Leaf It To Fall: Five Fierce Weekend Getaways

Featured Image: Taking a Dip at the Herwood Inn; Courtesy of @NIKIDAVISF– @ANDREYPIONTKOVSKI

You might have taken a quick trip to the beach this summer to beat the blazing heat, but fall is really the time for travel. And when you combine the inherent lesbianism of fall (outdoor activities, flannels, DIY beers, etc.) with a weekend getaway, that’s where the magic happens. The air gets crisp, the sweaters get chunkier, and suddenly you’re fantasizing about apple picking with your situationship or booking a cabin with your friends who all coincidentally wear Carhartt. 

Fall is lesbian culture, and a cozy escape just outside the city is the perfect way to lean in. To give you some autumnal inspiration, we’ve rounded up five getaways near NYC, all within a six-hour drive. Pack your Docs, bring your crush, and get ready to romanticize the hell out of your weekend.

Hudson Valley, NY

The Hudson Valley is basically the set of a sapphic A24 film. If you’ve ever said, “We should just buy a house upstate,” this is probably where you meant. 

Stay in the center of it all at The Herwood Inn, a gorgeous boutique hotel in Woodstock. Besides being modernized and straight out of a Better Homes and Gardens magazine, the suites are named after famous female musicians Stevie Nicks, Joni Mitchell, Aretha Franklin, and Carole King.

Don’t miss Kingston, where the vibes are artsy, witchy, and just the right amount of crunchy. Grab a chai and pop into Everywhere Shop, a queer and trans-owned stationery and gift store that sells everything from zines to queer greeting cards to the cute notebook that will make you actually get into journaling this time.

Afterward, head to Unicorn Bar, where the cocktails are as colorful as the crowd and you’re almost guaranteed to meet a new friend. Their calendar is stacked with local talent and a different vibe every night. Camp Kingston, a queer-owned restaurant and bar, also features fabulous foods that fuel your day and fun events that light up your night.

Time your visit with O+ (O Positive) Festival, a community-powered celebration of art, music, and wellness that’s basically a queer commune for a weekend. Or plan around Out On The Farm at Bad Seed Cider in Highland for apple picking, hard cider, and dancing in a barn full of lesbians in beanies—just try not to fall in love with the bartender.

For outdoor moments that make you feel one with nature, stroll the Walkway Over the Hudson for scenic views, or catch the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze and gaze in awe at the hundreds of glowing pumpkins lighting up the night in an oddly romantic way.

Take a detour to Beacon for vintage shopping and riverside walking dates, or go full autumn-girlfriend-core at Wilkens Fruit & Fir Farm in Yorktown Heights, where you can pick apples and scope out your future Christmas tree like a domestic lesbian power couple. If you want to sleep over, stay at The Dutchess Inn and Day Spa in Beacon. It’s only an 80-minute ride from Midtown Manhattan via Metro North, so you go from cooped up to rubbed down in less time than it takes you to get from Henrietta Hudson to Jacob Riis Beach.

Bonus points if you end the weekend at the New York Renaissance Faire in Tuxedo Park, playing dress up and flirting with sword-wielding wenches. 10/10 experience. 

Salem, MA 

Gay witches, assemble! If autumn had a spiritual home, it would be Salem. And if gay witches had a spiritual mecca, it would also be Salem. It’s queer-friendly, witchy as hell, and fully committed to helping you live your best spell-casting, cauldron-stirring, velvet-wearing fantasy.

 You know lesbians love a theme, and so does The Cove Hotel. Their themed rooms are entirely immersive experiences, like the Pirate room complete with a ship and the Medieval Dungeon room with skeletons, a guillotine, and an overall scary-but-somehow-sexy vibe (they also have fab traditional rooms if that’s more your speed). 

First things first: grab a cone from Melt, the queer-friendly ice cream shop slinging funky flavors and serving looks. Don’t forget to get a photo outside with one of Salem’s rainbow-painted benches or crosswalks—proof that the town is as into queer visibility as it is haunted history.

Once you’re properly sugar-charged, it’s time to shop. Stop into the lesbian-owned HausWitch Home + Healing, where you’ll find crystals, spell kits, altar goods, and basically everything you need to become your final form: hot and mystical. If you’re new to witchcraft or just in your “reclaiming power through herbs and moon cycles” era, HausWitch is the place.

Keep the magic going with a visit to Pentagram, a queer-owned tarot and metaphysical store where you can get a reading that confirms all your sneaking suspicions about your ex and your situationship’s actual vibe. Then float over to Ascend Crystals, also LGBTQ+-owned, where you can have your aura read, stock up on ethically sourced crystals, and maybe finally understand why your energy’s been so chaotic lately (it’s Mercury, babe).

For the history buffs, the Salem Witch Museum features life-size stage sets, tours, and a variety of exhibits exploring the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. As the granddaughters of witches that didn’t get burned, it’s only right to pay respects. 

If you’re feeling theatrical, check out The Witchery, where you can dive into hands-on witchcraft workshops and make your own broom or get a group spell going with your coven of queer friends. Yes, this is the plot of Practical Magic 2, and you’re all Sandra Bullock.

As the sun sets, shift into full spooky-season lounge mode at All Souls Lounge, where vintage goth meets cozy cocktail bar. It’s the kind of atmosphere where you could totally meet your future ghost wife. 

Montreal, Canada

If you’re in the mood to take your queer fall getaway international (and bilingual), Montreal is calling, and she’s wearing a turtleneck while casually referencing Judith Butler. This city oozes queer, artsy culture and just the right amount of chilly-weather sensuality. Add in cobblestone streets and the thrill of legalized weed, and you’ve got yourself a weekend. 

Stay at Bed & Breakfast du Village, located in Le Village, aka The Village, aka the gayborhood. Breakfast is included, and the location couldn’t be better if you want to hang with the queers (which I’m sure you do). Plus, they have a little French Spaniel who hangs around, and really, what’s cuter than when a business has a pet around?

Start slow and sapphic at Café Reine Garçon, a WLW-owned coffee shop where the espresso is strong and the vibes are stronger. Then, get ready to eat your way through the city. Hit up Dépanneur Le Pick-Up, a snack bar tucked into a convenience store and run by Bernadette Houde from the band Lesbians on Ecstasy. Mile-Ex lesbians just have better taste, and you’ll see for yourself with the breakfast sandwich.

If you’re feeling fancy, Brasserie Harricana and vinvinvin, run by the same queer-friendly crew, serve up craft beer and natural wine that somehow make you feel both classy and a little unhinged. It’s very “flirt over small plates” in a way that only a ~foreign country~ could provide.

 Make sure to bring an extra suitcase for books and head to L’Euguélionne, a feminist, queer bookstore. Stock up on zines, queer lit, and French-language theory you’ll pretend to understand. This is also where you meet the cutie from your hostel and spend an hour bonding over graphic novels and anti-capitalist stickers.

By night, Montreal fully transforms into your favorite queer dive bar dream. Try Notre-Dame-des-Quilles, which has cheap drinks, a bowling lane and is filled with enough queer regulars to start a softball league. 

And of course, if you’re in the mood to dance until 3 am surrounded by sweaty strangers and pulsing lights, you’re going to Club Unity. It’s one of the largest gay clubs in all of Canada. Three floors. All the glitter. Pure Chaos. Montreal wants you to fall in love for one night and then never speak again. C’est la vie.

Burlington, VT

Burlington is so lesbian it almost feels too good to be true. It’s the kind of place where you’re wearing wool socks and sipping a maple latte on a lakeside beach while your dog (rescue, obviously) lounges nearby. This place doesn’t even need explicitly queer spaces because the entire vibe is gay. 

If you want to stay in Burlington, check out the funky and fresh Blind Tiger or the most classically cozy Lang House on Main Street. If you want something a little off the beaten path, queer-owned Moose Meadow Lodge is a 33-minute drive to Burlington and is the most log-cabiny log cabin you’ll ever see. 

Start your weekend at the Burlington Farmers Market and shop for handmade pottery, artisanal pickles, and maple everything while making flirty eye contact with someone selling heirloom tomatoes. If you’re not slightly in love by the end of your stroll, did you even go?

Then, head to Lake Champlain Waterfront for all the core lesbian activities: hiking, talking about your feelings, making up songs about your pets, and taking a million pictures of trees that “really capture the season.” Catch the sunset and whisper to the water about your last breakup. This lake holds secrets. 

If you want something a little nerdy and a lot adorable, spend an afternoon at ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center. Yes, it’s kid-friendly, but you know you want to learn about lake ecosystems and stare at turtles with your boo. Plus, it’s right on the water, so you can go full romantic-walk-mode after.

When you’re ready to shift gears, hit The Three Needs, a beloved local bar with a heavily lesbian crowd. They’ve got good beer and a classic Tudor-style ceiling that’ll make your inner lumberjack swoon. It’s got dive bar charm with the perfect amount of crunchy queer energy. 

For live music on a night that ends in dancing and pretending you’re still in college (in a fun way, not a creepy way), Higher Ground is your spot. They book everything from indie queer icons to local bands, and the crowd is as granola as it gets.

New Hope, PA 

New Hope was made for queer getaways, literally. Back in the 1940s, it was a refuge for Broadway-bound creatives looking to escape the city, and it has stayed gay ever since. Add in the fact that it was recently named one of the top leaf-peeping destinations in the U.S., and you’ve got your next romantic escape or solo re-centering trip locked in.

After checking into the Logan Inn, open since 1727, start by wandering Main Street, where you can people watch and try not to buy every locally made candle called “Autumn Witchfire” or “Queer Forest.” Pop into vintage gems like Love Saves the Day, Night Bird Vintage, and the slightly spooky (and very on-brand) Creeper Gallery. If you like to get your hands dirty, book a candle-making workshop at the Black-owned Wax N Scent Studio.

Power up with a stop at Ferry Market, an indoor food hall with plenty of bites, or head up to Playhouse Deck for riverside views and cocktails that make you say, “Maybe I am ready to move to a small town.” You’ll also want to try Karla’s for dinner, a cozy LGBTQ+ favorite with martinis and comfort food. Very main character energy.

If you have a sweet tooth, there’s no shortage of queer-coded dessert options. Moo Hope has vegan ice cream, Nina’s Waffles serves bougie goodness with a crunch, and Gelato Shop New Hope brings the Italian flair with dairy-free flavors.

When the sun goes down, the town gets even gayer. Catch a show at the Playhouse Theater, then bar-hop your way through The Cub Room, John & Peter’s, and Havana. The queers are always out, and the pours are always heavy.

Don’t forget to walk the bridge to Lambertville for peak fall photo ops, hand-holding, and soft murmurs about maybe buying a fixer-upper together.

These queer-friendly getaways near NYC aren’t just cute towns with good coffee and better flannel. They’re cozy escapes where you can be your full gay self, surrounded by crunchy leaves, cottagecore energy, and maybe a little magic. Fall is yours for the taking. Get your weekend bag and get out there! The gay leaf-peeping agenda waits for no one.

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Ali Lopez is a New Jersey-based writer who has been contributing to GO since 2018. She loves her wife, her cats, trivia, crafting, yoga, pop culture, and gossiping with friends over delicious food.