Rebecca's Travel Notes

Happy first official day of fall! Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the cooler temperatures and the changing leaves. I also enjoy exploring my hometown. Being a hometown tourist in fall is a great way to make an ordinary autumn feel like a mini vacation. Approach your hometown like an outsider who has never been here.

Hometown Tourist Fall Bucket List

Start by creating a bucket list for your fall activities. Join your local community pages or groups on social media to get ideas. Many event coordinators post regular updates to draw bigger crowds.

Get Outside

Fall is a great time for outdoor activities.

• Go For a Drive: Take a drive to just see the beautiful changing leaves. Drive slowly. Stop at your local scenic areas and just enjoy the landscape.
• Local Parks: Visit your local community parks. When was the last time you went to a local park?
• Hiking: Find a new hiking trail to explore. Many areas offer beginner’s trails. Go on a family hike.
• Photography: Grab your camera and go. Find the prettiest fall trees in your town. Or photograph one single leaf. The ideas are endless.
• Sunsets: Chase sunsets. Find the ones that are crisp and full of colors. Go to your local lake to catch the sun setting. Make a list of different areas to catch a sunset this fall.
• Picnic: Go on a fall picnic. Pack a lunch and a thermos full of cider. Enjoy an afternoon outdoors.
• Historic Walk: Go on a walk through the historic part of your town. Photograph local landmarks or old churches.
• Cemetery Walks: Many historical societies offer cemetery walks in the fall season. The walks may include actors portraying events or an overview of early settlers in the area.
• Peaceful Moments: Find the best fall foliage viewpoint and just relax. Watch the leaves fall, mediate, or say a prayer. Enjoy the moment.

Go on a Food Aventure

If being outdoors is not your thing, try new foods in your community.

• Cider Mills: Create a list of your local cider mills. Consider expanding to a 60-mile radius around you. Then, go and explore each mill with your friends or family.
• Apple Cider Donuts: Go to different mills or bakeries to try apple cider donuts. Rank your findings on taste and post to social media.
• Farmers’ Market: Visit your local farmers’ market. Stock up on your favorite veggies. But also buy something you have never tried before.
• Fall Coffee Crawl: Gather your friends and go out for coffee. Try different flavors like pumpkin, maple, chai , or apple.
• Restaurants: Go out to eat. Try the new restaurant that you’ve driven past a hundred times.
• Historical Place: Go out to eat at restaurant that has a long-standing history in your town.
• Best Pie: Go to different bakeries to find the best homemade pie in your town.
• Apple Picking: Visit a local orchard and pick apples. Bake a homemade apple pie or other tasty dessert.

Being a tourist in your hometown is about making memories while staying close to home. Go out and explore your town. Take lots of photos, make a scrapbook, and enjoy being a hometown tourist.