• Maybe Next Year : /

Lotsa folks call fall their favorite season. They seem to get excited about cooler temps, changing colors, a forgotten sweatshirt. Me? Some nickname me “The Summer Guy.” So fall means the end of swims, boats, gardens, and easy-breezy outdoor lounging. I won’t even go into the raking labors and that first ice storm.

However, I do believe fall may be the ideal travel season. Heck, if you go somewhere warmer, it’s still summer! And if you head somewhere trendy and touristy, those swarms have usually flown back where they came from.

I found myself in Europe during the fall of 2000, as part of a 4-month RTW trip. Putin was in Paris on this particular Saturday night. So, well, the place was nuts: Security everywhere, parking nowhere, a seat in a restaurant unthinkable. Until 1:30 in the morning, that is, when my friend and I found both parking and dining.

Without question, that sole meuniere was the best I’ve ever had, well worth the wait. And a long evening of driving all around Paris with no worries and ample time? Unforgettable. The sights were glowing. The people-watching fascinating. And the weather? Picture perfect.

Alas, most of us aren’t going far this fall. Still, happy autumn and…keep the faith.