Five Destinations to Explore this Labor Day Weekend

New fall edition travel planner offers road trip inspiration

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Sep 03, 2015, 10:59 ET

SKOKIE, Ill., Sept. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Embrace fall! With Labor Day and the unofficial close of summer arriving, Rand McNally editors offer up these five inspirational trips to ease the transition into the autumn season.

If you're looking for incentive to pack up the car, consider this: Gas prices are trending about $1 under what a gallon cost last year,* making travel more affordable. These trips and more can be found in Rand McNally's fall edition of its Best of the Road® U.S. Travel Planner & Atlas:

Rand McNally is the country's most trusted source for maps, navigation, and travel content. For 160 years, Rand McNally has been developing and launching innovative products for the consumer, transportation, and education markets.

Monterey, Calif.
Monterey's highs of 70s this time of year make it a great place to bid farewell to summer and welcome fall. Take in Cannery Row (www.canneryrow.com) shops, restaurants, and nightspots in the one-time sardine canneries, or check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium (886 Cannery Row, 831-648-4800, www.montereybayaquarium.org), featuring exhibits on sea otters, sharks, jellyfish—and sardines, of course.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art – Bentonville, Ark.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (600 Museum Way, 479-418-5700, crystalbridges.org) includes great views of native Ozark forest and galleries with works by American masters like Norman Rockwell, Winslow Homer, and Edward Hopper. Take time to enjoy more than 3.5 miles of trails winding through Crystal Bridges' 120-acre site.

Bennington, Vt.
Bennington offers scenery and charm in the Green Mountains in the state's southwestern corner. A great first stop is the Bennington Center for the Arts Covered Bridge Museum (44 Gypsy Lane, 802-442-7158, www.thebennington.org), which features an interactive kiosk to plan a tour of covered bridges.

Peak-to-Peak Highway/Scenic Byway – Estes Park area of Colorado
Looking for a scenic drive? Colorado's Peak to Peak Highway is flanked by Continental Divide vistas along 55 miles. A good stop is Estes Park near the Rocky Mountain National Park on the byway's northern edge.

Deadwood, S.D.
Take in some Wild West lore. An 1874 expedition led by Gen. George Custer found gold here and drew throngs of prospectors. Original Deadwood Tours (677 Main St., 605-578-2091, originaldeadwoodtour.com) take you through the storied streets.

The fall atlas is available at store.randmcnally.com as well as at bookstores and other online and storefront retailers.

*Source: gasbuddy.com

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SOURCE Rand McNally