We love autumn; it is our favorite season! A season of vivid change, crisp morning air, cooler temperatures and layered fashion, it has everything we love! Not only is autumn visually spectacular, but it is packed with tons of indoor and outdoor activities. So, as we get ready to celebrate Autumnal Equinox (in the northern hemisphere) this weekend, we would like to share a list of fall activities to that is sure to keep your weekends exciting, fun, relaxing while ensuring there are plenty of photo ops!
Foliage Road Trips
This is the time of the year we are grateful to be living so close to New England, because foliage in New England is like no other. Each year, we take careful measures to time our leaf peeping road trip to coincide with the peak of foliage at a new location in the Northeast. Last year, we headed to the Acadia National Park in Maine. This year we will headed down to Smokey Mountains in Tennessee (a departure from our usual Northeast destination).
Acadia National Park, Maine
Corn Maze
If you have not gotten lost in a corn maze, you are underestimating how much fun it can be! It’s basically doing a puzzle, live!
Pumpkin Picking
We go to the patch every year, surround ourselves with pumpkins of all shapes and sizes for yet another photo op, but never seem to bring one home. We intend to change that this year.
Pumpkin Carving
We always thought it was too much work, but we have been told otherwise. Turns out, it can be quite easy and loads of fun. We are making our first one this year, if you have not tried it yet, you should too!
Apple Picking
Even if you do not particularly love apples, apple picking is a classic autumn activity for the family. We love strolling the orchards and filling our bucket with the various types of apples for the all the different apple filled cuisines we will make this season.
Sun High Orchard
Hot Air Balloon
For those of you lucky enough to live in regions where hot air ballooning is present this time of the year, how spectacular for you! We can only imagine how wonderful the morning (or evening) air must feel up in the sky during the best weather season.
Hay Ride
Hay rides are often dismissed as a “kid activity” by adults but they bring out the kid in you, so go on, hop on one during a sunny autumn day, or better yet, wait until the Halloween haunted rides start in your town and ride one at night!
Halloween
It’s around the corner! You’ve got a little more a month to get all your halloween gears ready for the big day. We know many people dislike Halloween (we are often one of those people), but we have found focusing on something creative to be is quite fun!
Hiking
We are a mixed level hiker duo (Kapil, a proficient hiker and Saadia, barely classified as a hiker), and autumn makes us want to put on our our hiking shoes and start exploring off into the woods, mountains, anything that will enable us to see more colors!
Grand Canyon, Arizona
Reading
Summer is pegged as the ideal season for book reading, but we think autumn gets quite jipped in that regards. Yes, its nice to read a good book while having the ocean as your backdrop, but it is equally peaceful to read on the porch/balcony, on a picnic mat in the park, at the summit of a mountain top, or just by the window on a slightly chilly autumn day. Looking for a book club to join? Try Reese’s Book Club by Hello Sunshine and if you are looking for a place to get great books each month, try Book of the Month!
Haunted House/Pententaries/Plays
For those who love a good scare, these are great places to visit this time of the year. We know that in the NY-Tri state area, we have no shortage of any of these. In fact, if you live in this area, check out the Eastern State Penitentiary Nightime Haunted House. We recently went to Sleep No More, an interactive and spectacular “show” that we highly recommend! Wear good pair of shoes.
Baking
Who doesn’t love the smell of baked goods around the house during the colder weather months? Apple pies, pumpkin pies, coffee cakes, apple cider donuts, cinnamon rolls, muffins, cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, apple cider pancakes, oatmeal cookies, apple crisps, danishes, pastries, scones, banana breads, pumpkin breads, from scratch granolas, sweet and savory turnovers, brownies, toffee pudding, and of course all things caramel and nuts! Wow, we are seriously hungry after writing that list.
Cabin Weekend Getaways
These are the absolute best! The smell of wood burning stove (or fireplace), cozying up in a cabin with big windows and a colorful view. Ah, we can already smell the smores! Want to knock it up a notch? Then head to Finland and enjoy a Finnish Sauna followed up by dip in the ice hole; exhilarating!
Rovaniemi, Finland
Home Decorating
The start of all the holidays have begun! It’s the perfect beginning to home decorating. Bring out the scarecrows, the fall harvest signs, the ghosts and ghouls, pumpkins, mums, garlands and all. Ah, so beautiful. It’s also our favorite time of the year to stalk up on all the autumn scented candles. Candles are best suited for fall and winter, because lighting candle in the spring and summer just makes the room(s) warmer on an already warm/hot day. We stick to non-toxic candles only and our subscription to Vellabox is one of our favorite ways to obtain them.
Fall Festivals
There is at least one fall festival happening near a village, town or city near you! You must check out your local listing and attend as many as you can this season. The atmosphere is incredibly cozy and the foods are the local bests! Don’t you want that powdered sugar apple cider donut with a cup of warm cider? Of course, you do!
Halloween
Thanksgiving
We declare this the best holiday for everyone despite their religious background. It’s a holiday mean to for being grateful and giving thanks. So eat heartily and spend time with your loved ones, we say. And if you live in the states, well Black Friday might as well be a holiday too!
Drinking Cider and Hot Cocoa
The cooler weather means you want some warm yumminess in your tummy. Drinking cider and hot cocoa are so soothing to the soul, whether you are busy running errands or kicking up your feet and relaxing.
St Paul de Vence, France
Ice Skating
About mid-way through autumn, most ice skating rinks open up for the season. It’s a great time to go ice skating before everyone else comes out full force during winter.
Winery
A visit to the vineyard to see the harvesting of wine, while sipping some, of course, is a wonderful way to spend these cooler temperature days.
Biking
We love riding a bike in autumn because as your body warms up from the physical activity, it provides the perfect complimentary feel to the outside air. Breathing in the fresh morning air during a bike riding session can feel very liberating.
Train Rides
Whether it’s Amtrak, Eurail, Swiss Rail, SNCF, Scandinavian Rail, Trans-Siberian rail way, China Railway, Indian Railway, or the local town train, just hop on one and see your country from a different perspective. With the leaves turning, you’re in for a treat no matter what the stop ahead is!
White Mountain, New Hampshire
Afternoon Tea
Ah, Saadia’s favorite custom adopted from the English culture. Although we go to a lot of afternoon tea outing in the summer, autumn is the better suited season for tea, scones and finger sandwiches. Kapil gets dragged into it every now and again, and as reluctant as he may be to participate, he always has a great time sipping tea and taking it slow.
Picnic
Another traditionally known as a summer activity, we think is better suited for the autumn atmosphere. In the summer, it can be hot, humid, and generally uncomfortable to be sitting under the sun for a picnic. But in autumn, the weather is so much more inviting for a picnic in the park, on the mountains, in the woods, by the lake, or in your backyard!
Shopping
This is the best time to go shopping. One of Kapil’s passion is fashion. He loves the fabrics, textures, layering items and colors that enter this season. The perfect pair of boots or a stylish overcoat are his staple pieces to invest in. This is also Saadia’s favorite fashion season and she celebrates my restocking her wardrobe with a few of her favorite items (boots, scarves, plaids, tights, fluffy socks, and sweater dresses). One thing they both love about fall fashion is the creativity the season lends itself with layering materials.
Travel
Last but not least, it’s our favorite season to travel! Generally off season for most destinations, so there are deals galore and far less crowds anywhere you go (almost)! We love the seasonal changes around the world and truly enjoy soaking in designation that are nature friendly during this time of the year.
Neuschwanstein, Bavaria, Germany
So there they are, our top 25 Autumn Musts! What are yours? Share below or on any of our social media platforms!
Happy Autumn!
