“We have seen strong demand for travel throughout the course of the year, and Americans are discovering that traveling during the fall season is a best kept secret,” said Bill Sutherland, AAA senior vice president, Travel and Publishing. “Travelers increasingly prioritize immersive travel experiences and autumn offers more opportunities for them to explore a destination’s local culture, thanks to fewer crowds and mild weather.”

In fact, travelers say the top benefits of taking a fall trip include:

• Fewer crowds and children (68 percent);

• Weather that is more favorable (63 percent); and,

• The opportunity to find better value for the cost of their trip (55 percent)

Road trips are the preferred activity for fall travelers, with 62 percent of those planning a vacation intending to pack up their cars and hit the road. Thanks to milder weather, outdoor events such as fall festivals and visits to national and state parks are particularly popular with travelers this time of year. Twenty-six percent of those who are planning a fall vacation will take a trip to view fall foliage, a favorite pastime from the northeast and New England, to the mountains of North Carolina and Colorado.

According to AAA Kansas travel agents, Kansas travelers are booking autumn adventures, including:

• Alaska cruises

• Florida theme parks

• New England and Canada fall foliage tours

• Southwest United States (for example, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Sedona, Monument Valley, Bryce and Zion National Parks)

• European river cruises

• Mexico resorts

• Hawaii