Can you feel it? The air is brisk and the leaves are falling in preparation for the winter season. Let’s be real, autumn in New England in 2020 has been an entirely different experience than last year.
HigherEd staffers like myself have been working from home since the start of the pandemic. Plus living in a COVID hot spot, I have spent the majority of my time indoors. I desperately miss traveling and meeting up with friends during the autumn months, but following safety guidelines is so critical. Like most people, I have been forced to find creative ways to stay entertained and connected to others while staying safe.
Autumn in particular has always been my favorite season. No matter how cliche it may be, I love the colorful leaves, the crisp air, and all of the fun seasonal events. The pandemic may have put cancelled most of this year’s autumn activities, but there are still ways you can enjoy autumn in New England while social distancing.
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Embrace Your Creative Side This Autumn
Just because you can’t spend time at an autumn festival, doesn’t mean you can’t get into the spirit of the autumn season through creative projects at home.
One hobby I picked up this autumn are embroidery projects. Embroidery as a hobby is perfect choice for a beginner, so don’t be afraid to try it. There are a ton of quick tutorials on YouTube if you get lost or don’t know how to do a certain type of knot. I selected an embroidery kit with a beautiful autumn color palette. I found the steps simple to follow and very relaxing. This was my first floral embroidery project and I loved how it turned out!
Another idea is a paint by numbers project. My roommate did an entire autumn scene pictured above which turned out absolutely gorgeous and looks great in her room.
There are so many more fun autumn craft ideas you can find on Pinterest if embroidery or painting isn’t your cup of tea. A fun idea could be to order supplies and do a video chat with a friend while you both attempt to complete an autumn decor project. Make some seasonal drinks and have fun night of it!
Plan an Autumn Themed Movie Night
Just because you can’t have a bunch of friends over doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a show or a flick together. There are some fun Chrome extensions that make it possible for a group to watch an autumn movie simultaneously while chatting. Two of my personal favorites is Teleparty (formerly Netflix Party) and Prime Party.
Teleparty currently supports Netflix, Hulu, Hulu+, Disney+, HBONow, and HBOMax as of November 2020. Essentially you download the Chrome extension, open the show on Netflix for example, hit the teleparty extension button, click start the party, copy the link, and then share it with your friends. Now you all can choose an avatar and chat with your friends in the chat box on the side. Prime Party is the same idea but for Prime Video. Come up with a list of autumn themed movies or shows and have a watch party together!
What is your favorite autumn movie? Share in the comments below.
Go Pumpkin/Apple Picking While Social Distancing
With some careful planning, my roommate and I decided to venture to Boston Hill Farm to pick out our own pumpkins this year. Boston Hill Farm has both pumpkin and apple picking to choose from. We strategically chose to visit on a Monday to enjoy the farm without worrying about encountering any crowds.
Boston Hill Farm is absolutely charming and everyone visiting were very respectful of wearing masks and keeping their distance. If going out into the fields isn’t your thing or you are unable, then you can definitely pick up a pumpkin outside in front of the store. Otherwise, you should take a left past the outdoor payment booth and follow the signs between the farmhouse and the barn to head out towards the fields.
It is a bit of a walk to get to the fields, but they have wagons if you’d prefer to pull your pumpkins or apples back. In a non-pandemic time period, I would like to mention that they have a lovely area to visit with farm animals. Plus a sizable play area for children.
Carolina and I were on a mission to pick out own pumpkins so we ventured far out in the middle of the pumpkin patch. Slip resistant boots and gloves are a must for this part! It can get muddy out in the field and the pumpkin vines can be rough to the touch. It was entirely worth the trip and we had the field entirely to ourselves to take some cute pics.
Autumn Hiking Day Trips
Hiking has been my saving grace throughout the pandemic. I love hiking day trips because for the most part I don’t have to worry about encountering others and can just relax in nature. The autumn foliage this year was stunning during our hikes.
My favorite viewpoint of the season were the incredible autumn views from the top of the skyline trail at Blue Hills Reservation. There are some steep rock inclines on this trail so be sure to wear proper hiking shoes to avoid injuries.
Hopefully if there is a vaccine by next autumn, I will get to enjoy the foliage views in the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Fingers crossed! For now, I hope everyone will stay safe and enjoy what remains of the autumn season.
Hello everyone! I am a Boston based blogger that loves all things travel and lifestyle. You can usually find me working away at my university job, snapping pictures, thrifting, or trying out some new recipes.
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