BikeBoysBlog

Autumn is frequently the best time for off-season travel
- so, what are you waiting for?

I have to admit that, due to the self-imposed cultural beliefs of my youth, I used to think the only time a vacation was permissible was during the summer months. It wasn't until my second year of college that I realized I could take off any quarter of the academic year and safely make up the difference during the following three. That year, a friend and I flew from Atlanta to Brussels. We landed on September 6th and didn't return until December 15th. The benefits of traveling in autumn were numerable. The crowds of tourists were quickly dwindling, lines at attractions were shorter, the weather--with the oppressive heat of summer vanishing--was so much nicer, plus there were a host of festivals (mostly related to harvest time and food) which we'd not have enjoyed earlier in the year.

Here are just a few examples of off-season festivals -

La Merce festival, Barcelona, Spain [amazing street fair, music, food, & fun] September 19-24

Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany [beer, schnitzel, beer, polka bands, babes in dirndls and blokes in lederhosen, and more beer] September 20-October 5th

International Hot Air Balloon Festival: Albuquerque, New Mexico [Hundreds of hot air balloons, night lights, food, and music. Truly amazing.] 4-12th October

Pirates Week: Georgetown, Cayman Islands [Music, food, grog, and wenches!] November 5th-12th

JazzE music festival, Beijing, China [Jazz/electronica and night markets. Oh yeah.] November 6-9th

Sunburn Music Festival, Goa, India [Reportedly Asia's largest music festival] 27th-29th of December, 2014

Perhaps best of all though, was that, without the mobs of tourists, both prices and the locals' blood pressure were dropping. Everywhere people were heaving a sigh of relief, shrugging their shoulders, stretching, taking a deep breath, and relaxing. There was more time for everyone to talk, to answer questions, to consider that--suddenly--you were the first actual tourist they'd seen in days and perhaps you might be worth getting to know as a friend rather than just a customer. And, trust me, the type of friends you make under those sort of circumstances are the ones that last a lifetime.