Mammoth, Calif., $139 per room for one night
The Mammoth Mountain Inn, located amid California's Sierra Nevada range, has a Fall Colors discount on its room rates: Stay in a one-bedroom for $139. The inn makes a great base for hiking and outdoorsy pursuits of all sorts. A daily bike pass costs $10 per adult, and you can take a gondola ride ($18) to the free Sierra Interpretive Center at the top. Canoeing, taking dips in hot springing, and visiting Yosemite are other options.
When: Sept. 16-Nov. 5, 2007.
Details: Taxes are an additional 13 percent. Based on double or single occupancy.
Contact: 800/616-6684, mammothmountain.com.
Birchwood, Wis., $139 per room per night for three nights
Stout's Island Lodge (pictured) has a Fall Getaway package with a three-night stay and a daily breakfast of freshly baked goods, fruit, cold cereal, oatmeal, coffee, tea, and juices. Rooms and cabins are decorated with antiques. Rates start at $418 per room (which represents the value of a two-night stay with the third night free).
When: Monday-Thursday nights, through Oct. 18, 2007.
Details: Taxes are an additional 5.5 percent. Package must be booked by phone. Based on double or single occupancy.
Contact: 715/354-3646, stoutslodge.com.
North Adams and Stockbridge, Mass., $163 per room per night for two nights
The Red Lion Inn and the Porches Inn have teamed up to offer the Berkshires Top to Bottom package, with accommodations and breakfast at each property. The 45-minute drive from the hip Porches in North Adams, right by the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, south to the cozy 108-room Red Lion in Stockbridge, near the Norman Rockwell Museum, will give you plenty of time to soak up the foliage and tool around the countryside. Rates start at $325 per room, which represents savings of about 10 percent.
When: Sunday-Thursday, Oct. 22, 2007-May 29, 2008.
Details: Taxes are included. Based on double occupancy.
Contact: 413/298-5545, redlioninn.com; 413/664-0400, porches.com.
Mackinac Island, Mich., $248 per room per night for a two-night stay
The Island House, which has a lovely veranda, a pool, and restaurants, brings back its Fall Classic package with a two-night stay, buffet breakfast daily, dinner nightly in the 1852 Grill Room, a Friday welcome reception on the veranda (5-6:30 P.M.) with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, half a pound of Ryba's Fudge, an evening hayride, round-trip ferry tickets, and a commemorative poster. Rates start at $496 per room.
When: Oct. 5-7, 19-21, 2007.
Details: Taxes are an additional 14 percent. Based on double occupancy. The package represents savings of $126.
Contact: 800/626-6304, theislandhouse.com.
Middlebury, Vt., $350 per room per night for a two-night stay
The Middlebury Inn, a member of Historic Hotels of America, has put together a Fall Back In Time package loaded with treats. It includes a two-night stay in a luxury room; breakfast daily; a three-course dinner for two at the inn's Morgan restaurant; a picnic lunch of wraps, chips, fruit, dessert, and drinks; passes to the Henry Sheldon Museum valued at $10; passes for the University of Vermont's Morgan Horse Farm; a self-guided tour of the area's picturesque covered bridges; a "hunt for history" scavenger hunt with prizes; and afternoon tea for two.
When: Sun.-Thurs. through Nov. 4, 2007; add $50 per room for Fri.-Sat.
Details: Taxes are included. Based on double occupancy. The package represents savings of $100 per couple.
Contact: 800/678-8946, middleburyinn.com.
Groton, Conn., $575 per room per night
The Mystic Marriott Hotel and Spa's Fall Wine Package includes accommodations in a deluxe guest room, breakfast daily, a four-course dinner with local wines at the hotel's Octagon restaurant, a $100 gift certificate for the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa, a VIP tasting and picnic lunch at Jonathan Edwards Winery, a tour and tasting at Stonington Vineyards, a cookbook featuring the flavors of Mystic, Conn., and a complimentary bottle of wine of the guests' choice at each vineyard. Rates start at $575 per room per night.
When: Through Sept. 30, 2007.
Details: Taxes are included. Based on double occupancy. Package price represents savings of about 20 percent.
Contact: 860/446-2600, marriott.com.
Hood River, Ore., $630 per room per night
If you're in the mood to splurge, the upscale Columbia Gorge Hotel has a Fall into the Gorge package with accommodations in a garden- or river-view room, a hearty breakfast for two, dinner for two, a $50 credit for the gift shop, a $195 spa credit for a massage or an aesthetician's services, a bottle of Oregon pinot noir, and a fruit and cheese plate upon arrival. Rates start at $630 per room per night. (In comparison, consider that nightly room rates average $199.)
When: Through Nov. 30, 2007.
Details: Based on double occupancy. Taxes are included.
Contact: 800/345-1921, columbiagorgehotel.com.
If you prefer to skip a package and are looking instead for just a reliable, affordable base for exploring, here are a few suggestions:
- Wales House From $55: Minneapolis, Minn.
- Horizon Inn From $89: Wilmington, Vt.
- The Percy Inn From $89: Portland, Maine
- Angel's Watch Inn From $125: Westbrook, Conn.
This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.