Welcome to the free subscriber version of Wanderess, a newsletter brought to you by Unearth Women. In this newsletter, I wax poetic about all things autumn and share fall travel inspiration for solo travelers. If you’ve found your way here but are not yet subscribed, here, let me help you with that:
I’ve blinked, and somehow, an entire summer has already slipped by. To me, the transition from summer to fall is akin to New Year’s Eve. There’s just something wonderful about this time of year that feels re-energizing. It’s the promise of a fresh start that comes only when the leaves start to change, the kiddos go back-to-school shopping, the summer clothes are replaced with cozy knits, and the coffees are accented with pumpkin spice.
Color me basic, but as soon as I woke up on September 1st, I hung up my fall wreath (yes, I have seasonal wreaths), threw on my Rory Gilmore-inspired chunky sweater, and made myself a pumpkin spice latte. Thankfully, I don’t have to wait too long for true sweater weather as I get ready to fly out to Iceland tomorrow.
Beyond being the epitome of all things cozy, fall is my favorite season for travel. Not only is it shoulder season for many destinations, but it is a time when hotel prices tend to fall, crowds thin out, the weather still holds up, and airfare drops by more than 10% (according to data from Expedia).
For those looking for an ideal fall destination—whether seeking colorful foliage or an off-season destination that’s easy on the wallet—the latest from Unearth Women shares destinations that are even better in the fall and a great option for solo travelers.
To Read: I’m a big fan of Matt Haig’s books (especially The Midnight Library), so when I heard he has another book coming out, I made sure to pre-order it months ago. The Life Impossible comes out this week and—judging by early reviews—this read is going to be just as wonderful as his previous work.
To Listen: I’ve recently been listening to old episodes of Wiser Than Me, a podcast where actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus (of Seinfeld and Veep fame) interviews women who are older than her, gaining wisdom along the way. I’m going to get on my soap box, but in a society that is hyper-focused on youth and too often discounts women past a certain age, this podcast is a breath of fresh air. I highly recommend listening to the episode with Julie Andrews. Andrews is a goddess and shares some stellar takes on aging.
To Bake: About a week ago, I decided I had had just enough of August’s parade of humidity. And so, I cranked up the AC, put on a cozy sweater, and baked a cinnamon apple bread. I’m not much of a baker. I find baking to be more rigid, while cooking allows you the space to get fancy with the spices and adjust recipes without risk of ruining the whole dish. But this bread is well worth the effort.
P.S. If you like walnuts, it goes great in this recipe.
Back when we first launched Unearth Women in 2018, it was with the mission to unearth women’s stories, inspire women to travel confidently, and to show travelers how best to support women and BIPOC communities on their journeys. Enter our Feminist City Guides, a collection of curated travel guides spotlighting women and BIPOC-owned businesses in cities around the globe.
From women-owned hotels to restaurants to boutique shops, our guides celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit and diversity of women across the globe. For paid subscribers, we recently shared the newest feminist city guide from Unearth Women, which highlights some of Chicago’s women and BIPOC-owned businesses. This month, we’ll be sharing a Feminist City Guide to Boston, a city brimming with defining history. To get this guide delivered right to your inbox, make sure to become a paid subscriber.
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