You will either step forward into growth, or you will step backward into safety.
—Abraham Maslow
American psychologist Abraham Maslow is best known for his theory of the Hierarchy of Needs which outlined the basic human needs that must be met before one can seek social or spiritual fulfillment. Feeling that psychology didn’t take into account human creativity or potential, Maslow defined the concept of self-actualization as a process in which humans continually strive to reach our best selves. Choice played a prominent part in his theories: Here, he reminds us that our progress in life is up to us, if we have the courage to move forward into the unknown.
Planning an RV trip for a different time of year? Check out my monthly travel recommendations for the best places to travel in August and September. Also check out my recommendations from October 2022 and November 2022.

1. Alpine Helen’s Oktoberfest
Nestled in Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, the town of Helen was overlooked by tourists for years. They’d stop to top off their tanks on the way to the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, Brasstown Bald, or Georgia’s beloved Vogel State Park.
Then in 1969, a business owner had enough. He noted the region’s similarity to Bavaria where he’d been stationed while in the Army so he made a proposal: Transform sleepy Helen into an alpine village that appeared to be plucked right out of a German forest.
Slowly, the town changed its face adding half-timber facades, cobblestone alleys, and delicate gingerbread latticework and hand-carved details to eaves and rooflines. Soon after it became Alpine Helen; this year-round bit of Bavaria not too far north of Atlanta held its first Oktoberfest celebration.
Alpine Helen’s Oktoberfest has entertained festival-goers for more than 50 years. Nowadays, more than 500,000 visitors attend the two-month event. The Oktoberfest Parade kicked things off on September 7 and continues daily from September 28-October 20, 2023.
German-style bands from across the U.S. and Germany, more than 30 beers from local breweries and German brewmeisters, authentic Bavarian cuisine, traditional Alpenhorn instruments and plenty of folks in festive costumes make Helen’s Oktoberfest a memorable event.

2. A White Oasis
White Sands National Park is one of the most jaw-dropping and surreal places in all of America. Until 2019, White Sands was a National Monument but officially changed to a National Park. What’s the difference? National Parks are protected because of their scenic, recreational, and educational value whereas a National Monument may have objects of cultural, historical, or even scientific interest.
It’s the biggest gypsum dune field in the world. The sand is so perfectly white because it’s made of gypsum whereas most sand is made of silica. Gypsum is very rare in sand form because it is a mineral that dissolves in water. That’s right—it starts to dissolve everytime it rains. But just how much of a big deal is this? White Sands covers 275 square miles of dune fields while the second largest in the world is a whopping 8 square miles in Mexico.
>> Get more tips for visiting White Sands National Park

3. Where Life is Rice & Easy
At the crossroads of LA 13 and U.S. Highway 90 lies the city of Crowley.
Rice is the bedrock of the region’s celebrated Cajun cuisine and no other Louisiana community is as intimately tied to the crop as Crowley. The swallow ponds and level prairies surrounding the city produce lots of crawfish too, but it was the turn-of-the-century rice mills that gave Crowley its identity and made possible today’s impressive collection of historic structures.
Many historic buildings still play prominent roles in the city’s life. One such example is Miller Stadium, a 1940s-era ballpark and the Grand Opera House of the South that first opened in 1901 and was recently revived as an elegant space for world-class performers. Visitors can relive regional music history at the J.D. Miller Recording Studio Museum downtown or get a taste of prairie life at the Crystal Rice Heritage Farm.
Next door to the opera house, the Crowley City Hall, housed inside a restored 1920 Ford Motor Company building has been restored and features a museum on the city’s history.

The Crowley City Hall, Historic Ford Building is comprised of four interesting museums—Rice Iterpretive Center, the History of Crowley, J.D.Miller Music Recording Studio, and Ford Automotive Museum. Built in 1920 at the cost of $40,000 the Crowley Motor Co. was the city’s Ford Motor Model T dealership. Designed by an architect for the Ford Motor Co, it was one of 1,000 similar Ford dealerships constructed in the U.S.
Plan a visit for the International Rice Festival (86th annual; October 19-22, 2023) and stay to explore the area. The International Rice Festival, held annually every third full weekend in October, is one of Louisiana’s oldest and largest agricultural festivals.
>> Get more tips for visiting Crowley

4. This house belonged to the Most Powerful Family in America
By any standard, past or present, this property with a magnificent view of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains would be considered prime real estate. A series of fine homes has stood on the tract since about 1764 and in 1847 the estate was called “one of the finest specimens of the modern style of Landscape Gardening in America.”
Such superlatives attracted the attention of Frederick Vanderbilt, the grandson of Cornelius Commodore Vanderbilt who had built a fortune from shipping, ferries, and the New York Central Railroad. One of Frederick’s brothers, George Washington Vanderbilt, is perhaps best-known for his Biltmore estate near Ashville, North Carolina. Collectively the Vanderbilts were known as both the richest and the most powerful family in America in the late 1800s.
Take in the unique colors of fall framing the impressing Vanderbilt Mansion from the Vanderbilt Riverfront Trail and Bard Rock picnic area as well as the formal gardens.
Vanderbilt Mansion is in the Hudson River Valley in Dutchess County, New York, about 90 miles north of New York City and 70 miles south of Albany.

5. Get your history fix at Saratoga National Historical Park
The Saratoga National Historical Park in Stillwater, New York holds activities and attractions for travelers during any season. The significance of the property dates back to the Battle of Saratoga. During a fall evening in the 1770s, American forces defeated the British army forcing them to surrender and locking in crucial foreign support.
Although the park is known for its rich history including the Schuyler House, Saratoga Monument, and Victory Woods, it’s also a popular destination for cycling at any level. Serious hikers and bikers can take part in the 100-mile challenge in the park. All you need to do is log your miles (walking, hiking, or biking) in the park and once you hit that magic number you’ll earn a special reward and some serious bragging rights.
For some spectacular views of the Hudson River Valley, climb the 188 steps to the 155-foot stone Saratoga Monument; on a clear day visitors can see for miles. The park is especially beautiful during autumn.

6. Joshua Tree Night Sky Festival
Venture to Southern California to marvel at the stars and planets at Joshua Tree National Park which as the International Dark Sky Association notes is the “nearest convenient place to go stargazing under a relatively dark sky” for the 18 million people who live in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Joshua Tree became an official dark sky park in 2017 and each year it hosts a night sky festival in the fall. As luck would have it, this year’s dates overlap with the ring of fire solar eclipse. From Joshua Tree, the moon will appear to obscure between 70 and 80 percent of the sun.
The 2023 Night Sky Festival is scheduled for October 13-14. This event is sponsored and organized by non-profit organizations Joshua Tree Residential Education Experience (JTREE) and Sky’s The Limit Observatory and Nature Center in partnership with Joshua Tree National Park and supported by the City of Twentynine Palms.
The annual Night Sky Festival is a ticketed event with limited capacity held primarily at Sky’s the Limit Nature Center and Observatory located just outside the park’s north entrance.

7. Cherohala Skyway
Retreat to the serenity of the Cherohala Skyway, a picturesque byway that crosses the Nantahala and Cherokee National Forests. The drive will take people from the Tellico Plains of Tennessee all the way to North Carolina’s Robbinsville. Through this gorgeous route, travelers will ascend to elevations of more than 5,000 feet where they can see the stunning scenery of the mountains and valleys in the area. Tourists will be mesmerized by the breathtaking sights, flowing waterfalls, and lush vegetation as they travel. Visitors can also discover the hiking trails leading to secluded attractions like Bald River Falls and Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, home to eons-old, soaring trees. Every turn of the Cherohala Skyway brings tranquility and magnificent surroundings.
>> Get more tips for driving the Cherohala Skyway

8. Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest celebrates Fredericksburg’s German heritage with four stages of continuous oompah music, arts, crafts, shopping, a children’s area, 50 varieties of American, Texas and imported beers, Texas Wine Country selections, great food and fun all weekend long!
Oktoberfest takes place at Marktplatz in downtown Fredericksburg, Texas the first weekend of October. The festival typically runs from 6 p.m. to midnight on Friday, 10 a.m. to midnight on Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Ticket prices are $10 for adults while children 7-12 are $1 and children six and under are free. A two-day pass can be purchased for $15 and a three-day pass is $20.
In 2023, Oktoberfest in Fredericksburg will be October 6-8, 2023. Future dates for Fredericksburg Oktoberfest include October 4-6, 2024 and October 3-5, 2025.
If you can’t make it to town for Oktoberfest weekend, any time during the fall is a great time to visit the Texas Hill Country.

9. Apple Central
Fall is here and that means it’s time for apple picking in Julian, California! September and October are prime apple picking months so it’s an ideal time to be outdoors and plan a fun family outing.
And nothing is better than gathering up your own apples and taking them home to your RV for eating, cooking, and baking. So, let’s head to the mountains of Julian for these wholesome fall treats and maybe try some of the famous Julian apple pies.
Julian is at its most charming―and busiest―during the fall when leaves change color and local apples ripen. Stop by an apple orchard to sample local varieties not found elsewhere, pick up some of your favorites, or pick your own.
>> Get more tips for visiting Julian in October

10. Vermont in fall says it all
Stowe packs a big punch when it comes to outdoor pursuits—and fall is when the tiny town of 5,000 truly comes alive. In autumn, the abundance of sugar maple trees surrounding this popular northern Vermont ski area put on a spectacular color show. Visitors can enjoy it all while hiking up Elmore Mountain or Stowe Pinnacle, taking a scenic drive along the backcountry roads or venturing out into the Waterbury Reservoir on a private boat cruise. In Stowe, the best time for fall foliage viewing starts in early September and runs through late October.
Worth Pondering…
We know that in September, we will wander through the warm winds of summer’s wreckage. We will welcome summer’s ghost.
—Henry Rollins