Best USA Places: Visit These This September
New season, new reason to explore the USA
As summer’s slower rhythms give way to the return of work and routine, autumn in USA can feel like an ideal opportunity for a quick reset before the year gathers pace again.
For travellers willing to look beyond the obvious, North America offers an abundance of natural beauty that makes recalibration feel effortless, from the Berkshires fall foliage to Sedona's hiking trails and the rugged coastline of Big Sur.
Priority Pass tip: Prepare for the journey ahead with relaxing in-flight meditations and guided workouts from TrvlWell in the Priority Pass App.
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Regroup in the Berkshires
The Berkshires in rural western Massachusetts are arguably at their most alluring in autumn, when the foliage turns the landscape vivid shades of red, orange and gold.
Inspiring scenery and crisp, cooler air create ideal conditions for clearing your mind, and there are plenty of opportunities to regroup throughout the season. Look out for wellness retreats in the Berkshires marking National Yoga Month, including structured meditation, well-being workshops and immersive experiences in nature. Explore activities such as waterfall meditation hikes, forest bathing and mindful birding, all designed to help you slow down and connect with nature.
The peaceful surroundings and absence of distraction make focus feel easy, which means the region is also an excellent choice for team building or leadership workshops. A few days of early morning walks among the trees and evenings with no set agenda produce the kind of clarity that a week of meetings rarely can, making the Berkshires one of the best places to visit in the USA in September.
Ground yourself in Sedona's red rocks
Come September, the temperatures in Arizona have dropped enough to make Sedona’s renowned hiking trails enjoyable. The light has shifted, drawing greater attention to the colours, textures and scale of the almost ethereal red rock landscape.
Sedona’s trails range from accessible ridge walks offering expansive views of dramatic rock shapes and vibrant colours, to more demanding descents that require enough focus to crowd out everything else. The presence needed to navigate difficult terrain is what more serious hikers come for, as much as the scenery.
Before the trails of Sedona demand your full attention, Priority Pass Escape Lounges at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport offer a considered first pause – a calm, well-appointed space to eat well, settle into the journey and arrive energised rather than rushed.
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Recharge your creativity on the Big Sur coast
Big Sur’s relationship with serious creative work is long and well-documented, with the likes of Jack Kerouac, John Steinbeck and other esteemed writers, artists and photographers having honed their craft along California’s world-famous stretch of rugged, mountainous coastline.
In September, this Big Sur creative legacy becomes more apparent when the fog pulls back and the summer traffic thins. Studio residencies and creative workshops run throughout autumn, but they are almost secondary to what the coastline itself provides: a scale and silence that make creative challenges feel, if not smaller, at least more approachable.
The drive along Highway 1 is part of the experience, a gradual transition from packed schedules and familiar routines. In a landscape like this, some of the most valuable moments are the ones you do not plan for, so leave room in the itinerary for a few detours on your Big Sur road trip.
Used well, a meaningful September getaway in North America can leave you better equipped for the final months of the year, with a clearer head and renewed focus. And if the surroundings inspire you to pen a masterpiece of your own, put that creative energy to work at an Upflex workspace, available through your Priority Pass Membership.
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