New England fall — knot so loud

There’s nothing that I love more than fall in New England. It’s the most amazing time of the year with crunchy leaves under your boots, leaves changing colors, everything apple and pumpkin (I’m team apples!), and many more. I had an eventful fall exploring some of what New England had to offer!

I started off with a day trip to Boston, Massachusetts at end of September. The leaves had not changed colors yet but it was the perfect crisp fall weather to do some walking around the city. The first stop was Brookline, one of my favorite neighborhoods outside of Boston. My friends had brought me there one time to eat at Zaftigs Delicatessen. That restaurant is worth a stop! It’s amazing. I celebrated my birthday one year by going there for a brunch then I took a tour of Fenway Park (it was interesting to see in the winter time!). I tried out a different restaurant this time, Kupel’s bakery. There was a line out of the door! This place is known for their bagels, so that’s what I got - a bagel sandwich with egg, cheese, and tomato. It may sound simple but it was mouth watery delicious! I went for a walk around Brookline, and passed by the birthplace/childhood home of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy (JFK). There are many beautiful homes to look at in the Brookline neighborhood! I continued to explore by going into Boston, to the Boston Public Garden. It is in the heart of downtown Boston with monuments (Washington, the ducklings, etc), gardens, a water pond, plenty of swans and lots to see! From there, I walked into the Beacon Hill neighborhood. More beautiful homes! This is definitely at the top of my “favorite neighborhoods to walk around” list. I can’t wait to return to Boston to explore more of the city, hopefully I will do the Freedom Trial walk someday!

Apple picking is a tradition every fall! This year, I went to Holmberg Orchards in Gales Ferry, Connecticut. They offer other fruits for pick-your-own, just check their website for the schedule! One of the best part of Holmberg Orchards is that they offer wine tasting. Apple picking and wine tasting? Count me in! There’s also a tractor ride to take you up into the orchards, which is always fun for everyone. The orchards is alway a plentiful place for apples of all types. My favorite is always the Gala apples! Holmberg Orchards has a space where people can sit and eat (food trucks). It’s a fun environment there. If you want to pick pumpkins, they have a good selection too. Their most popular event has to be the corn maze. They have an adults version of the corn maze where you can find hidden wine stations! I have yet to try this out but I need to add this to my next year’s “fall adventure” list. Be sure to check out their farm market which is open year around offering vegetables, fruits, and other local goods.

*Apple picking at Holmberg Orchards. I know I’m not wearing New England shirt but gotta represent my home state!*

I love causal strolls around Mystic, Connecticut at this time of the year. I am amazed how Mystic can look so beautiful at all times of the year, especially in the fall. I love the pumpkins decorated in the water foundation in downtown, giving it a very Halloween town vibe. There’s the beautiful giant pink ribbons made by Mystic Knotwork for the breast cancer awareness month. There’s one on the drawbridge. Sift is decked out with their beautiful cornstalks and mums decorations. Their seasonal menu is off the charts. They brought back the pumpkin whoopie pies (my favorite!) and pumpkin white chocolate cheesecake. Delicious! Of course, I can’t forget to mention the weekly trips to B.F. Clyde’s for the best apple cider and warm apple cider donuts. It’s worthwhile to take a day trip to B.F. Clyde’s, it’s that good!

*Pumpkin whoopie pie from Sift Bake Shop.*

The first weekend of October, I explored Salem, Massachusetts. I wrote a blog about what to do and what to see in Salem. It’s definitely one of the best towns to visit during fall! Read the blog here.

My favorite pumpkin picking place is always Whittle’s Willow Spring Farm in Mystic, Connecticut. I also blogged about them here. They have the most amazing selection of pumpkins! I brought home a lot of pumpkins/gourds to decorate my front stoop and Indian corn to hang on the windows.

During Columbus day weekend, I explored Litchfield County, Connecticut for the first time. People kept tell me how beautiful Litchfield is during the fall foliage. I found America’s first law school ‘Tapping Reeve House & Law School’ while I was walking through the town. I majored in criminal justice in college and have a particular interest in the justice system so I found this museum very interesting! I had no idea that the first law school was right there in Litchfield. The law school is open to the public to tour with free admission. After walking around Litchfield, I had to make the drive over to Arethusa Farm Dairy for the raving reviews about their ice cream. I tried some pumpkin with ginger molasses cookies and sweet cream chocolate chip. It was delicious! I love homemade ice cream from dairy farms! I also found it cool that Arethusa Farm Dairy was in an old firehouse! I love anything that is historical firefighting/first responder related. After eating some delicious ice cream, I drove over to Arethusa Farm for their open-barn tour. I was able to walk around their state of art barn and visit the adorable cows. They have a variety of cows from jersey, brown swiss and holstein. The open-barn tours is now closed for the season, but will return sometime in the spring. It’s worthwhile to follow them on Instagram they have the most adorable cow photos!

*America’s first law school in Litchfield, CT.*

I was even able to squeeze in a few more beach days in Watch Hill, Rhode Island during this fall. It is very peaceful to go for beach walks during this time of year when it’s not crowded with the usual summer beach traffic. It’s the best feeling to have sands in between my toes, I was happy to experience that a few more times before it gets too cold! Ocean House in Watch Hill, RI also has an amazing pumpkin decor on their grand steps. Last year they had hundreds of pumpkins making it the perfect Instagram-worthy photo!

*Napatree Point Beach in Watch Hill, RI.*

Glastonbury, Connecticut hosted their annual apple festival. I had never really seen the town of Glastonbury in Hartford County. I was blown away by how beautiful this town is! I loved driving around the town to see the pride the residents have in maintaining the town’s beauty. Many homes were decorated beautifully with fall decor. The apple fest was fun! There were plenty of food, including maple bacon fried dough! Many vendors also were set up selling a variety of items from clothing, soaps, home decor items, to art. The apple fest had a designated beer garden for 21+ to enjoy alcohol. It is a great community event to go to if you happen to be in Glastonbury during fall time. I also went to see the oldest cider mill which is in Glastonbury. The old cider mill has a petting zoo where you can purchase food to feed the animals. The animals included miniature horses, llamas, sheep, chickens and a pig. The farm market also offered local goods and pumpkins. I made the last stop at Dondero Orchards in South Glastonbury for their amazing fritters. I know, I know, I know… why skip the fritters at the apple fest and old cider mill? I’m telling you, the ones at Dondero Orchards are just that good. I had previously went to Dondero Orchards several times in the past for apple picking which is how I knew about their fritters. They even have blueberry fritters during summer months! They offer baked goods in their farm market along with fruits and vegetables. Dondero Orchards goes to some farmer’s markets so if you’re lucky, they could be there!

*The old cider mill in Glastonbury, CT.*

This weekend, I noticed a lot of leaves starting to fall off the trees implying it may be the last real good weekend of the fall foliage. Which makes me sad! I went to Mystic Seaport Museum for the day to see the fall foliage along the Mystic River. It’s a breathe taking view! You know I am biased, but Mystic is just my favorite. You can’t beat the views with of the river with sailboats and the fall foliage. I love walking around the Mystic Seaport grounds so it was a good ending to the fall foliage season.

*The view of fall foliage along Mystic River from Mystic Seaport Museum.*

I look forward to more fall related activities for next year in the New England region. I know there’s so much more to see, that I haven’t seen yet. I’m hoping to make it up to Maine and Vermont during fall! Share your favorite New England fall activities or towns to visit with me in the comments below! I’m always looking to explore more and do more new things in New England.