September, 2018 | Petite Retreater

Your Best Fall Self(ie)

New season, new reason to be your best self ever, but don’t look here for tips on doing that. Instead, we’re going to give you some ideas for your best fall selfie – that is, where to go to get the best backdrop for the perfect post, selfie-style.

Your Best Fall Self(ie)

Cloud Gate, Chicago, IL: Fall in the Midwest is certainly a colorful adventure, so if you happen to be enjoying the Lake Michigan Circle Tour (a road trip that will take you through Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin) make a detour to the Windy City and take a perfect selfie at the Cloud Gate sculpture, also knowns as the Bean, in Chicago’s Millennium Park.

Arrowhead RV Campground | Wisconsin Dells, WI
Hawk Hill, San Francisco, CA: From September through November, this location outside of San Francisco is the best place to view the raptor migration on a clear day and a perfect spot for a selfie with the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in the background. An added bonus – your furry friend, provided they’re leashed, can also join you in the pic.
Golden Gate Bridge | San Francisco, CA
Covered Bridge Festival, Rockville, IN: The Parke County Covered Bridge Festival is scheduled this year for October 12th through the 21st, and the 31 historic covered bridges of Parke County provide the perfect selfie backdrop.
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami, FL: Take in the breathtaking beauty of the grounds and gardens before the snowbirds arrive and picture yourself (literally) in the opulence of this Italian Renaissance mansion, which was once the winter home of industrialist James Deering. There’s fountains, statuary, sculpture, orchids (Deering’s favorite) and views of Biscayne Bay that will serve as ideal backdrops for the perfect selfie.
Texas State Fair, Dallas, TX: There are plenty of selfie opportunities at a state fair, but the Texas State Fair is the only place you can take your picture with Big Tex in the background. This 55-foot mechanical cowboy is the perfect companion for your State Fair selfie. Other iconic State Fair selfie companions can include baby livestock and the neon Midway sign.
Bay Landing RV Campground | Bridgeport, TX
Lake Wenatchee, Leavenworth, WA: The reflection of the fall colors against the 489-acre lake is said to be simply spectacular. With 12,000 feet of waterfront views, there are plenty of selfie opportunities among this fall color show. To boot, the charming town of Leavenworth hosts an Autumn Leaf Festival from September 29-30, which will provide even more selfie moments.

Leavenworth Tiny House Village | Leavenworth, WA
New England Fall Foliage: Numerous photo ops await any leaf-peeper as they make their way through the gorgeous fall color display that is New England in autumn. Maine’s quaint Bar Harbor and the adjacent Acadia National Park are the personifications of fall colors as is New Hampshire’s South Hampton thanks to its proximity to the White Mountain Forest. Sorry, even without you in the picture, fall color shots are a must-have!
Tuxbury Tiny House Village | South Hampton, NH

Get colorful and creative with your selfies when you stay in a Petite Retreat this fall!

Fall for Santa Barbara

There’s no doubt about it – any time of year is a great time to visit Santa Barbara. Thanks to its mild climate that boasts a steady mid-70s year-round and the constants of the Santa Ynez Mountains as a backdrop, stunning Pacific Ocean views, and the rich history of this charming town, a visit to Santa Barbara is always a good choice.
But come fall, when the summer crowds have gone, Santa Barbara is still a classic beach town with plenty of events dotting the calendar. Book a stay with us at Rancho Oso RV Resort and mark your calendar for these fun-filled fall events.

Rancho Oso RV Resort | Santa Barbara, CA

On Saturday, September 29, Santa Barbara hosts the second annual California Brew & BBQ Festival! This event features over 50 breweries, cideries, and wineries at an oceanfront venue complete with live music and delicious food. BBQ highlights include a BBQ competition and an appearance by World Champion Pitmaster, Doug Scheiding. Admission includes unlimited tastings and a souvenir tasting glass. Designated drivers can obtain reduced admission tickets. Admission is restricted to those 21 years and older. For more information visit californiabrewfestival.com.

Learn all about the history and architecture of Santa Barbara with an easy walking tour. Every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., you can enjoy a guided tour of the city led by docents of Santa Barbara’s Architectural Foundation. Learn all about the rich architectural history of Santa Barbara and all its amazing architectural detail (think wrought iron, stonework, arched entries and more). Visit afsb.org for more information.

Santa Barbara County Courthouse in Downtown Santa Barbara. Photo courtesy of Visit Santa Barbara by Blake Bronstad.

Foodies should make note of two major events happening this fall in Santa Barbara – the Harbor & Seafood Festival, scheduled for October 13, and the Santa Barbara Chowder Festival, set for October 21. The Harbor and Seafood Festival is all things seafood including lobster, oysters, crab, and albacore with a nod to sustainable harvest. Admission is free and in addition to the seafood, there are a variety of entertaining activities for both adults and children. The Chowder Festival is a friendly competition for the bragging rights of the best chowder. Proceeds benefit the Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara and event-goers can also enjoy tastings from area wineries, live music, and of course, chowder!

Make Rancho Oso RV Resort your home base as you enjoy America’s Riviera, aka Santa Barbara, and take it one step further by booking one of the resort’s cozy cabins or one-of-a-kind covered wagon. The resort’s location is another plus to a Santa Barbara stay – Rancho Oso is bordered by the Los Padres National Forest and the Santa Ynez River and offers guided horseback riding and hiking adventures onsite.

Autumn Classics in Wisconsin

Neshonoc Lakeside Camping Resort | Salem, WI

The fall leaves crunching beneath your boots as you search for the perfect pumpkin in the patch. Getting an eyeful of magnificent changing colors as you drive the winding roads beneath the forest trees. The crisp air greets you as you step outside onto the porch of your cozy cabin before heading out to taste cider donuts and hike the trails. If there’s anywhere that just exemplifies everything awesome about that precious time between hot summers and frigid winters, it’s Wisconsin, the place for the ultimate fall getaway! Check out some of our favorite excursions below…

Apple & Pumpkin Picking at Country Bumpkin Farm; Open April until Oct 31

Visit the Country Bumpkin Farm for a classic fall excursion! The Country Bumpkin Farm is a family-owned farm in the Wisconsin Dells with plenty of activities for kids of all ages. The farm is open from April until the end of October for guests to visit the petting zoo or pick the best apples and pumpkins of the season to make favorite recipes. They also host a variety of seasonal events like special moonlight hayrides in October and “u-pick” berries in the summer. The Country Bumpkin Farm also has a wide variety of seasonal produce available daily at their store! In September, you can pick up a variety of different peppers, potatoes, squash, and more. For more information about the Country Bumpkin Farm visit countrybumpkinfarm.com.

Yurt Interior, Tranquil Timbers | Door County, WI

Leaf-Peeping Along Door County Coastal Byway

There are plenty of ways to see the fall foliage in Wisconsin – it’s some of the most beautiful in the country! Hop in your car and drive along the Door County Coastal Byway, which stretches over 66 miles on the Door Peninsula, from the City of Sturgeon Bay from Highway 57 down south to Highway 42. As you drive along, expect to see beautiful scenic vistas of Lake Michigan, Green Bay, and the Niagara Escarpment bluffs. Forests, wide open farmlands, and quaint villages situated on the shore. Lighthouses, parks, plus plenty of places to stop and shop, experience live music or theater, hiking trails, golf courses, and much more! Whether you just drive out to leaf-peep and take photos of the foliage, or stop to explore, the highway driving in Wisconsin is a fall season experience not to be skipped.

Fruit Wines & Fall Festivals at Lautenbach’s Orchard Country

Get a taste of something different when you visit Lautenbach’s Orchard Country. This family-owned winery and market in Door County offer specialty foods and over 30 styles of wine made from the fruits grown at the farm. In the fall, visitors from all over come to Lautenbach’s to taste the fruit wines and eat the apple cider donuts! Lautenbach’s also hosts special seasonal festivals to celebrate the seasonal fruit and enjoy the outdoors. This year’s Fall Harvest Fest takes place on Saturday, September 22, 2018, and features free guided winery tours, horse-drawn wagon rides, live music, apple picking, apple cider donut eating contest, and more! Be sure to dress warmly for the Winter Wine & Cherry Fest on February 2, 2019, where you can enjoy lots of wine and food tastings, and horse-drawn sleigh rides to really get in the winter spirit. Visit orchardcountry.com for more information.

Cozy Cabins at Yukon Trails | Lyndon Station, WI

Navigating a Corn Maze at Treinen Farm

It’s not really Fall in the midwest without navigating your way out of a corn maze! Visit Treinen Farm, a working 200-acre farm with an award winning 15-acre corn maze! Every year is a different theme for the maze, and this year’s theme is “The Elephant’s Child,” which is based on a tale written by Rudyard Kipling. This farm also grows hay, soybeans, corn, and pumpkins. Treinen Farm also hosts private events, and special events like the Zompocalypse – a zombie-themed evening where participants are encouraged to dress up as zombies or come as a “human survivor” in the “zombie-infested cornfield.” Be sure to visit their pumpkin patch as well! Visit treinenfarm.com for more information.

While you’re leaf-peeping and apple-picking, stay in a cozy cabin at one of our Petite Retreats locations in Wisconsin:

Arrowhead RV Resort, Wisconsin Dells, WI

Fremont RV Campground – Fremont, WI

Neshonoc Lakeside – Neshonoc, WI

Plymouth Rock – Plymouth, WI

Tranquil Timbers – Sturgeon Bay, WI

Yukon Trails – Lyndon Station, WI

Make your reservations today and visit petiteretreats.com!

Sun-Kissed Fall Fun at Tropical Palms

Color is always in season at Tropical Palms Resort in Kissimmee, Florida thanks to the variety of colorful cottages they offer as the perfect accommodation for a fun fall getaway to the Sunshine State. Come and pick your favorite color and enjoy the resort’s amenities, peaceful vibes, and all the nearby Kissimmee and Orlando attractions.

Tropical Palms Resort | Kissimmee, Florida

Fall is a great time of year to enjoy the Orlando theme parks as they go into Halloween-mode with Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (select evenings through October 31) and Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Florida (select nights through November 3).
After getting some culinary inspiration at Epcot’s 23rd International Food and Wine Festival (through November 12) come back and cook up something in your cottage’s full kitchen, another great amenity found in the Tropical Palms unique retreats.

Enjoy an evening movie at Universal Orlando’s Cinematic Celebration, a new nighttime event that shows movies at the theme park’s lagoon. Or stay home and see what’s playing at Tropical Palm’s popular Dive-In movie nights. Whichever you choose, your cottage’s private deck offers the perfect spot for an al-fresco, after-event film discussion.

If sporting events are the motivator for your Florida fall getaway, Tropical Palms is a little over an hour from Tampa Bay, home to the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and just 30 minutes from Amway Center, home to the NBA’s Orlando Magic. Or, get some friendly competition going at Tropical Palms’ horseshoes pits, bocce, and shuffleboard courts.
A variety of colors, a variety of floor plans, a variety of things to do – Tropical Palms is just what you need to add a splash of color and fun to your fall getaway.

Make your reservations for your fall getaway at the colorful cottages at Tropical Palms RV Resort!