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The heat waves rolling across the country have us dreaming of the colorful leaves and crisp temperatures of autumn. In anticipation of the season, 10Best is looking for the best fall destinations, attractions and experiences, and we need your help.
Vote for your fall favorites once per day, per category to help us crown a winner. The contest closes on Monday, August 24 at noon ET, and the winners will be announced on 10Best on Friday, September 4 (just in time for the start of fall).
Click on each category below to vote:
Best Apple Orchard
Pick your own produce at these orchards — Photo courtesy of iStock / Marcus Lindstrom
The first apple orchard in the U.S. was planted in 1625 near Boston’s Beacon Hill. Today, more than 7,500 growers are producing apples in all 50 states (according to the U.S. Apple Association). That’s 240 million bushels of apples each year.
Since each individual apple must be hand-picked during the autumn harvest season, many orchards open their gates for visitors to come and pick their own, often with added autumn entertainment.
Best Corn Maze
These mazes offer a fun and family-friendly challenge — Photo courtesy of iStock / Jodi Jacobson
Each autumn, farms across the United States transform their cornfields into interactive mazes, perfect for a fall family outing. There are more than 500 of these mazes across the nation, but 10Best Editors have narrowed it down to 20 of the most exemplary, both for the quality of the maze itself and for the wealth of other activities on offer.
Best Destination for Fall Foliage
Where’s your favorite place for leaf peeping? — Photo courtesy of iStock / DenisTangneyJr
As summer winds to a close, temperatures will begin to drop as Mother Nature gears up for her annual spectacle of fall color. ‘Tis the season for leaf-peeping, and USA TODAY 10Best Editors have selected their 20 favorite destinations.
Vote: Best Destination for Fall Foliage »
Best Ghost Tour
History and haunts go hand in hand on these tours — Photo courtesy of iStock / VisionsbyAtlee
Where there’s history, there are often haunts. Ghost tours offer thrills and chills, but also a unique insight into the history of a destination and the famous people who’ve lived there (and maybe still do). We’ve picked out 20 tours from coast to coast as nominees for Best Ghost Tour, and now we need your help naming a winner!
Best Haunted Destination
Are these locations haunted? See for yourself — Photo courtesy of iStock / BDphoto
The United States is filled with purportedly haunted locations, each with their own ghost stories and paranormal occurrences.
Vote: Best Haunted Destination »
Best Haunted Hotel
Some guests at these haunted hotels never checked out — Photo courtesy of iStock / RonTech2000
Ghostly apparitions, faucets turning off and on, flickering lights, and eerie sounds are just a few of the things you may encounter at one of these hotels, where certain guests have checked in but never checked out.
Remember, you can vote once per day in each category. The 10 nominees with the most votes in each category will be announced on 10Best.com on Friday, September 4.
