Eight Fall Favorites in New England

Well, summer is almost officially over with fall ushering in on Friday.  As always, I am sad to see summer go but, I have to remember that I love fall, too! It is my second favorite season and living here in New England there are tons of fun, fun things to look forward to with the new season approaching.  Here are a few of my fall favorites:

1.  Apple Picking~
       
          Every fall I try to make it to at least one apple orchard with all or, at least, some of my family.  The apple orchards always make the visit worth the trip.  They often have a farm stand or even a farm store in which to buy all sorts of things including a family favorite ~ cider donuts.  Some have cornstalk or hay bale mazes and most have apple cider and pumpkins to purchase.  One of the orchards we frequent even sells its own apple wine!  Apple picking is an absolute must in New England.  Not to mention the homemade apple pies that are expected after the visit!

2.  Hayrides~

Another fun fall activity and often part of the apple picking experience is taking a hayride.  Sometimes the ride takes you further into the orchard in order to pick more apples and sometimes it is simply a ride around the orchard just for the pleasure of the experience :).  Our family has even been known to take a hay ride at our favorite animal farm to see all the cute animals.

3. Picking Out a Pumpkin~

          Another must-do for fall is picking out the perfect pumpkin!  No self-respecting New England house would go without an orange pumpkin on its front step ;).

4.  A Crisp Autumn Walk~

          I am not going to try to tell you that I am avid walker or nature-enthusiast but, when the air gets crisp and the leaves start to turn colors of orange and yellow I do like to take a walk in the woods or on the trails of our local Gibbet Hill here in Groton.  My husband and I try to fit in a few of these trips if we can manage it.

5.  Leaf Peeping~

          Of course, if you are from New England or not, you know about leaf peeping.  I don't know about other parts of the country as far as leaf peeping goes but, I do know that in the fall there is a constant display of beautiful leaves all over New England, even in my own backyard.  Most of the time we take a two hour trip north to New Hampshire to see the changing leaves and beautiful mountains but, if for some reason we don't make it that far north, I can always find beautiful vistas close by.

6.  Fall Decorations~

          I know that this next one is not limited to New England.  All across the country people are decorating their homes and businesses for fall.  It's awesome!  I just happen to know how pretty it looks around here and I look forward to the display every year.  I love the cornstalks, the pumpkins, the mums...all of it! Something else to look forward to in the fall~

7.  Football~

       Football begins to be an obsession as the leaves start to change colors... for many reasons.  Kids start playing the game on their organized town teams, families play pick-up games in the backyard and, as a whole, New Englanders spend a lot of time on their sofas watching the New England Patriots.  I know I am treading on thin ice even mentioning the Patriots.  I have learned from Boston sports radio and my son-in-law (who is a Giants fan) that the rest of the country does not like the Patriots very much.  However, the fact is, the Patriots are my team and watching the games on Sunday afternoons surrounded by my family brings me great joy, as I am sure watching your favorite team does you, too.  So, I hope you don't mind the Patriots flag photo :).

8.  Halloween~

          And finally, what would fall be without Halloween?  I love Halloween but not for the goblins and scary things.  I love it because I usually get to spend it joining some of my grandchildren as they collect candy around their neighborhood.  This means I have to leave a large bowl of candy on my front porch before I head out for the one or two trick-or-treaters that might come by my house but, it is no big deal because I have a great time seeing my grandchildren all dressed up in their costumes and enjoying themselves.

My favorite part of the whole night is when the kids go to the elder-assisted home in my son's neighborhood.  It is the cutest thing!  All the senior residents are seated in a circle in the home's living room, each with their own bowl of candy ready to be handed out to the kids.  All of it is under complete supervision by caretakers and parents but, the happiness on the resident's faces makes me smile every year.  It is the highlight of the evening.

My biggest fear is as my grandchildren get older they won't invite me to come along anymore!  As long as I am invited, I am going :)!!!

Well, there you have it~~some of my fall favorites.  What are some of yours?

Joining in at these link parties:
Feathered Nest Friday ~ Create, bake, grow & gather ~ Grandma's House DIY
The Scoop ~ Silver Pennies Sundays