Autumn is definitely one of my favorite seasons. The autumn foliage with the yellow, red and orange colors makes the days look warmer and brighter, while they actually get chillier and darker. During the moody rainy days your home seems to become extra cozy. The scent of rain, moist forest soil and leaves floats through the air. Nostalgic vibes are taking over. But how to experience autumn at its best?
Since it is still rather difficult to travel, I decided to write an article, to show you don’t need to travel far to experience autumn at its best! You can probably enjoy it to the fullest right around the corner!
How to experience autumn at its best (from home)
Pick the perfect pumpkin at a pumpkin farm
You can’t think of autumn without pumpkins. Even if you are not American and don’t celebrate Halloween, pumpkins are always associated with autumn. So visiting a pumpkin farm or pumpkin patch to pick the perfect pumpkin for cooking or decorating should not be missing from your list of autumn activities!
There are a lot of countries who have pumpkin growers! I didn’t even know we had them in Belgium, until I started researching! I found out that there was a town that even organizes pumpkin festivities and a weighting competition! Not this year of course, but the pumpkins keep growing, Corona or not. So I contacted one of the growers and visited the pumpkin fields. I even got to see the pumpkin giants that participate in the weighting competition!
There was also a pumpkin garden where I learned numerous kinds of pumpkins exist (over 142!). Not only do they differentiate in color and shape, some are edible, others are meant for decoration only.
So next year I will definitely attend the festivities and look for pumpkin farms! I know there are a lot of them in the Netherlands and Germany. But I am sure, if you live elsewhere, you’ll find them in your country too (If the climate allows it). At the farms you can often find beautiful pumpkin displays which offer plenty of cute photo opportunities!
HOW DID PUMPKINS BECAME A POPULAR AUTUMN “FEATURE”?
Pumpkins used to be a food of last resort among the colonial American settlers. When there was no bread or beer, they’d turn to the pumpkin. While pumpkin beer is considered a seasonal treat today, back then it was a shoddy substitute. But pumpkins grew everywhere, so everyone tended to stash them away for emergencies.
When people started to move to the cities mid-19th century, nostalgia for the old way of life blossomed, including the longing for pumpkins! So the vegetable was rebranded and romanticized. Pumpkins became a treat and from then on became more and more popular!
Go for a walk in the forest
Autumn is my favorite time of the year to walk in the forest! Like Victoria Erickson wrote; If a year was tucked inside of a clock, then autumn would be the magic hour. And I can’t agree more!
A walk in the forest is a must to experience autumn at its best! The autumn foliage transforms the forest into a second Spring with every leaf being a flower*. With a more nostalgic vibe though, instead of the feeling of new beginnings. Leaves are whirling down freely, taking their time for their first and only journey towards the moist forest ground.
The ground becomes the final resting place for leaves, chestnuts, acorns, pine cones and blown off branches. But it also becomes the life source for toadstools and berry bushes. A walk during this time of year becomes a game looking for toadstools and other treasures of nature! It makes me feel like a little child and I am not ashamed to admit that I love leaping into leaves!
Walking under a red and golden roof of leaves, while soaking up the scent of the moist soil with the sound of the leaves crunching under your feet, gives an ultimate feeling of happiness, don’t you agree?
I am sure there is a forest or a park nearby, where you can have all the experiences I mentioned above!
Experience autumn at its best in the city
Also experiencing autumn in the city can be fun! Suddenly tree lined streets become more charming because of the autumn foliage. Old houses become more mysterious on a moody day and radiate nostalgia. Some people or stores might decorate their facades.
Make a walk through the city. Wander around old town streets that give you that nostalgic feeling. Find a cute cafe where you can warm yourself with hot coco or a pumpkin spice latte!
Decorate your home
Why wait for Christmas to decorate your home? Get pumpkins and treasures from the woods like chestnuts, acorns and leaves and use them to decorate the house or go shopping for autumn decorations. Buy some autumn colored candles with scents like cinnamon, woods, fig, berries, warm spices, pumpkin chai,… If you are really into the autumn pumpkin madness you can even carve a pumpkin and use it to decorate your porch or living room! Instant coziness guaranteed!
Once I decorated my home a little more, I shall add more photos!
Watch magical, mysterious or “autumn themed” films or series
When the weather is too dreadful to go outside, wear your cozy knitted sweater, make some fresh popcorn or roast some marshmallows by the fire, get a warm drink, light those candles, turn down the lights, crawl into your couch under a soft blanket and watch a film or series. There are a lot of magical, mysterious or “autumn themed” films or series to enjoy during these colder wet days.
- Dark: a German Netflix series which explores the existential implications of time and its effect on human nature. It is full of mystery and dark woods.
- Curon: an Italian Netflix series about a mysterious town with a bell tower in a lake and disappearing people.
- Les Revenants: a French series about people returning from the dead (no zombies) but not knowing about it.
- The Haunting of Hill House: a Netflix series about a hunted house.
- Luna o Nera: an Italian Netflix series about witches
- Locke & Key: a Netflix series about a family that moves into a house with magical keys.
- Sleepy Hollow: a gothic supernatural horror film directed by Tim Burton featuring Johnny Depp.
- Legends of the Fall: Western drama with Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins
- You’ve Got Mail: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, New York autumn vibes and bookstores, need I say more?
- When Harry Met Sally: another film in New York with Meg Ryan and beautiful autumn sceneries.
- Durante la Tormenta: Spanish movie about time traveling and a woman trying to save her daughter
- The Bastan trilogy on Netflix (El Guardián Invisible, Legado en los huesos, Ofrenda la Tormenta) about mysterious murders.
- E.T.: Steven Spielberg’s epic film about the alien that strands on Earth.
- Harry Potter: no explanation needed!
- The Nightmare before Christmas: my favorite Tim Burton animation movie about a town that organizes Halloween and wants something different this year.
- Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit
If you want to help me a little please share this “How to experience autumn at its best” article on Facebook, Twitter or any kind of social media. A small thing for you to do that can make a big difference for me! Massive thanks!
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Don’t hesitate to leave comments or questions down below!
*Albert Camus
Hallo what is the name of the pumpkin patch?