The Return: Introducing JAUNT Magazine's Autumn 2026 Issue

 New seasons. Fresh perspectives. The beauty of rediscovery.

By Danita Harris | Founder & Publisher, JAUNT Magazine

Autumn has always felt like a season of reflection.

As summer's long days give way to cooler mornings, changing landscapes, and a more intentional pace, we're reminded that every season offers an opportunity to see the world—and ourselves—a little differently.

It is with great pleasure that I introduce the Autumn 2026 issue of JAUNT Magazine: The Return.

This edition celebrates something I've come to appreciate more deeply with each passing year: the beauty of returning. Returning to places we love, experiences that ground us, traditions that connect us, and the people who remind us what matters most.

But returning doesn't mean standing still. Sometimes, it's how we discover something entirely new.

A Season to Experience More Intentionally

At JAUNT, we've always believed that travel is about more than destinations.

It's about culture, connection, access, discovery, and the experiences that shape how we live.

In this issue, we embrace autumn as an invitation to explore with greater intention.

From seasonal food and wine experiences to cultural discoveries, wellness, and purposeful travel, The Return brings together stories that celebrate the art of living well.

You'll find inspiration for journeys near and far, perspectives on meaningful experiences, and reminders that some of life's greatest luxuries are found in the moments we choose to savor.

Inside the Autumn Issue

This season, we're exploring several themes close to the heart of JAUNT.

The Art of Returning

What does it mean to revisit a place, a memory, or even a version of ourselves? We consider the emotional connection between travel, personal growth, and the familiar destinations that continue to call us back.

Wander With Purpose

Travel can open doors to deeper cultural understanding, meaningful relationships, and positive impact. We explore the value of experiences that offer something beyond a traditional vacation.

Food, Wine & Culture

Autumn brings its own extraordinary flavors and traditions. This issue celebrates the culinary experiences, creative voices, and cultural connections that make a destination memorable.

Wellness & the Journey

Travel and well-being are increasingly connected. We explore the importance of creating space for restoration, balance, and intentional living, including perspectives on women's wellness.

The JAUNT Travel Edit

We're also introducing The JAUNT Travel Edit, a curated collection of travel essentials and thoughtful finds designed to make the journey as enjoyable as the destination.

Because traveling well is as much about preparation and personal style as it is about where you're headed.

More Than a Magazine

JAUNT was created to celebrate a particular way of experiencing the world—one that values curiosity, culture, thoughtful hospitality, and meaningful access.

As we continue to grow, my vision is to build a community of readers who appreciate beautiful destinations but also want to understand the stories, people, and possibilities behind them.

Whether you're planning an international adventure, considering a weekend escape, discovering a new restaurant, or simply seeking inspiration for your next chapter, I hope you'll find something in these pages that speaks to you.

Your Invitation to Explore

The release of The Return marks another chapter in the JAUNT journey, and I'm delighted to share it with you.

I invite you to settle into your favorite chair, pour something wonderful, and spend a little time exploring the Autumn 2026 issue.

Perhaps you'll discover your next destination.

Perhaps you'll be inspired to revisit somewhere you've loved.

Or perhaps you'll simply be reminded that adventure doesn't always require traveling far.

Sometimes, it begins with seeing what's already around us through a new lens.

[READ JAUNT MAGAZINE | AUTUMN 2026 — THE RETURN]

Thank you for being part of our journey.

Here's to beautiful places, meaningful connections, and the extraordinary experiences still waiting to unfold.

The Art of Slowing Down: Finding Adventure Closer to Home

 Why the school year is my favorite reminder that meaningful travel doesn't always require a passport.

By Danita Harris | JAUNT Magazine

There's something about the beginning of the school year that naturally changes the rhythm of our lives.

Summer invites spontaneity. Longer days, open calendars, extended vacations, and the freedom to wander without constantly checking the clock. But once school begins, life settles into a different cadence. Morning routines return, homework becomes part of the evening, and weekends suddenly feel a little more precious.

As the mother of a school-age daughter, I've learned to appreciate this seasonal transition. Rather than trying to maintain our summer travel schedule throughout the academic year, we intentionally slow things down.

Our adventures become smaller, closer, and, in many ways, more meaningful.

Rediscovering What's Close to Home

Living in New York City means we're surrounded by extraordinary experiences, but some of our favorite escapes involve leaving the city's energy behind for the simplicity of the shoreline.

During the school year, we keep things relatively local. A visit to one of our nearby beaches, a scenic afternoon along the water, or an unhurried weekend away can provide exactly the change of scenery we need.

There's something restorative about the beach outside the height of summer. The crowds thin, the pace softens, and the shoreline takes on an entirely different personality.

We don't always need swimming weather to enjoy the ocean. Sometimes, a walk along the sand, the sound of the waves, and a little time together are enough.

These are the moments that remind me that travel isn't necessarily about distance. It's about creating space to experience something different.

The Four-Hour Rule

One of the guidelines I've embraced during the school year is keeping our weekend getaways within approximately four hours of home.

It's a simple approach that allows us to enjoy a change of scenery without turning a relaxing escape into an exhausting production.

Within that radius, there are charming coastal towns, countryside retreats, historic communities, scenic drives, and beautiful places to spend a night or two.

A Friday afternoon departure can lead to an entirely different environment by dinner. Saturday becomes a full day to explore, and Sunday still allows enough time to return home, unpack, and prepare for the week ahead.

The beauty of these shorter trips is that they don't require elaborate itineraries.

A lovely hotel, a memorable restaurant, an interesting neighborhood, and perhaps one planned activity can be more than enough.

I've come to appreciate the luxury of leaving room for nothing in particular.

Giving Children Room to Simply Be

As parents, it's easy to feel that every experience should be educational, enriching, or filled with activities.

But children also benefit from unstructured time.

A weekend away doesn't have to include a packed itinerary of museums, attractions, and scheduled excursions. Sometimes, the most memorable moments happen during an unexpected stop, a long conversation over breakfast, or an afternoon spent exploring without a particular destination.

During the school year, when so much of a child's day is organized around responsibilities and expectations, I believe there's real value in allowing travel to be uncomplicated.

It gives us both an opportunity to reconnect without the distractions of our usual routines.

And it reminds me that being present is often more important than being busy.

Luxury Is Having the Freedom to Slow Down

I've always appreciated beautiful destinations, thoughtful hospitality, and extraordinary experiences. But the more I travel, the more I recognize that luxury isn't defined solely by where we go or how much we spend.

Sometimes, luxury is a Saturday morning without an alarm.

It's breakfast overlooking the water, a leisurely walk through a small town, or discovering a wonderful restaurant we hadn't planned to visit.

It's choosing a destination because it feels restorative rather than because it's trending.

And perhaps most importantly, it's returning home feeling refreshed instead of needing another vacation to recover.

That, to me, is an experience worth pursuing.

A Different Kind of Travel Season

Our school-year travel philosophy isn't about giving up adventure. It's about allowing adventure to take a different form.

There will always be opportunities for longer journeys, international discoveries, and ambitious itineraries. Those experiences remain an important part of how I want my daughter to see and understand the world.

But there's also beauty in embracing the season we're in.

For now, that means nearby beaches, weekend drives, spontaneous discoveries, and destinations close enough that Monday morning doesn't feel overwhelming.

It means finding joy in the familiar while remaining curious about what's just beyond our doorstep.

Because sometimes the most meaningful journeys aren't the ones that take us farthest from home.

They're the ones that give us the space to slow down, reconnect, and appreciate the life we're building along the way.

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JAUNT | Travel. Culture. Access.

Travel beautifully. Live intentionally. Discover everywhere.

Charleston: Where History, Family and Legacy Meet

 Some trips are about discovering somewhere new. Others become meaningful because of who is standing beside you when you experience them.

Our annual family vacation to Charleston became the latter.

I had been to Charleston before, but this visit felt different. I was traveling with my daughter and my father, now 82, and my mom over the course of the trip we encountered pieces of American history, African American history and our own family history in ways I hadn't anticipated.

Charleston is a city that makes it difficult to separate those things.

Returning to a Changing Charleston

We stayed on King Street, which gave us a wonderful vantage point from which to experience the city.

What struck me immediately was the growth. Charleston's historic architecture and unmistakable Southern character remain, but alongside them is a city continuing to develop—new businesses, hospitality, restaurants and people discovering the region for themselves.

We wandered through the historic Charleston City Market and took a horse-and-carriage tour with Old South Carriage Company, allowing us to slow down and experience the streets rather than simply move through them.

That pace suited this trip.

There was nowhere we particularly needed to rush.

A Return to a Special Table

One evening brought me somewhere I'd been before for an entirely different reason.

We returned to the restaurant where I had celebrated my anniversary in February.

There can be something bittersweet about returning to places attached to another moment in your life. But this wasn't.

The memories were good.

I could appreciate what that dinner and that time represented without needing the present to look exactly like the past. Now I was there making another memory, this time as part of our family vacation.

Travel has a funny way of doing that.

Places become bookmarks in our lives.

Fort Sumter—and a Moment I Won't Forget

The highlight of Charleston for me was our visit to Fort Sumter National Monument. Fort Sumter is inseparable from the story of the Civil War, but the history of the site reaches beyond the familiar story of the first shots fired there. Enslaved people were among those whose labor was used in the construction of the fort.

Standing there as a Black family therefore carried its own weight. 

But then history became personal.

My father is a retired United States Marine. At 81 during our visit—and now 82—he was given the opportunity to help lower the American flag.

I watched him help fold and roll it.

A Black man. A Marine. A father and grandfather. Standing inside a fort constructed in part through enslaved labor, participating in the care of the flag of the country he served.

And his daughter and granddaughter were there to witness it.

There are moments you plan on vacation.

And then there are moments you could never have planned.

That was one of them.