This is one of my favorite times of the year! The changing leaves are sort of magical. We love to see all the beauties of nature. Here are some of our favorite things to do this time of year.
Leaf Drive. Our kids have always had the last Friday in September off from school. We started this tradition when my oldest was in Kindergarten. We take a drive to one of hundreds of nearby, beautiful places. We like to go to lakes, mountain areas, scenic drives, etc. It is so beautiful to see nature changing together. With so many beautiful areas around us, we try to find somewhere we can go within a 2 hour drive. We pack up lunches, drinks and snacks, hiking attire, fishing poles, jackets, camping chairs. IT is so nice to get away where there is no cell service. We encourage our kids to put away electronics and focus on the beauties around us and spotting wildlife.
Fishing. Fall is a great time for fishing. The lakes and rivers are so pretty as the leaves change. We love to find a lake on our drive and fish for a little bit.
Hiking. Our family loves hiking especially in the Fall. The trails are even more beautiful! We have seen so many amazing colors while hiking in the mountains! Invite some friends along and make a day of it. Some of the lakes and trails are paved or have boardwalks around them to make it easier to walk around.
Camping. Some years we like to camp overnight so we can spend more time outdoors. The campgrounds are less busy now. Check with the campsite to make sure they are still open. Also, know that it gets very cold at night so plan accordingly. Here is my post about camping.
Look out for wildlife. Seeing wildlife is a highlight for us. We have trained our kids to be looking out the window for wildlife as we drive. Many times one of our kids will shout “DEER!” or “MOOSE!” and we’ll have to turn around to go find them. We have seen beavers, moose, deer, elk, wild turkeys, hawks and eagles, rabbits, raccoons, foxes, and marmots. It is so much fun to see them in their habitat. This year’s drive took us up to a lake where my daughter spotted a family of moose on the hillside. It was fun to watch them interact and protect their baby and listen to them communicating. Be very careful around wild animals. We keep our distance and stay in our car when possible.
We watched the momma moose cross the road. 
Here’s the baby moose. 
The dad stayed between us and the baby.
Take a drive, go for a walk on a nature trail, camp or hike in the mountains. Whatever you do, you will be amazed at all of the things you will see. Each year is so different. Even though we go the same weekend every year, we find that some years are better than others for hitting the leaves just right, but we always have fun exploring new areas and almost always see wildlife. Let me know what you do in the Fall with your family.