• Caleb Kenna
• Route 9 in Marlboro

We're entering the season for which Vermont is world-famous. "When autumn visits Vermont, there might not be a prettier state in America," writes Travel + Leisure. Yet when was the last time you took a gondola ride up a mountain to appreciate fall foliage? If that sounds like something only tourists would do, it's time to reconsider how you experience your home state.

This year, a global pandemic has turned the travel industry on its head. But when staying close to home is advisable, why not take the opportunity to see your state with fresh eyes? Go on, do what the tourists would — if only they could.

October's Staytripper steers you to classic autumnal activities: apple picking, foliage hikes, pumpkin patches. But we also encourage reaching deeper during your explorations, whether it's contemplating America's racial reckoning while visiting Hildene, the Lincoln family home in Manchester, or paying tribute to our frontline medical workers at this year's Great Vermont Corn Maze in Danville.

2020 has brought unexpected detours, but here's to falling for Vermont all over again.