The HomeExchange Blog

Three hours from Chicago, Galena, Illinois packs 1,000 historic buildings, nine Civil War generals, and an October fair into one Mississippi River town.

Bayfield, Wisconsin’s ten orchards open fall first. Its 64th Apple Festival (Oct 2-4) draws 60,000+ visitors and a USA Today top-10 harvest festival nod.

Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta returns October 3-11, 2026, with a Route 66 centennial theme, 500+ balloons, and a citywide road construction pause.

Baxter State Park spans over 200,000 acres in Maine’s North Woods, four times the size of Acadia, with fall colors arriving weeks before Portland’s coast.

Plainfield, New Jersey advanced a third short-term rental ordinance in ten months, capping stays at 15 a year and barring non-owner-occupied rentals.

Portsmouth, Virginia currently has no rules for short-term rentals. A draft ordinance would require owner-occupancy and a zoning permit for the first time.

Congaree National Park has never charged an entrance fee, yet it remains America’s 10th least-visited park. The NPS turns 110 on August 25, 2026.

Pensacola Beach, Florida, just topped a nationwide ranking of the 100 most accessible U.S. vacation towns, scoring 91.3 out of 100, ahead of Gatlinburg.

Franklin Township, NJ adopted Ordinance 4516-26 on August 11, 2026: a $250 permit, $500,000 insurance, and a 3% tax on every short-term rental stay.

Merrillville, Indiana has zero local rules for Airbnb and Vrbo hosts, just the state’s 7% sales tax and innkeeper’s tax. That changes on August 18, 2026.

Metamora, Michigan celebrates 45 years of its Country Days & Hot Air Balloon Festival on August 28-29, 2026, with more than 20 hot air balloons filling the sky.

A WhatsApp scam using real hotel names, stay dates, and confirmation numbers from an April 2026 Booking.com leak is still active, Spanish authorities warn.

Townsend, Tennessee just hosted its 8th Great Smoky Mountains Hot Air Balloon Festival, only 7 miles from Cades Cove and the peaceful side of the Smokies.

More than 150 travelers arrived in Italy this summer only to find the seaside home they’d paid for didn’t exist. Now Booking.com itself faces scrutiny.

Southwest launched its first nonstop service between Las Vegas and Hilo on August 6, 2026, opening direct access to Hawaii’s quieter Big Island side.

Cambridge’s Planning Board wants to cap short-term rentals at 90 days a year. Here’s why a home exchange never has to count the days, register, or pay a fine.