As the fall season begins to set in, it comes with many outdoor festive activities for all to enjoy, but this time of year can especially be romantic for sharing with that special someone in your life.
As the weather changes and starts to become brisk with no bugs, you and your lover can try out new fun things together. While it is still slightly warm outside, you can stargaze at an observatory or in your backyard:
- Weston Observatory in Manchester is a great place to view the night sky
- New Hampshire Astronomical Society located in Dunbarton at the local library. The next sky watch is on Friday October 21 at 7 p.m. in time for the Orionids. Nights become darker faster leaving traces of summer stars, yet bringing in new winter ones, this is the best season to star gaze because the stars become brighter and clearer. [BTW Dunbarton Library is about 25 minutes (13 miles) from the Manchester Library, for distance reference.]
Then you have other adventurous options such as, viewing the beautiful colorful foliage on a hike up Pack Monadnock located at 13 Miller Park Road in Peterborough. Let the journey be part of the adventure – it’s about an hour’s scenic drive straight down 101 West. Adults are just $4 and children are only $2 with hours running from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The best time to see the foliage in full bloom is between the last week in September and the second week in October. A hike through the woods with someone you love will not only connect you with the nature surrounding you, but also with your significant other, giving you plenty of time to talk and get a bit of exercise in, a hike is the perfect way to spend alone time.
Also, October is the peak time for apple picking, after you two finish plucking up shiny red apples together, you can take your bushel home and bake a pie together. Some of the best places to apple-pick are both found in Londonderry – Mack’s Apples is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunnycrest Farm is also open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; bushel costs depends on weight. I
If you aren’t the baking type you can always attend the many fairs and festivals that take place in different local areas all over New England. The New Hampshire’s 25th Anniversary Pumpkin Festival is coming up on October 22 in downtown Laconia (formerly the Keene Pumpkinfest) as well as this year’s Oktoberfest finale at Anheuser-Busch in Merrimack on October 15. Fairs and festivals offer a wide selection of fun things to do, such as, rides, food, hayrides, games and picking your own pumpkin. If you decide to pluck up a pumpkin, you and your partner can have silly fun carving them up together into whatever you want.
Also, in Manchester the Handmade Holiday Market at Studio 550 on Elm Street takes place on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, a great place to buy reasonably-priced homemade crafts to decorate your home with, or as a special Christmas gift. Also, Intown Manchester’s annual Downtown Holiday Market kick off Thursdays starting Dec. 1 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Brady Sullivan Plaza.
Finally, when you are both tuckered out from all the fun things to do in the fall season, you can cozy up on the couch together with some hot apple cider or one of my favorite simple pleasures, Panera’s pumpkin spice lattes, priced at only $3.39 and arguably the best pumpkin lattes around, and watch a horror movie.
Kelly Gadomski is a graduate of Souhegan High School and attends Southern New Hampshire University majoring in English. She lives in Mont Vernon and enjoys hiking, canoeing, reading and writing poetry, and spending time with family and friends. She works two jobs and is interning with Manchester Ink Link. She can be reached at frankesbud@yahoo.com.
