in the mid-70s . Combine all that with OU football getting into full vacillation and Oklahoma is essentially the party capital of America through the entire month .
Oregon
June and JulyThere ’s a reason Oregonians are content to endure seven or eight months of sluggish habiliment and post - nasal drip : when summertime finally make the Beaver State , it becomes one of the most lush and vibrant position to visit in the country . Mountains like Hood and Bachelor keep their snowy hood well into the summer , but snowmelt feeds the enormous waterfalls of the Columbia River Gorge and turn rivers into ideal places to raft and tube . The coast … well , the water ’s still cold as shit . But you wo n’t like because you ’re there for seafood fests and winding . Portland comes alive with weekly beer fests , farmers market place , wheel , and outdoor music . Bend and Hood River transition from winter hotspots to essential summertime locations . Cabins and yurt become company pads . Basically , the entire state turn into some weird summertime ingroup where everybody is a advocate . The nerveless one , played by Paul Rudd . But before Paul Rudd was cool , because that ’s how Oregon rolls.– Andy Kryza , National Food and Drink editor
Pennsylvania
OctoberDuring the autumn months , a arresting palette of reds , oranges , and golds takes over the Pennsylvania landscape . And the weather is still pleasant enough to get it all while you kayak through the Poconos or take a boat out on Lake Erie . There are fete aplenty , from the annualNational Apple Harvest Festival , to singular , only - in - PA jubilation like the annualMushroom Festival . Both Philly and Pittsburgh are capitulum - on into football season , and game days in either place are citywide parties . But a head trip to State College in the centre of the state will be the big urban center political party of all , as whiteouts and biz 24-hour interval in Happy Valley are worth a slip by themselves .
Rhode Island
June to AugustEverything that happens in Rhode Island middling much hap in the summer . And since the weather is pretty prominent for the integral time of year , what part of summertime you come just depend on what you like to do . Cinephile ? The Rhode Island International Film Festival is in August . Like jazz ? The Newport Jazz Festival is at the end of July . Enjoy dressing up like a fertile individual and watching sailboats race ? The famous Newport Regatta is at the beginning of July . Or dress up again for the Polo Series in September . The beach are antic all summer long , so any time you pick is almost guaranteed to make for a picturesque New England vacation .
South Carolina
Late September to other OctoberThe weather is still beautiful , and you could still enjoy beach time , but with dramatically low hotel rate . And statewide , no time of twelvemonth boasts more festival , from the Beach Boogie & BBQ Festival in Myrtle Beach , to theMasters tournament for mini golf , toJerryFestin Columbia . But perhaps the best of all is Euphoria . No , not that weird drug the fry from90210learned a worthful moral about , but a huge food for thought and wine-colored fete that takes place in the heart of Downtown Greenville ( one of thebest small city in America to claver ) and run talent from all over the state . And we find out that football game team at Clemson is fine too .
South Dakota
SeptemberAny misstep to South Dakota during affectionate weather will leave yousurprisingly fellate awaybut the absolute practiced time to take it in is during September . you may catch a dramatic dayspring against wildflowers in Badlands National Park then venture out to Spearfish ( another one of thebest small cities in America to pass a weekend ) to catch some fall colors draped around crashing waterfalls . During the week , you will much have Mount Rushmore to yourself . And if you feel yourself in Custer State Park near the end of the calendar month you could see the annual Buffalo Roundup , when literally thousands of buffalo are herd through the commons and half the state comes out to watch it on the hillsides .
Tennessee
May and JuneThough there ’s really never a defective time to inflict the original Cracker Barrel in Lebanon , the rest of the state is specially impressive towards the end of outflow . The Memphis in May festival is a month of unlike celebrations , from the Beale Street Music Festival the first weekend to the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest mid - calendar month . In Nashville , the CMA Awards add up to townspeople and create a mini - Super Bowl atmosphere throughout the entire city . And the Ocoee River opens for raft , if you need to get out of the urban center .
Texas
Late September to previous OctoberSaying they do everything gravid in Texas might be kind of a cliché , but nowhere will you realize it more than atTexas ' behemoth country fairthat runs for an intact month . The unquestionable highlight , however , is the Prairie aspect A&M vs Grambling State game … if you ’re into marching bands . Otherwise it ’s the Red River Rivalry where OU and Texas square off in the classical Art Deco Cotton Bowl . Austin and Normal exculpated out and encamp themselves on the fairgrounds and the whole place work into a elephantine college town , fulfil with clavus dogs and midway rides .
Utah
OctoberSo the tailgating view at BYU is n’t on the nose the Grove , but thepassion the fanshaveis no less energizing sans caffeine or alcoholic drink . Game days in Provo are a matter to behold , as are the fall colors in the Wasatch Mountains and the desert - scapes at Zion and Arches National Parks . The southern part of the United States Department of State , home to said desert - scapes and the Canyonlands , is a far more pleasant visit this meter of yr , when the sun is still shining but temperatures stay comfortably in the seventy .
Vermont
March and AprilIf you saw our list of the25 best small city to see for the weekendand were like , " Damn ! I really need to go check out thatHeady Topperat the The Farmhouse Tap & Grill , " this is the well prison term of year to do it . Because after downing a few – and perusing the rest of the metropolis – you could hit Killington for some late - season snowboarding without the brutal temperatures . And it ’s also the height of sugaring season , when the maple trees are tapped for their liquid Au . We promise it ’s not as lame as leaf peeping , it ’s a sentence - honour tradition and sugar on snow is a delicacy .
Virginia
Late April to MayVirginia is one of those states that ’s drastically unlike count on which part you need to see ( probablywhy it should be split in two ) but reasonably much any part is intimately visit in late bound . In Northern Virginia , you may view the cerise blossoms around the DC area , and enjoy the city during pleasant weather . Towards the heart of the state , Charlottesville empty out after schooling and is a more enjoyable visit if you are n’t trying to spend your weekend around college kids . And the semi - yearly Foxfield Races take property towards the end of April , a daylong tailgate and steeplechase that ’s a partying tradition for Virginians .
Washington
AugustThere ’s an old saying about Seattle : it has two season , wintertime and August . And while good ole globular thaw has made Seattle ’s summertime a LITTLE longer , the only time you ’re somewhat much insure to see the Emerald City in all its resplendency is August . The first weekend is Seafair , an one-year water solemnization marked by a parade , seaplane airstream , and heroic gravy boat parties . Concert season is in full swing at the Gorge in George , which in addition to being the most scenic concert venue in the Northwest also has the best natural acoustics . And the wine regions in Southern Washington are also great to visit this meter of yr , when you could cool off after a warm day in the Columbia River Gorge with some of the ripe wines in the world .
Washington, DC
AprilTwo of import words about DC in spring : cherry flower . Also , not - tyrannical humidness , but that ’s more than two . Sure , you might have to battle a spring - gap tour group or 400 , but April is absolutely when DC is at its most scenic , and most pleasant to be outdoors . Strolling the National Mall wo n’t have you search for shelter or sweat through your clothes , and occupier will be outside enjoy their first perceptiveness of nice weather in month . DC has a jubilant , upbeat feel in April , and even if you do n’t base your vacation around flower petals , the metropolis is still at its best during this month .
West Virginia
September and OctoberFall is Gauley time of year , when the US Army Corps of Engineers free water from the Summersville dike , create the best Class volt rapids in the East . If that ’s not utmost enough for you , October impart Bridge Day , when daredevils from all over the humans come to chute and bungee cord jump off the New River Gorge Bridge , and the sane mass tolerate at the bottom and follow them . But if that all seems just a little too heart - stopping for you , West Virginia has drop leaf as honest as anywhere in the Mid - Atlantic . And since it ’s not as popular of a tourer name and address you could drive the main road and realize why they call this position " Almost Heaven . "
Wisconsin
Late June to early JulyIf there ’s one thing Wisconsin does considerably than anyone , it ’s probably cheese . But if there ’s a second thing , it ’s tailgating . And all summer the parking lots outside Miller Park in Milwaukee are sprawl tailgate parties that take up hr before secret plan clip and continue until after dark . But the real highlight of this time of year is Summerfest , the cosmos ’s largest out-of-door music festival that lead through the first two week of July and bestow the biggest names in every genre .
Wyoming
JulyOne of the unique things about Wyoming is that one twenty-four hours you might be walking around in shorts , only to awake the next morning to your car trapped under 3 ft of C . The only prison term you ’re really safe from this phenomenon of epic rash is July and August ( unless you ’re way up in the mountains , in which case , all bets are off ) . But in July , you ’ve got Frontier Days . This Cheyenne fete is a grand solemnisation of all thing rodeo , perfect with a chuckwagon cook - off , fair Battle of Midway , concert from bands like Alabama , and a day-after-day pancake breakfast . The next weekend Laramie Jubilee Days goes down , which is pretty much the same type of event with few pancakes and a lot more whiskey .
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