The first days of fall are upon us, and with their return it’s finally time to enjoy cooler temperatures. Here are our favorite ways to celebrate fall.  

Lisa:

“I’m a warm weather girl to my core, but there’s something truly magical about the way the leaves change colors in the fall. Despite the chill in the air, the new season ushers in a few of my favorite things…grape harvest (hello wine time!), football Saturdays, cozying up to the fire with a good book a glass of prosecco, the feeling of thankfulness and gratitude, holidays, and pumpkin spiced everything. One of my favorite fall weekend adventures is the Hood River Fruit Loop. Nestled in the beautiful Hood River Valley with picturesque views of Mt. Hood, the loop provides a wide variety of wines, ciders, apples, pears, artisan gifts and flowers to enjoy – a sweet escape from the ruckus of everyday life. Back in Portland, nothing screams fall like Spanish coffees at Hubers Café.”

Hailey:

“I grew up in Phoenix, which doesn’t really have a typical fall – so a trip out through the Columbia River Gorge to see the changing colors is always at the top of our list once it starts cooling off. Sometimes we’ll hike, other times we’ll just meander and stop at places we haven’t visited before. Usually we’ll make an excursion out to Bent Shovel Brewing, which is located in a rural Clackamas County barn house surrounded by the forest. Fall also kicks off cool weather baking season for us, which is one of my favorite times of year. We bake lots of bread, pies and treats during this time of year to share with our friends, family and co-workers.” 

Natalie:

“Fall in Oregon is my favorite time of year! I am big Halloween aficionado, and my favorite way to spend a fall weekend afternoon is at a pumpkin patch like Roloff Farms, indulging in pumpkin donuts before grabbing a cider and browsing the Spirt Halloween store by my house. I always try to make it to a haunted house, and will be visiting Underhill at the Memorial Colosseum this year.”

Matilde:

“My favorite thing to do during the fall is hitting the pumpkin patch, then carving pumpkins with my friends while we binge watch horror films.” 

Savanna Frimoth: 

“My favorite fall activity is taking a hike because it’s less crowded than in summer and much cooler. Last year, I did this great hike with my mom that had gorgeous fall colors and great views of St. Helens. I love following hikes with a trip to the brewery.” 

Gretchen: 

“I love fall festivals, and I never pass up a reason to go to Hood River. The Harvest Fest (Oct. 11-13 this year) has arts and crafts, music, pumpkin carving, wineries and more. It’s not too big or too little, and you can’t beat the setting on a beautiful fall day.”

Hannah: 

“My favorite place to visit in the fall is my sweet home state of Tennessee. While I love being in Portland, there’s no better place to be than Knoxville, TN when the leaves turn bright orange and yellow, the weather gets crisp, and the excitement of SEC football is in the air.”

Kris: 

“If we can, we like to get out to wine country during the fall. Our wedding anniversary is in October and we spent part of our honeymoon many years ago at the beautiful Abbey Road Farm; Willamette Valley wine country at harvest time is simply beautiful, and a little fall wine tasting brings back some very happy memories.”