Fall is my favorite season. The changing leaves, the warm sweaters, the apple picking, and the haunted hayrides and corn mazes are some of my favorite things about the changing of the season. However, that type of fall happens up north, a place I no longer am during most of the year. While I love going to college in the south, there are just some things that cannot be replaced. Whenever I go home for Fall Break, I can't wait to pack as many fall activities into those few days as possible. Unless you are from up north, you've never gotten to truly experience fall, and this list below tries to explain what you're really missing.
Pumpkin patches.
Sure, we can go to the local church or grocery store and pick out the best pumpkins they have from a table, but nothing beats climbing through fields and getting muddy in search of the perfect pumpkin to carve. Whether you go with your family or a group of friends, you are guaranteed to have a great time.
Hayrides.
The hay gets in your hair, in your clothes, makes you incredibly itchy, and if you're allergic you will be sneezing like crazy. Yet somehow it is still one of the best parts about the fall up north. Whether you go on a normal or haunted hay ride, you look forward to wrapping up in layers of clothes and sitting on those uncomfortable hay bales for a few hours with your friends.
Cold weather.
Up north, fall means the start of cold weather. Temperatures hang around in the 40's and 50's, making it the perfect weather to break out your oversized sweaters, boots and scarves. Before I moved down south, I hated cold weather with a passion, but now when its mid-October and 80 degrees, all I want is to have to wrap up in a jacket and be able to have a hot drink without melting.
Apple Cider Donuts.
This one is most likely very specific to anyone from Maryland, but apple cider donuts from Weber's are reason enough to miss the north in the fall. After a day of picking apples or pumpkins, there is nothing better than sitting down to homemade apple cider and apple cider donuts.
Corn mazes.
You go through periods where you love corn mazes, and some where you hate them. Before I left for college, I was definitely in a "hate them" phase, but now I can't wait to get lost for a few hours. The mazes up north are humongous and something that I have yet to find a comparison to. You can get lost for hours until you finally have to wave that flag high in the air in surrender.
The Leaves Changing.
I miss walking around and seeing the world turning shades of orange, red and yellow. While there are some areas in the south that do experience a true leaf change, it is nothing compared to the magnitude up north. While we may complain about having to clean up the hundreds of leaves that fall in the yard, it truly is a beautiful sight to see.
