October is a great month for travel

October is a delightful month to travel — it’s not too hot and not yet too cold and no longer overrun by tourists. And, in many places, especially the East Coast, fall foliage makes for a delightful backdrop to wonderful destinations.

This October, the Chamber will be offering two domestic trips and one international trip. We’re featuring a trip to New York State starting in Niagara Falls on Oct. 13 and ending in New York City. The second trip features a bit of the South and the wonderful historic trains of West Virginia departing Oct. 12. The international offering features Southern Italy and Sicily departing Oct. 19.

The tour to New York will be led by our popular Collette Travel sales rep Jay Fehan, guiding you to some of his very special places he loves in New York to get you in the “New York State of Mind.” I’ve been to Niagara Falls and you will fall in love with the Canadian side of the Falls.

I rather like to go on trips that are a bit off the beaten path. Yes, you’ll enjoy Niagara Falls and New York City, but there’s so much more to this itinerary. How many do you know that have cruised the Erie Canal? Those who love baseball will thrill at a visit to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Also in Cooperstown, gardeners will enjoy wandering through Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion to see the fall flowers in bloom in the formal gardens. And, what’s baseball without a trip to a Belgian-style Brewery? We’ll all enjoy a visit to Brewery Ommegang. Here we’ll stay two nights at the AAA 4-diamond Otesaga Resort Hotel. Some might want to enjoy golf here.

Lunch at West Point, how many can do that? You can! Enjoy lunch at the West Point Club and take a tour of this fine military academy. When in New York City, you’ll stay right in the heart of Times Square at the Sheraton. I think you will enjoy this Collette trip, so be sure to sign up soon.

I’ve written about the Mayflower Tour featuring four historic train experiences in West Virginia, but it’s worth mentioning yet another time. We’ve signed up quite a few couples who are excited about this one-of-a-kind experience and still have room for more. This is a trip for those who love classic trains and great fall foliage.

There’s sure to be a trip to Italy on everyone’s bucket list. We have done several trips to this amazingly beautiful and hospitable country, and are going there again — this time featuring Southern Italy and Sicily departing Oct. 19. Sicily — the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea — has suddenly traveled to the top of most travel bucket lists, for there is so much to see and so much history dating back to 12,000 BC. We’ll also travel up the beautiful Amalfi Coast to Rome. Book by April 20 to save $200 per person!

If you didn’t think you could afford a Rhine River Cruise — well, you can! Special rates are available for the July 5 departure on the Emerald Sky, one of the newest ships in the Emerald Cruise Line fleet. Mayflower Tours is offering free air from Reno. You’ll enjoy cruising along the scenic Rhine and Mosel Rivers beginning your tour in Switzerland, ending in Amsterdam. Just about everything is included in this one low price! This special won’t last long! Call the Chamber today to learn more.

The Chamber staff is now gearing up for the 2018 travel offerings, soon to be announced. The group that just came back from Cuba loved the experience and this may be considered again. The advice from the travelers is to go before the Cuba experience becomes just another Caribbean Island experience. Stay tuned.

When traveling with the Chamber, you’ll be in good company and see wonderful sites you wouldn’t see alone. The tour operators tend to your every need and you know the pricing upfront. I love traveling with the Chamber Travel Club.

Come to our next Chamber Travel Club meeting featuring Mayflower Tours scheduled at the Chamber office at 1900 S. Carson St., on Thursday at 3 p.m. Do call ahead to make sure there’s room! 882-1565. You can view current travel offerings on the Travel Club page at www.carsoncitychamber.com

(At 88, Marilyn still travels extensively and always has one or two trips planned ahead.)