Solo Fall Getaway Ideas
1. Check Into a Boutique Hotel in a Walkable Small Town
One of my favorite things to do is to visit a small town and stay at a snazzy boutique hotel, inn, or a bed and breakfast. It truly makes my heart feel so full.
I invite you to pick a town where you can check into a cozy boutique hotel, leave your car parked, and just walk everywhere. Bonus points if you find a hotel that has a fun happy hour, where you can chat with other guests and sit on the porch together.
From the hotel, you can walk to a local diner, then end the night off at a local pub. In the mornings, you can walk to the local bookstore, grab some coffee at a cute cafe nearby, and spend time reading at the park. It’s trips like this that are so simple, yet so memorable.
It doesn’t even need to be a whole week or anything grand either – it could simply be a 2-3 day trip!
And you know what’s the best part about trips like this? You don’t need a full itinerary. You can sleep in and enjoy your suite (breakfast in bed?!). You can take your time and do all the things.
2. Take a Wine Country Day Trip
This should be on everyone’s autumn travel bucket list: taking a wine country day trip! Duh, it’s harvest season after all.
I’d start the day off with an early afternoon tasting (after a big breakfast!) in a tasting room. I would hold off on a vineyard tasting, as they’re normally at least a few miles away from town and can be time consuming driving from place to place. Not to mention, you might not want to drive after doing a tasting. For safety reasons of course!
From the tasting room, you can walk around, check out local shops, and find a spot for an early dinner. From here you can finish the day off with a glass of wine and a hearty autumn meal before heading home. Maybe a chuck roast and a glass of wine? Yummmm.
Or, check into a hotel and head home early the next day. Whichever would make you feel complete about your perfect wine country day trip.
3. Plan a Scenic Fall Drive and Stop Whenever You Want
Scenic drives without a strict ETA are the best. A couple of years ago, I took a road trip from Los Angeles to Portland and it was the best two weeks of my life. I stayed at different bed and breakfasts, stopped at the most scenic places, and took my time with it. It was the best trip of my life!
While I highly recommend a road trip up the Pacific Coast Highway, there are so many other highways to take, like a road full of redwoods, vineyard highways, or mountain passes! The key here is to slow down, put on your favorite audiobook or a nostalgic fall playlist, and just go wherever your heart takes you Have a destination in mind, but the ETA for that can wait.
Need a road trip packing list? I’ve got you covered:
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A thermos of coffee or chai
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A road-trip playlist (bonus points if you burn a CD with all of your favorite tunes!!)
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A camera
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A cozy sweater/jacket
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A local bakery or farm-stand stop saved in advance
4. Book a Reservation at a Restaurant in a New City
If you are food motivated like I am, you’re going to love this one.
We all love mini trips, but a mini trip dedicated to a restaurant you’ve been meaning to try? They’re the ones worth taking.
For instance, if you live in San Francisco like I do, and you want to head up to Valette in Healdsburg for dinner, you can plan the mini trip around it, then sleep at a boutique hotel in the area! Or if there’s a Michelin-recognized (or Michelin-star if you’re feeling fancy) restaurant that you want to try that’s a few towns over, head over there! Why not?!
5. Find a Bookstore in a Small Town & Read at the Cafe
This is so main character energy. Very Rory Gilmore. Pick a small town, any town, and go to their bookstore, and read at the local cafe. That simple. You can spend the night there, or just make a cute mini day trip out of it.
There are so many cool places to check out, and not all of them require a plane ride! Sometimes you can just drive out about 30 or so minutes and you’ll find yourself in a completely different world.
From San Francisco, for example, you can head to Los Altos, Half Moon Bay, Petaluma, or Mill Valley. From Los Angeles, another example, you can head to Ojai, Glendora, or La Cañada.
It’s the most perfect day trip in my book.
6. Take a Scenic Train Ride
Train rides are always a good idea. I will never understand why they’re not as popular here in the US like they are in other parts of the globe. Take the Amtrak! This is your nudge.
I once took the Amtrak from San Francisco to Merced to support a girlfriend’s new business launch, but I made a whole day out of it. I checked out the wine bar, the hotel, went shopping, and even got tacos. It was the best day ever. The fun part is, you’re not driving. You can spend that time reading, writing, watching a show, or whatever honestly!
A few years ago, I bought a one way to Seattle and took the train all the way back down to Santa Barbara. It took me two weeks, and I was alone. It was in the wintertime, and another one of the best trips of my life. I highly recommend doing this. Whether it’s a long haul ride or a short day trip, taking a scenic train ride is so much fun.
7. Plan a One-Night Coastal Getaway
Whether you’re driving or taking the train over to a cozy beach town, you deserve a one night coastal getaway. You can stay at an ocean view inn, go for a slow morning walk, eat delicious seafood, and watch the sunset before winding down with a glass of wine in your room.
I have done this countless times and it has always been such a real treat. One never regrets a coastal getaway. They’re refreshing and inspiring for the mind. I bet you’ll come back with a new idea for your life or a project to embark on after that!
8. Book a Spa Afternoon at a Destination Hotel
Just like booking a trip to go to a restaurant or a bookstore, why not book a trip to go to the spa?! Whether it’s a hot springs spa, a spa with uber luxurious amenities, or a spa that’s in a secluded area (like the forest!?) you will never regret a spa trip.
If you’re able, I highly recommend going up to Humboldt County and having a spa NIGHT at Cafe Mokka. You have to call them to reserve a spot. This Finnish spa is the BEST. You can go there, order a chai latte, then book a private sauna and hot tub. The hot tub is outside and you’re surrounded by redwoods. Honestly HEAVEN on earth.
Another recommendation I have is going to HOPE Springs in Desert Hot Springs. Soak in their mineral waters, bask underneath that desert sun (it’s summer in Palm Springs all year round!), and just enjoy the peace and quiet.
There are so many spas with their own vibes and their own offerings, I’m sure you’ll find the perfect one for your mini getaway!
9. Go to a Small Town Festival or Harvest Market
Small town festivals are the absolute cutest. What’s not to love about apple festivals, garlic festivals, wine festivals or just harvest festivals!? It’s a great way to know a small town and its community, but a great way to learn something new. Plus, you get to bring home all of the delicious food and knickknacks that you get at the market.
I recommend checking dates and hotels in advance before booking so you can build the perfect weekend around the.
10. Explore a Neighborhood in your City
Something that I’ve learned about living in San Francisco and Los Angeles is that you can live in a place forever and you still won’t know all of it. I lived in LA all my life and I still haven’t explored a lot of its neighborhoods. The same goes for SF; I’ve been living here for nearly 4 years now and still have so many places to explore.
I’m sure you can say the same too!
Depending on where you live, this might not even require you to get in your car, but instead hop on a bus, ride your bike, or go for a long walk!
Doing this will give you a newfound appreciation for your city and you’ll be able to meet new people as well, or maybe even bump into people you know!
11. Vineyard Getaway
Yes, yes I’m sure you’re thinking, didn’t you already mention this?
Yes. I did. But this one’s a bit more frivolous than the first.
This one is all about staying at a boutique hotel on a vineyard (how about Alila Napa Valley?!) for a couple of nights, having 2-3 vineyards to visit (bonus points if you hire a chauffeur to drive you around, why not?!), and eating at decadent restaurants for lunch and dinner. Sleep in. Order room service for breakfast. Go to a spa. Go shopping. Make it YOUR weekend.
12. Have a Museum-and-Matinee Weekend in a New City
Something that I did this summer was see a lot of art. I went to Denver and Charlotte and indulged in their art museums. Best believe I will continue doing this into the fall!
There’s nothing like going to a city, spending your afternoon at a museum, walking from gallery to gallery, and then watching a film at the end of the day. Whether you’re flying to a new city for the weekend or driving over, this is the best way to see more art.
13. Go Glamping
Glamping is so much fun alone. I once did this with a camper van and camped at an apple vineyard in San Luis Obispo. It was such a dreamy getaway, and I felt incredibly safe! I prefer glamping over camping, because in my opinion, it’s always cleaner and safer.
You can choose a luxurious glamping resort, such as Alila Ventana in Big Sur or Wildhaven, or choose a camper van, and choose a beach or vineyard as your home base for a weekend.
Glamping is great because you get all the benefits of being outdoors without having to pitch a tent. And that, to me, is the best way to experience the outdoors.
Fall weekend getaway for one? Heck yeah!
I hope these inspired you for your next solo trip this fall. Let me know which ones you decide to go with!
