Early-American-Style Bed and Breakfast amid Bright Fall Foliage

The historic town of Smithville is just a 20-minute drive from Atlantic City, but can feel like it’s from a different century. Cobblestone streets, footbridges, and early-American-style specialty stores hark back to the days before the Revolutionary War. Kids can even hop on an old-fashioned carousel. Situated in the heart of town, the Colonial Inn fits in nicely with these surroundings. Each individually decorated guest room captures the simplicity and elegance of the olden days with quilted bedspreads and solid-wood furnishings.

The inn has a number of different rooms on its property; for this Getaway, you have the choice of staying at the inn or in the barn. Each features period decor counterbalanced by comfortable, modern amenities, such as steam showers in the private bathrooms and TVs with DVD players. A breakfast of muffins and juice is served in the morning. Later, you can snack on cookies and tea in the lobby.

This Groupon includes a tasting for two at Tomasello Winery, an award-winning local institution known for its ice wine. If you're visiting between late November and early January, you can check out Smithville's holiday light show. The nightly display features thousands of lights set to festive tunes.

Galloway Township, New Jersey: Atlantic City Neighbor Home to Historic District

Galloway Township is a rural seaside community hiding in the shadows of party-centric Atlantic City. It is perhaps best known as the home of the historic town of Smithville, whose cobblestone village square has restaurants, an arcade, and old-timey shops selling tea, candles, and sweets. Just step outside the Colonial Inn for a walking tour of the square, or you can take the family to get a full view of the town by riding paddleboats in the town marina. In the fall, it's worth driving through the area to see the lovely fall foliage.

A 20-minute drive will bring you to Atlantic City and its iconic boardwalk, which stretches for 6 miles along New Jersey's eastern coast. Originally built in 1870 to keep sand out of hotel lobbies, the boardwalk grew in popularity as a place where you could drink and gamble during Prohibition without much trouble from the police, as depicted in HBO's Boardwalk Empire. The boardwalk is still popular for its casinos, but it's family-friendly, too; visitors are just as inclined to sit at the beach or stop at one of the many carnival rides.

On the boardwalk, it's worth it to check out the Absecon Lighthouse, which is more than 150 years old. It's possible to climb its 228 steps to the top, which features sweeping views of the city skyline and the sea. Down at the base, you'll find a replica of the original light keeper's lonely cloister and the collection of sock puppets he created to keep him company.