Men's Journal

Fall Colors in Virginia Photo credit: Courtesy Virginia Tourism Corporation / virginia.org

Fall is here, and these three places have all of autumn’s bases covered: where to take in peak fall foliage, eat the best chili, and get all your winter gear.

by Kate Cassidy

Biking and Oktoberfest in Virginia
Shenandoah Valley and Pembroke, Virginia

Virgina is for lovers — particularly lovers of mountain biking, beer, and breathtaking fall scenery. This weekend, hit some of the best bike trails in the Shenandoah Valley and the heart of Appalachia while catching the leaves at their peak fall colors. The Sherando Lake Loop, located in parts of both the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, is a serious trek, with almost 20 miles of rough roads and 1,000 feet of vertical climbing; while the Mount Rogers Loop in the heart of Appalachia is a bit more serene, offering eight miles of trails winding over creeks, meadows, and some majestic mountain peaks (virginia.org). After your ride, trade your helmet for a beer stein at the nearby Mountain Lake Hotel for their annual Oktoberfest. Here you can dig into a feast complete with roast pig, fresh-baked pastries, and sauerkraut. The jackpot, though, is the range of German ciders, wines, and beers available in the the hotel’s biergarten. You can take it all in — from the tasty grub to the sweeping mountain scenery — while listening to the authentic sounds of a live German oompah band (mountainlakehotel.com).

Accommodations and Travel: If you’re staying in the hotel, Oktoberfest is included in your daily package rate (starting at $450). Otherwise, it’s $35 for adults and $17.50 for kids. The event is limited to 200 people per night, so don’t forget to make reservations

Terlingua International Chili Championship
Terlingua, Texas

Spice up your weekend with the Terlingua International Chili Championship, the self-proclaimed granddaddy of all chili cook-offs. The event is the culmination of a week-long festival featuring live nightly entertainment, cooking contests (hot wings, anyone?), and plenty of Texas tequila and local brews. Sanctioned by the Chili Appreciation Society International, the competition will host nearly 200 teams that will be judged on showmanship and, of course, taste. The winning prize? A faux gold chili pepper trophy for the mantel and possibly the best damn bragging rights this side of the Mississippi ($30 for the week, $10 for Saturday; chili.org). Looking for something more than cut-throat chili cookin’? Take in the rugged Texas terrain by hiking through nearby Big Bend National Park, where you can spot 35 million-year-old fossils, the remains of historic Indian camps, and a whole range of wildlife that thrive within the canyons of this mountainous desert. Follow that up with a rafting trip along the Rio Grande (bigbendrivertours.com or visitbigbend.com).

Accommodations and Travel: Camping sites for the Terlingua International Chili Championship are available on a first come, first serve basis. And if camping isn’t your thing, there are limited motel rooms and RV parks in Terlingua, as well as the surrounding towns of Lajitas and Study Butte.

SanFran Ski and Snow Board Fest
San Francisco, California

Gear up for winter this weekend at the San Francisco Ski and Snowboard Festival, where you’ll find one of the biggest winter sales on the West Coast — snag brands from Burton to Blizzard to Roxy, interactive ski resort exhibits that help you book dream mountain getaways, and a snow play arena for some pre-season shredding. If you find your boarding skills are a little less than perfect, see how the experts do it at the freestyle rail jam exhibitions that take place three times each day. You and your fellow mountain sportsmen can then grab free one-day lift tickets — everybody who pays admission gets one — to test out what you’ve learned. The kicker? The fest will also feature beer and wine tastings to keep you hydrated through all the action (general admission is $20, admission with wine and beer is $40; sfskifest.com).

Accommodations and Travel: The event is held at the Fort Mason Center, located between Fisherman’s Wharf and the Golden Gate Bridge on San Francisco Bay at the intersection of Marina Boulevard and Buchanan Street. The hosts encourage using public transportation and carpooling arranged through ZipCar.

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