Fall: Here to Stay???

(Kate, I promise I'm not copying your posts!) It seems as though fall is upon us in the District (although, who knows, I may be eating my words in a few days if we have a sudden return to the heat), and I have been giddy ever since we emerged from a weeklong monsoon that gave way to cooler temperatures.

Being the New Englander that I am, the end of summer, which tends to be depression-inducing for those who fear the coming of snow and frigid winter temperatures, means, for me, an enthusiastic jump into fall. Depending on the year in DC, there may or may not be a true fall (there may just be a jump from the oppressive heat and humidity to the frigidity of winter, after a brief few-week period that could possibly resemble fall), so I couldn't be happier that this year seems to be a year when we will have a well-defined fall.

Some of my fondest childhood memories took place at the many local pumpkin patches/apple orchards in Western MA/CT. My dad, my kindred spirit in his love of fall, would pile us into the car and take us to an orchard, where we would amuse ourselves picking our own apples. One particular orchard also had a little refreshment stand with apple cider, old-fashioned sodas and cider donuts (as well as hay rides, which, I think, we took advantage of once). When we got home, my dad would either be hard at work on a pie or some delicious homemade applesauce whose sweet, cinnamon smell wafted from the kitchen throughout the house. So, for me, a crisp fall day will always be associated with memories like those.

Even though I am certainly far-removed from the stunning foliage and truly crisp fall mornings that I was spoiled with during my New England childhood, I am really excited to take advantage of the DC area's fall offerings. For example, Eastern Market, a favorite haunt of mine, is always so much more fun to walk around in the fall (despite the fact that it is open year-round). Dan and I just booked an October weekend trip to an adorable little B&B in the Shenandoahs, where we'll have easy access to great hiking (most notably Old Rag, which we've been wanting to hike for a while), as well as vineyards and quaint little country towns. I think I'll also get a Shenandoah hike in when I see my mom's side of the family over Columbus Day weekend for Grampsy's 80th birthday (yikes!), which should be fun, since there are some pretty intense hikers in my family. Dan and I also want to find an apple orchard somewhere in the DC area so we can pick our own apples (I think it also sweetened the pot that I promised I would make an apple pie, his favorite, with whatever apples we end up picking).

Do any of you have any fun fall memories (or, for you Washingtonians, any suggestions for fun fall-like things to do in the District and its environs)?

Happy Fall!

Here's a picture from a hike I took in VA last fall. So excited for more of this!