We get it, it’s November and you’re going home for Thanksgiving. Sure, one way to think about November travel is through the lens of the holiday. It’s family and turkey trots and belly laughs and unbuttoning the top button of your pants at 12 p.m. because you’re already bloating. Another, equally valid way to think about November is as a last refuge. The holidays and all of their stress don’t begin until the end of the month, the election hoopla can justify any kind of getaway, and even as winter approaches, some regions of the country still hold out sunshine. What we’re saying is: in November, you still have at least three — three! — solid weekends to do whatever the hell you want. It’s too early for winter sports, so why not escape to warmer weather or to a city you’ve always dreamed of exploring but never had an excuse to visit. And if you need to escape your family, we get that, too. Whatever the reason you hit the road, here are four places we recommend in November.
Austin
If you’re looking to prepare for Thanksgiving gluttony, let Austin be your homebase in November, when food festivals abound in and around the sunny city. Wurstfest, one of our top fall festivals from Issue 7, is the brainchild of a local meat inspector and channels Texas’s German immigrant history into an Oktoberfest-style festival brimming with polka-dancing and sausage. The fest runs the first 10 days of the month in New Braunfels, about 45 minutes away from Austin. Next, try a different genre of meat at the Texas Monthly BBQ Fest in Lockhart, the state’s barbecue mecca just 40 minutes away. Finally, for variety, hit up the Austin Food & Wine Festival organized by Food & Wine. You’re all but guaranteed to find some (probably needed) vegetables there. It’s not all binge eating and meat sweats in Austin, though. Our readers have consistently voted the city one of the best in America for live music, and Austin is a national leader in hotels with good vibes. For example, the recently revamped Austin Motel and the Hotel Saint Cecilia.
Biloxi, Miss.
With a jam packed festival schedule, including Electric Daisy Carnival Orlando, Florida risks getting pretty crowded in November. So if raving and feeling other people’s breath on your neck isn’t your thing, don’t go. Instead, explore an underrated section of the Gulf Coast: Biloxi, Miss. Dubbed “the secret coast,” this is one of those beach towns you feel like you can disappear into. The casinos here will do the trick, of course, but you can lose yourself just as well along the shore, which stays relatively warm year around. Check out the West Biloxi Beach Boardwalk for classic beachtown sunbathing, and for less perturbed nature, spend an afternoon at the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Biloxi is known for its seafood industry, and you’d be remiss not to waste an hour or three slurping fresh shrimp and having a cocktail. Or go ahead, spring for four hours of seafood and tropical drinks, if not an entire day — at no point will you feel in a rush.
Oklahoma City, Okla.
When everybody else points their compass north (or to more popular fall destinations) go south, specifically to Oklahoma City, a place far more interesting than it’s given credit for. Let’s start with the dining scene. Nonesuch’s house-made dan dan noodles won the hearts of Bon Appetit critics, earning it the magazine’s title of best new restaurant in the U.S. in 2018, and Grey Sweater chef Andrew Black won the 2023 James Beard award for Best Chef Southwest. The street art here is also top tier with an annual mural festival, Plaza Walls, that has gained the city national recognition. But don’t think OKC has traded its cowboy spirit for sophistication. Yes, you can take in all the nightlife, trendy restaurants and art galleries in Bricktown and the Paseo Arts District, but you should also stop by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum with its more than 28,000 artifacts and art pieces from the frontier. Wherever you go, a cowboy hat will still fit right in.
Palm Springs, Calif.
In viral documentary du jour “Chimp Crazy,” Alan Cumming describes Palm Springs as, and we paraphrase, full of gays and old people — two groups that have mastered the art of relaxing by the pool. It is this beautiful local culture, plus the temperate weather, that makes Palm Springs an ideal place for chilling out in November. Fittingly, this city is another one with a strong hotel game, counting among its ranks the Ace Hotel Palm Springs, which we named as one of our Greatest Hotels Ever. The weather in November remains balmy, so put on some shorts and hang out outside, whether that be by a man-made body of water, in the manicured lawns of the PGA West golf course or in the zen desert landscape of nearby Joshua Tree National Park. While you’re at it, look up at the sky: with its very low light pollution, the desert, and especially Joshua Tree, is a remarkable place for stargazing.
