Williamsburg is a great place to go in the fall. Great historical sites, fall colors, and if you go during Halloween, they have really neat ghost tours.

Do you want to go overseas? Shopping and museums suggest cities such as London, Paris, or Rome. If you want to stay stateside, Boston, NYC, DC, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, or LA come to mind. Of course just about any large US city would fit the bill. Personally, my idea of a great vacation is an Alaskan cruise. Not so much on museums or shopping, but what natural beauty!

You could always climb Mt Kilimanjaro. Most expeditions take place in the fall. Here are some trips w/ prices: http://www.climbingkilimanjaro.com/prices.htm

We love the outdoors, but also love shopping and museums. So we would be open to almost anything!

Are you looking for an outdoor adventure or a leisurely spot to soak in the sun?

I am completely indifferent to flying or driving or location.

I was just giving a starting point because it may effect people's ideas as getting to certain places may take a while.

Are you planning on driving or flying, or does it not make a difference? Also, were you implying that you wanted to stay around the east coast?