Fall Coastal and Cruising Escapes

Escape the summer crowds and visit one of our favorite coastal getaways this season. 

Charms of the Chespeake (PROMO)

Allen Rokach

Chesapeake Bay, MD

Such subtle beauty highlights the changing of the seasons here on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Separated from the mainland by the Chesapeake Bay, this part of the state comes blessed with a wealth of natural resources. Great expanses of farmland, an interconnected web of creeks and rivers, and charming towns lend the region its character.

Beautiful Beaches and Island Fun

St. Thomas: U.S. Virgin Islands

Situated between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands is the perfect gateway. Although known for its duty-free shopping, there's plenty more to see and do. Take home a heart full of memories instead of a suitcase packed with trinkets. You can book a tour guide or plan your own itinerary to spend your time as you like it.

Cruise for Fun From Galveston

Cruise from Galveston, TX

Find blue water, sunshine, and warm breezes with a bargain four-day getaway to Cozumel, Mexico and beginning in Galveston, Texas.

Bald Head Island Getaway

Bald Head Island, NC

A leisurely pace is awfully important on this relaxing island, a dot near the southern tip of North Carolina's coastline. You better leave your desires for an up-tempo weekend on the mainland, because your fastest mode of transportation is a golf cart.

Green Oaks Bed and Breakfast

Biloxi, MS

Green Oaks Bed and Breakfast is the perfect place for a great Gulf Coast getaway. This historic home along busy U.S. 90 in Biloxi, Mississippi, is certainly one of the most beautifully maintained and preserved structures along this stretch of coast. With all the development along this major highway, it’s getting harder and harder to see the glorious remains of the way things used to look here.

Great Holiday Escapes

Palm Beach, FL

You want fabulous? When a guest turns into the long driveway that leads to The Breakers, shoulders relax, and a smile starts. This anticipatory feeling of ease and fun is only the beginning. The relaxation process that captures a visitor at The Breakers―the oceanside gem of Palm Beach, Florida―works like a gentle massage. A total of 140 acres await the person hopeful for a luxurious yet comfortable vacation. And no matter which way the weary wayfarer turns, there's something different to see, do, and enjoy.

Weekend at Sea: Cruise to Fun

Caribbean Cruise

Looking for an antidote to cold weather? Grab a long weekend tropical cruise out of Miami. You'll find the best rates on the oldest ships, such as Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas. Cruise-goers revel in their adventure at two different ports in the Bahamas.

Barbados Beach

Barbados Getaway

Although it is more than 2,000 miles away from South Carolina, Barbados is accessible through several airlines, and offers a variety of hotels and restaurants.

Relax by the Sea

Seaside, FL

Meet Seaside, the idyllic town on the Florida Panhandle known for its perfect beaches, pastel cottages, and the kind of laid-back vacations we Southerners adore.

Panorama Restaurant & Lounge on the eighth floor of the Sonesta Hotel

Allen Rokach

Coconut Grove, FL

This place sings its own kind of music. In Coconut Grove, sailboats sway on Biscayne Bay. Traffic stops for peacocks. When you visit the colorful neighborhood south of downtown Miami, you don’t need a car to get around anyway. Make like the free-ranging birds, and walk. Strut over to galleries, shops, and restaurants.

Pirate Ship

Pirate Cruise: Clearwater, FL

The Clearwater Marina-based Pirate's Ransom plies Florida's Gulf Coast as Captain Memo's Pirate Cruise. The boldly detailed 125-passenger ship offers a variety of other outings, from children's birthday parties to senior citizen groups to romantic sunset affairs featuring champagne toasts. It even caters weddings (imagine the plank-walking consequences if either party says "no") and business gatherings (popular among corporate raiders plotting hostile takeovers).

Sanibel Island Beach

Photo: Scott Wiseman

Sanibel Island, FL

Fall is the off-season in southwest Florida, at least until Christmastime. So you can have 15 miles of beach almost to yourself—and pay less for it. There’s no neon, no loud WaveRunners, no high-rises. Just a lush island with blooming hibiscus, bike paths, and beach shacks. Crowds thin out, but it’s still warm enough to swim.

Printed from:
http://www.southernliving.com/travel/fall-beach-trips-cruises-00400000055115/