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Leaves & Luxury: 9 Dazzling Autumn Excursions
by Jan Gerner
 Nemacolin Woodlands Resort
Farmington, Pennsylvania
Autumn in the Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania offers visitors exceptional fall foliage and the award-winning Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. Fly into the resort's private airfield (PA88) and transportation will be provided. Connellsville Airport (KVVS) is about 35 minutes from the resort, which will arrange transportation for a fee.
This resort offers lots of options for lodging, dining, and activities. Choose a room or suite at the Falling Rock and you can expect comfort, luxury, 24-hour butler service, a 19-option pillow menu, and beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. This Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired boutique hotel is one of North America's top ten luxury resorts. Other choices are the elegant Chateau Lafayette — modeled after the classic hotels of Europe — and the Lodge, which was once a private game reserve. For those looking for quiet locations and elegance, luxury homes and townhouses are available. Balconies and porches give you a bird's-eye view of wildlife and the multicolored countryside.
A variety of activities will get you out among the changing leaves and breath-taking scenery. For those wanting to test their driving skills, try the Off-Road Driving Academy. Climb into a Hummer and take on the Rock, Crater, or Pits with inclines, water, mud, and other obstacles.
The Orvis Fly Fishing Center will have you trout or bass fishing in nearby streams and creeks or hit the links on two championship golf courses.
Animal lovers of all ages will enjoy the interactive programs at the Wildlife Academy and one of the nation's top sporting clay facilities is available for clay shooters.
After a busy day, choose a restaurant to match your tastes. The collection of resort restaurants includes fine dining, intimate dining, casual dining, and gourmet workshops.
The resort's two spas are sure to please also. The Woodlands and Estuary will customize spa treatments guaranteeing a restful, rejuvenating experience at this premier fourdiamond, four-star destination.
Brasstown Valley Golf Resort
Young Harris, Georgia
 Waterfalls, wildlife, and lush colorful forests surround the Brasstown Valley Golf Resort.
Touch down at Blairsville Airport (46A) and rent a car — or, with advance notice, the resort will send a van for about $25.
Whether you opt for a spacious guest room or suite in the lodge or a secluded cabin, you will be surrounded by the beauty of the North Georgia Mountains. Balconies, gas-log fireplaces, handcrafted twig furniture, and mountain motifs are among the many amenities at this fun fall getaway.
Horseback riding, hiking, biking, rock climbing, fishing, and year-round golf are a few of the popular pastimes offered to outdoor enthusiasts. All of these activities will have you out amid the awe-inspiring colors flowing from the mountain tops to the valley.
If you want waterfalls to go with your changing leaves, North Georgia has some of the country's best. Ana Ruby Falls, DeSoto Falls, and Helton Creek Falls are perfect locations for hiking, picnicking, and peeking.
Four scenic trails or a shuttle will get you to the summit of Brasstown Bald, Georgia's highest peak. On clear days, you can get a glimpse of four states from the mountain's observatory. If you're so inclined, you can pick up the Appalachian Trail here and head for Maine and more leaf peeking.
On the other hand, if hiking to Maine is not on you're to-do list but keeping the kids busy is, enroll them in the Mountaineering Club. While they're being entertained with unique, fun activities, you can try out the state-of-theart fitness center.
The resort's Dining Room — that's the name of the restaurant — is renowned for its regional mountain cuisine and picturesque views. For those wanting lighter fare in front of a cozy fire, try McDivot's. Then, after a busy day of leaf peeking, try an evening of star gazing with your favorite libation on the Fireside Lounge's veranda.
 Mirror Lake Inn Resort And Spa
Lake Placid, New York
Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa, site of the 1980 Winter Olympics, offers guests warm, hospitable service, wild and colorful Adirondack landscapes, and their famous chocolate chip cookies. Land at Lake Placid Airport (KLKP) and you're five miles from the resort. Land at Adirondack Regional Airport (KSLK) and you'll be 16 miles from the resort. Arrange transportation through the resort for a fee, or rent a car for the very scenic drive.
For 23 consecutive years, Mirror Lake has been awarded AAA's four diamonds. Numerous other awards and accolades have been bestowed on this elegant, comfortable inn that offers lake views and mountain views to go along with comfortable rooms and suites.
Depending on your needs, choose classic or signature accommodations. Each room and suite is unique, with some offering separate sleeping areas, whirlpool tubs for two, stone fireplaces, and balconies.
Picnics-to-go are a resort specialty. Try the gourmet picnic for two and a leisurely hike through the forests, or a more strenuous mountain adventure with a box lunch. Whichever you choose, you will be surrounded by vivid shades of red, yellow, and orange. Special climbing adventures and nature walks can be arranged for families.
Other activities include golf, kayaking, canoeing, and fishing.
Take a tour of the Olympic Village and you may try a luge or bobsled ride. The resort's concierge service and activity desk will help you be as active — or as inactive — as you want to be.
Fresh mountain air will do wonders for your appetite and the exceptional menus, service, and scenery at The View, Taste Bistro & Bar, and the Cottage Cafe will satisfy those appetites.
Don't skip breakfast here; the inn is famous for flapjacks with pure, hot New York State maple syrup.
For those longing for a sense of serenity in a stress-free environment try a Mountain Ritual, Placid Journey, or Lakeside Water Treatment at the Mirror Lake Inn Spa. Then pull up an Adirondack chair, sit back, relax, and marvel at the pristine lake's waters and nature's colorful fall palette.
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