7 Last-Minute Escapes for Labor Day Weekend

It might sound like an impossible request: a last-minute Labor Day getaway with gorgeous weather and minimal crowds that you can squeeze into a long weekend. There are good reasons many destinations across North America won’t fit the bill. Wildfires are burning in some parts of the West, tropical disturbances are brewing in the Caribbean, the East Coast’s coastal retreats are packed, and much of the South is sweaty and oh so steamy. But if you’re still hoping to stretch out the last days of summer, there are places that are not too hot, not too crowded and not necessarily that far away.

Here are seven inspirations in North America for a Labor Day getaway.

North Carolina

Hike to magical waterfalls

Less than an hour’s drive from downtown Asheville, N.C., and covering 500,000-plus acres, Pisgah National Forest is a magical place to be immersed in nature. American goldfinches and Carolina chickadees sing high above waterfalls framed by lush green trees, and babbling streams pour down moss-covered rocks hiding salamanders, newts and crayfish.

During the summer, these wooded areas are chock-full of children at summer camp, and the trails are often busy with hikers. But by Labor Day, most of the kids have returned home, while the weather is often perfect, with average temperatures in the seventies. You have your pick of activities — bird-watching, fly fishing, waterfall dousing and hiking.

Easy trails can be found at the North Carolina Arboretum, but for a shaded, moderate hike to a waterfall in which you can douse, check out Catawba Falls Trail. For another moderate hike (but no swimming), there is Linville Gorge and Falls, nicknamed the Grand Canyon of the Southern Appalachians. Advanced hikers can summit the 6,684-foot Mount Mitchell, the highest peak in the Eastern United States, in Mount Mitchell State Park, which is surrounded by Pisgah Forest.

Later, make your way back to Asheville, where a robust restaurant and brewery scene offers a perfect setting for sharing stories of your day. Local favorites include Cúrate for upscale tapas, Chai Pani for Indian food and Wicked Weed Brewing for hoppy deliciousness.

California

See San Francisco’s best-loved sights

“The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco,” may be a clichéd phrase, but anyone who has visited this California city during the summer most likely experienced fog, dank air and brisk wind. But September and October are San Francisco’s warmest and brightest months of the year.

A long weekend is just enough for first timers to sample the city’s best-known attractions. Walk or bike across the Golden Gate Bridge. Board a cable car as it clangs up and down the city’s hills. Explore Alcatraz Island on a three-hour tour (book ahead). Take in the Fisherman’s Wharf area, which may be less chaotic with many children back in school. Watch a home game of the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park, right on the bay. Or check out the Presidio Tunnel Tops, a newly developed stretch of national park land featuring stunning panoramic views.

The city is a particularly special destination for those interested in L.G.B.T.Q. history. The GLBT Historical Society Museum, nicknamed the Queer Smithsonian, is a good place to start, as is a stroll through the Castro neighborhood or a stop at the Castro’s first gay bar, opened in 1963 as the Missouri Mule (now called Beaux).

New York

Swim, fish, boat, then sip, at the Finger Lakes

One of the largest Finger Lakes in upstate New York, Keuka Lake stretches about 20 miles and draws visitors with clear-water swimming, paddling, kayaking and fishing. Labor Day marks the end of its high summer season.

Visitors can use picnic tables, playgrounds and swimming areas off sandy beaches at Keuka Lake State Park near Branchport or Red Jacket Park in the village of Penn Yan, on the lake’s northern end.

On its southern shores, the charming village of Hammondsport has cafes, shops and restaurants, many of which are clustered around the Pulteney Square Historic District.

Fishing is a big draw, with brown trout, yellow perch and more inhabiting the lake’s deep waters. You can buy your own fishing equipment at Jake’s Boat Livery, or get the professionals to do it by chartering a fishing expedition through Summit to Stream Adventures.

Don’t forget the wine: 20 vineyards are scattered around the lakeshore, with six part of the Keuka Lake Wine Trail. You can visit most wineries on your own or with a tour.

Keuka Lake is a one- to two-hour drive from airports in Rochester, Ithaca, Syracuse or Buffalo. The lake is about a five-hour drive from New York City.

Colorado

Soak your stress away in alpine splendor

During Labor Day weekend, the I-70 corridor that connects Denver to the ski towns to the west, like Winter Park, Keystone and Breckenridge, can be bumper to bumper, especially getting back on Monday.

But nestled in the San Juan Mountains, about an hour’s drive from Telluride, is Ouray, an often overlooked gem for outdoor fun. Sure, there’s great hiking and canyoning, but there aren’t many towns where you can stroll down Main Street and stop into a boutique for shopping, a cafe for coffee and a hot springs for soaking. Ouray Hot Springs Pool is sulfur-free — in other words, no rotten-egg stink — and offers not just one pool but many: The family-friendly pools feature water slides, a volleyball net and a rolling log, while the adults-only soaking section is kept between 102 and 106 degrees.

Montrose Regional Airport, about an hour’s drive from Ouray, has direct flights to Chicago, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth and Denver.

Mexico

Sample delicious urban delights

You won’t scratch the surface of what Mexico City offers in a long weekend, so consider tossing away those checklists and instead soak up the atmosphere in one or two neighborhoods.

Start by signing up for the city’s bike share app, Ecobici, for an easy way to get around town. The Roma neighborhood, a favorite among travelers, has shaded, walkable streets; inviting plazas; and some of the city’s best restaurants. For a neighborhood with a tad fewer tourists, try La Condesa, a short bike ride from Roma and between the two lovely green spaces called Bosque de Chapultepec and Parque México. Shopaholics should visit Polanco, where the commercial thoroughfare Presidente Masaryk Avenue offers luxury stores.

Whichever neighborhood you pick to explore, you’ll be delighted by the quality and flavors of food offered at the city’s restaurants, food carts and 11,000-plus taco shops. Even if a corner spot looks shabby, it might be producing food that could rank among the best bites you’ve ever had. Look no further than Taquería El Califa de León, an unassuming taco stand that won a Michelin star this year, as an example of the culinary magic that lies around any given corner.

Nova Scotia

Time-travel in a 1700s fishing village

About 62 miles southwest of downtown Halifax along Nova Scotia’s South Shore, breezy Lunenburg is a fishing village with charm — and fresh seafood — to spare.

Old Town Lunenburg is considered by UNESCO as the best surviving example of a planned British colonial settlement in North America. Its colorful homes face tall ships moored in the harbor, transporting visitors back to the 1700s. Stroll around the area on your own, popping into local shops and restaurants, or sign up for a walking tour.

At the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic, part of the Nova Scotia Museum, you can experience what life was like in a fishing village throughout the centuries, from early Mi’kmaq communities to the arrival of Black Loyalists in 1783 to today. The museum is housed in an old fish processing plant, and the Old Fish Factory Restaurant now serves Nova Scotia lobster rolls on a wharf-side patio.

Fresh lobster is available year-round in Nova Scotia, so check out some stops on the Nova Scotia Lobster Trail. But don’t forget much of the Atlantic’s bounty: mussels, scallops, halibut, Arctic char, cod — even a seaweed called dulse — can be found on local menus.

Michigan

Roam and ride in the sand dunes

The Great Lakes were made for summer, but the challenge is finding a spot that isn’t too crowded. Silver Lake Sand Dunes is a destination even many Michiganders don’t know about.

Located an hour-and-a-half drive from Grand Rapids on Lake Michigan’s eastern coastline, the dunes comprise 2,000 acres and are part of Silver Lake State Park. Even though they are situated in the heart of the United States, the dunes will make you feel as if you’re roaming the sands of Arabia.

Activities at the park include swimming, canoeing and horseback riding along the beach, or hiking through the surrounding evergreen forests.

But a classic way to explore the dunes is through Mac Wood’s Dune Rides, a local company that for nearly a century has been taking visitors in open-top trucks for thrilling and informative rides through the sand.

While in the area, be sure to visit the Little Sable Point Lighthouse, an 1874 tower that was made more accessible to the public in 2010. Climb the tower and take in the lake, forests and dunes below.

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