Good vacation spot in October?

September 17, 2007 4:30 PM

After an exhausting period at work, finally my husband and I may both be on the same page for a vacation in October! Woo hoo! But where should we go for somewhere between 1-2 full weeks for something less than $3,000 total (the less the better)? Many more specifics follow the jump.

Many of our requirements are a little fuzzy:

* We *really* enjoyed jet skiing on a lake this summer, so anywhere with access to jet skis for not too much $$$ is a plus. In October.

* I long to go overseas to Italy or Greece or some other area with beautiful landscapes and amazing food, but am inexperienced enough with planning long trips that the idea of plotting this by ourselves seems somewhat daunting. But also am generally not that interested in very large group tours, etc., and don't know if I trust a travel company to sell us something we won't like. So any pointers that you might have on ways to DIY anywhere that is gorgeous and has awesome food are appreciated.

* Locations must be vegetarian friendly for every meal. We love mediterranean and indian food, but so long as there's a veggie option and it's well prepared there's a good chance we'll like it.

* Not too much walking up and down gigantic hills or steps, as my beloved's knees are adorable but not as springy as they used to be. We can do some biking, but more as a day activity rather than a means of traveling long distances to get from point A to B.

* Something that offered a mix between active touring and lazing about would be lovely.

Our past vacations have included: Playa Del Carmen, Mexico (loved it - fantastic hotel & food, snorkeling, parasailing, etc.); San Francisco (loved it); North Carolina beach house with family (I probably enjoyed lazing about the beach more than my husband); Las Vegas (fun, kitchy, exhausting; helicopter tour was very cool); beachhouse on Captiva Island (similar to NC experience).

posted by onlyconnect to travel & transportation (15 comments total)

Cabo San Lucas should be amazing in October.
posted by Bjkokenos at 4:58 PM on September 17, 2007

europe is great in the fall, and prices are generally lower. i was just in southern spain, and would highly recommend it. it's comparatively cheap, the food is wonderful (maybe a bit difficult if you are strictly veg, but if you do seafood, you'll be in heaven) and the mediterranean coast will still be warm enough to enjoy the beach. internal trains and buses are quite inexpensive--renting a car is not cheap, but it's a great way to see the countryside. southern spain is also friendly to english-speakers, because it's basically the british florida during the summer.

i have found that the "lonely planet" and "rough guide" travel guides are terrific, and most hotels have websites. if you go to europe, unless you are seriously on a budget, i would sacrifice a star or two of quality for the price to stay close to the city center. we stayed at pretty good hotels in cordoba, granada, and ronda for about $100 a night, and you will certainly do better than that in the off season. seville and malaga are supposed to be amazing, too.
posted by thinkingwoman at 5:10 PM on September 17, 2007

St. John, VI. Absolutely gorgeous, not overly built up, fantastic snorkeling and beaches.
posted by bluesky43 at 5:50 PM on September 17, 2007

* Locations must be vegetarian friendly for every meal. We love mediterranean and indian food, but so long as there's a veggie option and it's well prepared there's a good chance we'll like it.

When you've narrowed down your choices, HappyCow can help you figure out which city has the most vegetarian-friendly restaurants to choose from.
posted by cmonkey at 7:03 PM on September 17, 2007

Georgia is really beautiful in October, pretty much the only time of year it is; few bugs, temperate weather, low humidity. It's too damn hot earlier, and too damn cold later, but October is usually really, really nice.

Between Savannah on the coast, Hilton Head Island (if you can find a spot this late) north along the coast a bit in South Carolina, and Atlanta (a few hours' drive, so you'd transfer, it wouldn't be just a day trip), I'd think you could have a very nice 2 week vacation without spending a zillion bucks.
posted by Malor at 7:37 PM on September 17, 2007

Honestly, if you're super exhausted, I would consider taking a cruise. My husband & I and his brother / sister-in-law all went on a cruise together in August, and it was the best combination of total laziness and getting to do really awesome activities. And it was *cheap*! We went on Royal Caribbean and the ship was gorgeous and had tons to do, there weren't a lot of old people or kids running around (mostly people in their late 20's & 30's), and it saves the pain in the assness of getting from place to place. We mostly just relaxed on the ship & had scheduled a few cool on-shore excursions.

I think you can book something like a 10-night cruise for under $1000 if you search sites like Orbitz & Cheap Tickets.
posted by tastybrains at 7:42 PM on September 17, 2007

Oh, and there are always many veg options ... I pretty much ate vegetarian on the ship the entire time.
posted by tastybrains at 7:43 PM on September 17, 2007

Negril, Jamaica is spectacular. I'm pretty sure there are jet ski rentals available. Beautiful beach, lots of hiking/horseback opportunities, the lame all-inclusive resorters don't wander much out of their all-inclusives, and you can witness some of the most unreal sunsets ever. Plus, Rastafarians are vegetarian, so there are plenty of tiny little shack-based operations serving up Ital food, which is some of the most righteous veggie stuff around. Cheap as hell too.
posted by thatswherebatslive at 8:05 PM on September 17, 2007

I spent three months in Greece for $3000. So, go Greece. Island hop in the Aegean. Mykonos is the big party island, lots of teh gay, lots of teh kids. Santorini is pretty much amazing, stay off the stupid "volcanic island;" it's a joke. Rhodos, awesome.

The bigger, more popular ones are pretty much guaranteed winners BUT "touristy. On the other hand, the more isolated Ikaria is really terrific.

Oddly, I am unable to recall wave-runners, but they must be there.
posted by humannaire at 8:11 PM on September 17, 2007

...the bigger more popular islands, that is.
posted by humannaire at 8:12 PM on September 17, 2007

October is lovely time to poke along the Blue Ridge Parkway at 35 and 45 mph, stopping frequently for overlooks, and quiet walks. Busy on the weekends, because of foliage "leaf peepers," but otherwise, a wonderful way to spend 4 or 5 leisurely days of a Southeast vacation. Lots of moderate cost lodging and restaurants down off the Parkway, or, if you're very lucky with reservations, at lovely places like Peaks of Otter Lodge.
posted by paulsc at 12:04 AM on September 18, 2007

How about Key West? Lots of water about, a little bit of history here and there, and a great town to walk a few blocks and eat (outside), drink and listen to your hearts content.
posted by lpsguy at 5:51 AM on September 18, 2007

The wife and I spent a week on a Caye in Belize for our anniversary. It meets all of your criteria. Highly recommend.
posted by sanka at 6:24 AM on September 18, 2007

Thanks for all the input, folks. We are going to do some googling and additional research. Also, NortonDC just bought this book, which might have some additional ideas.
posted by onlyconnect at 10:25 AM on September 18, 2007

How about Key West?

/duh

And I live here. But with regards to October, as long as it's not the end of the month. That's when Fantasy Fest starts, and room rates triple. Before then, rates are off-season, and approximately 25% less than usual.

And the water is perfect in address to your points:

* Plenty of jet-skiing.

*Plenty of tours, mostly free-form however.

* Indian food, sorry, no. Mediterranean and vegetarian, plenty. Top choices: Mediterranean Delights on Duval (ahh the hummus!); Mams at Whitehead and Petronia (kosher, incredible falafel); The Cafe - pure veggie (plus fish) and really really good, and its indoors.

You will also want to visit Blue Heaven, it is flat-out the best Key West restaurant - with chickens and roosters and cats living in harmony amongst tiki bar and a ping-pong table. Indoor or out. Purr-fect.

* Key West is about as hilly as Kansas. There is a sort of incline around Simonton Street. Careful or you'll miss it.

* More laid back than Key West requires work. It's all I can do to make sure everyone is online here, much less checking email. BTW, we have all modern accesses. It's just people are generally busy not doing anything.
posted by humannaire at 12:58 PM on September 18, 2007