Remember the anxiety of having to go back to school every September?
Well, one of the best parts of adulting is being able to choose to actually go away and have fun in the fall, a time most Americans reserve for going home.
Here is a list of budget-friendly trips for you to keep the fall spirit alive all season long:
1. Salem, Massachusetts
Visiting the New England city full of witch trial history is an obvious choice, and it's only a hop and a skip via bus from Northeastern cities like Philadelphia, New York and Boston.
Stay at the Salem Inn, an allegedly haunted historic hotel that serves warm brandy in the evening by the fireside.
Stop at the House of the Seven Gables made historic by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, and absolutely do not miss Sea Level Oyster Bar that overlooks the dark waters of the Atlantic.
2. New Orleans, Louisiana
The city of hoodoo and voodoo is a not so obvious a choice for travelers convinced Mardi Gras is the only time to visit.
The streets Marie Laveau (former voodoo priestess) still roams are less crowded with tourists, and the fall season is full of events that might just rival the costume parades of the main season.
Don't miss a croissant and cappuccino at the Le Croissant d'Or, and the fashion-conscious and antiquated-oriented should visit Junk Masters New Orleans.
3. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The City of Brotherly Love is at its best in the fall with a ton of seasonal-oriented activities.
Check out Eastern State Penitentiary, whose ghastly walls once in-prisoned the likes of Al Capone and Edgar Allan Poe.
Pay a visit to Elfreth's Alley, "our nation's oldest residential street," which dates back to 1706.
And no visit to Philadelphia is complete without a stop at the Mütter Museum, a collection of medical oddities sure to give you nightmares.
4. Atlanta, Georgia
Because the hub of Delta is in "the city in a forest," flights are usually pretty cheap from anywhere in the continental USA.
While most people wouldn't immediately associate the peach state with a fall haven, it's just full of surprises.
Historic Oakland Cemetery rivals the eerie architecture of the more famous New Orleans Southern plots. You can visit the grave of "Gone With the Wind" author Margaret Mitchell and head across the street to Six Feet Under (Grant Park location), a funeral-themed seafood restaurant.
The Center for Puppetry Arts is home to the spectacular exhibition of Jim Henson's "Labyrinth," featuring puppets and set pieces and props you won't see anywhere else in the world.
5. Reykjavik, Iceland
For those of you who just have to go abroad, Iceland is booming with tourism these days.
With cheap flights from WOW Air, there is no excuse not to go to the land of the midnight sun.
Truth be told, the Northern Lights are far from visible from the city with the light pollution (despite what you've seen on Insta), but get a rental car and head for the hills and watch a beautiful display.
Opt for one of the lesser-known hot springs (such as this one in Flúðir).
Iceland is a land that still celebrates tales of fairies and elves, so head north to the Museum of Sorcery and Witchcraft and learn the history of the necropants.
