Fall is an awesome time to travel.  The summer crowds have dissipated, the weather is usually fine and deals abound.  If you have pre-school kids (or home-schooled kids), or can manage to take some time off, consider sneaking away for an autumn getaway.  If your family is back in the busy swing of school and activities, consider a weekend or quick overnight getaway.  The following destinations are on our radar, thanks to attractive off-peak pricing and excellent seasonal attractions and activities. From Providence to New York State, from Orlando’s theme parks to warm weather dream destinations to a Disney Cruise, here are our best fall travel deals.

Local mom and “Outdoors with Kids Boston” guidebook author, Kim Foley MacKinnon, shares her best family outing tips and picks with you as part of our guest blog series with the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Kids Outdoors Boston free online community. 

Let’s be honest: it only takes so long to pick out a pumpkin, even if your kids like to examine every pumpkin in the patch for the perfect jack-o-lantern.  My family likes to combine pumpkin-picking with something else, like a corn maze, a train ride, or a fall festival. Here are a few places to elevate your autumn outing.

My daughter is looking forward to celebrating Rosh Hashanah by eating lots of apples dipped in honey, a Jewish New Year tradition that gets us off to a sweet start. Of course you don't need to be Jewish to enjoy this treat, especially since apple-picking season is in full swing. This four-day holiday weekend is a great time to hit a nearby orchard for fresh fruit, or pick a pumpkin for Halloween.

Speaking of, October 31 is just five weeks away and we're furiously updating our Halloween posts on all our sites. This week, New Jersey rounded up haunted houses and creative pumpkin carving events, while Westchester highlighted cool corn mazes, hayrides and pumpkin fests. Fall is a wonderful season for these kinds of fun-filled day trips, and it's worth browsing all of our tri-state area sites for even more destination ideas.

But if you're in need of a real vacation, check out our review of the luxurious Grand Lucayan Beach & Golf Resort on Grand Bahama Island on our Travel site—even though you can't get there this weekend there's always winter break!

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

This weekend, skip the NYC museums and theaters in favor of all the great opportunities there are to enjoy the arts in Westchester and the Hudson Valley--many of which are FREE. Choose from the New Rochelle Arts Fest, the Rhinebeck Arts Festival and Smithsonian Museum Day Live!. A bilingual production of The Brave Calf also takes place on Saturday, as part of Hispanic Day Celebration.

Looking for more festivals? The Chappaqua Children's Book Festival returns with a huge selection of titles, a host of author and illustrator appearances and a surprising assortment of fun activities for families. There’s also the Fall Harvest Festival, which includes a Bungee Trampoline, and Bear Mountain Oktoberfest continues, with a different live band each day. For festivals beyond this coming weekend, check out our roundup of fall fests so you can plan ahead!

Enjoy the remaining warm days with some nature-focused events--bring a camera to Nature Photoscavenger Hunt or bring your fairy-lover to the Legends & Lore of the Little People, which should get an A for utter cuteness. If you’re up for apple picking, we’ve compiled a list of area orchards to visit.

Read on for more info and click through for additional details. Be sure to browse our Event Calendar for more events happening this weekend and beyond.

Opa! Enjoy the taste and culture of Greece at the Greek Festival on the Harbor in Port Washington on the north shore of Long Island. Or head to Lido Beach on the south side for the Festival by the Sea. The Long Island Fair at the Old Bethpage Village Restoration will combine old-time country fairs and current day competitions. Puppets, mimes, jugglers and traditional dancing are just some of what on tap. Check out the Great River for the Fall Garden and Harvest Festival at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum for demonstrations, model trains, pumpkin painting and more.

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Hello, Present You. This is Future You, telling you not to panic. I know what you're thinking. I've been there, (I'm you), and I'm telling you it all works out okay. Yes, it is Fall. Fall means Harvest, Harvest means pumpkins, pumpkins mean from now until 2015 it's Halloween-Thanksgiving-Hanukkah-Christmas-Kwanzaa-New Year's all presented in a non-stop, candy-coated, costume-wearing, gifts-piled-high frenzy...

Oh dear. That's not helping you relax, is it? Okay. Let's just focus on the now. This weekend. So much fun to be had in two little days: San Gennaro, free museums, Hispanic Heritage celebrated all around town, Abbot Kinney, a giant kids' book festival, the Day of the Drum, wiggle waggle walking, and a chance to mingle with celebs while learning how to keep your kids safe.

See? Everything is going to be okay. You'll even get that thing you want. Oh, and you won't believe what your kid is gonna do next.... but why spoil the surprise!

Keep reading for some of our favorite picks for this weekend....

Hungry? This weekend, the Let's Talk About Food Festival will have cooking demonstrations, edible garden demos, and more. Or if you are in a sillier mood, check out SteamFluff, this year's Fluff Festival. 

It is a great weekend for the arts. Visit a number of area museums for free as part of the national Smithsonian Museum Day. Folk music is highlighted at the New England Americana Festival and the American Music and Harvest Festival, jazz gets the spotlight at the Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival, and Alastair Moock performs his family favorites at the TCAN Center for the Arts. This weekend kicks off Art Week with family-oriented events like the ICA Playdate (pictured) and Tapas and Toe-Tapping. 

Speaking of Art Week, this weekend is your last chance to nominate a kid who is doing great things in the community for our Boston Kids Who Really Rock contest. Finalists will be honored next weekend at the Boston Kids Really Rock festival.

Also on Mommy Poppins this Week:

• We've pulled together all the best events for next month in our October GO list. 
• Tara gives you the scoop on spectacular New England Pumpkin Festivals. 
• We've talked to a number of preschool directors to bring you the Do's and Don'ts of Preschool Admissions. 

For more information on events happening this weekend, be sure to check out the complete calendar. Whatever you chose to do, enjoy your weekend!

This month our neighborhood spotlight is on Rye, and while you’re out and about enjoying our list of the top 25 things to do with your family, you and your little ones are likely to work up an appetite. Luckily, there is no shortage of fantastic dining options for family-friendly meals in this area. Whether it’s pizza, classic American fare, or even Cajun seafood the family is craving, Rye and Rye Brook have it all, from appetizers to dessert.

We've rounded up our favorite local dining and dessert spots in Rye. Looking for more dining options? Check out our Kid-Friendly Restaurant Guide, full of options and reviews on the best places to eat with kids throughout Westchester. Keep checking back, as our guide is updated frequently.