74 October 2015 www.womanthismonth.com LIFESTYLE | travel Golden Moments Here on the island we don’t really get to experience autumn, but, in some countries, this is perhaps the most eagerly awaited time of the year. Ankita Mamgain presents a few options for a quick yet magical getaway. This time of year has a shoulder season feel in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The season is particularly popular with travellers who prefer to have a location all to themselves. Most holiday destinations enjoy the lingering good weather of the previous season and, with the crowds dissipating, they offer the perfect opportunity for a quieter getaway. So as you fret over last year’s favourite jumper being eaten away by moths, remember the seas have had all summer to warm up and cities are less sweltering, re-energised for the new term. For the romantic souls who care little about getting a perfect tan, the season brings a more reflective, painterly beauty to the Northern Hemisphere; while the vibrancy of spring blooms in the south. Embrace this brief lull before the year-end festivities by filling it with a relaxing holiday. THE COUNTRY ROAD North America seems to go through a personality transplant between September and early November, when its forests turn to fierce shades of red and yellow. While leaf peeping is best done on foot, you can also take some fabulous foliage road trips throughout the US. In Virginia, you can experience the splendour of the season by going on the spectacular Skyline Drive, which runs for 169km along the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Don't miss the chance to hike a section of the Appalachian Trail or spot whitetail deer and wild turkeys on a pony trek. Considered the birthplace of country music, you can visit the Country Music Museum in Bristol and the music bars of Floyd and Galax, for a jig with the locals to the sound of frenetic fiddles and banjo-players. In the northeast, New England reigns supreme for foliage viewing. States such as Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York all offer picturesque, rustic settings to watch this colourful phase of the year. New England Country Music Museum in Bristol Skyline Drive
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