It's October 1st, which means Fall is officially here! Our Haute Residence experts share their favorite Fall activities in their realty area!
As Fall is here, what are your favorite seasonal activities to enjoy in your area?
Elise Larrabure Girasole, Westport, CT
During Autumn, being my favorite season, I enjoy bike riding along the beautiful Westport beaches and hiking at Devil's Den in Weston where I can enjoy the spectacular Fall foliage and bird watching while being surrounded by the sounds of nature.
Elliot Bogod, Upper West Side, New York City, NY
New York City in Fall lifts you up when you're down.
It might be rainy, but New Yorkers don't let the drizzle keep them away from seeing every spectacular color on the fall-foliage spectrum. You don't even have to scramble to get Upstate to peep the fiery show that is the end of New York's glorious fall foliage season—New York City foliage usually lasts through the beginning of November—something you can't say for most of the state's northern regions.
Fall time in the northeastern United States is welcoming, cozy, and full of beauty. New York City is no exception, with brilliant weather, beautiful scenery, and a plethora of things to do. And as one of the city’s premiere gems, Central Park is the ideal place to catch some of the fall time fun.
The Central Park Zoo is open year-round, but fall time is one of the best times of the year to go. Not only is the foliage spectacular, but it’s the perfect weather for walking around and seeing more active animals. Whether you’re there with your family or planning an event for your company, the zoo can offer beauty, fun, and some education.
Central Park becomes a fall-time wonderland around Halloween and if you’re looking for the perfect spooky-cool event, try taking advantage of the Halloween Pumpkin Flotilla. A few days before Halloween, you can take part in festivities like pumpkin carving, costume parades and contests, and the Flotilla. People from all over the world come to see the Pumpkin Flotilla, where pumpkin after pumpkin floats across the water and lights up the sky. An ‘Instagram-worthy’ event to attend!
Nancy Tallman, Park City, UT
Fall in the mountains of Park City is spectacular. Nothing beats hiking our trails and seeing the changing colors of the leaves.
Jochen Lucke, Highlands, NC
As the leaves change and the crisp Fall air arrives on the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau the great outdoors offers a wide range of activities. Perfect for hiking, golf, croquet, fishing, or stroll around town for some retail therapy. Enjoying the warmth and sounds of a fire with a blanket for morning coffee or evening cocktails is perfect for creating mountain memories with family and friends.
Fall along the Rio Grande River in northern New Mexico.
Debbi DiMaggio, Piedmont, CA
Fall is such a lovely time of year in the San Francisco Bay Area. Whether for the day, a night, or the weekend, the Napa Valley is a beautiful place to be. The weather is refreshing and the scenery is stunning, from the fall leaves to fewer tourists, as if the Valley were all your own. Hiking beneath the redwoods in Tilden Park or one of the many parks around the Bay is also a family favorite. Apple picking in Watsonville then Carmel for lunch, and last but not least a visit to the pumpkin patch in Half Moon Bay followed by a spa treatment, lunch, or dinner at the Ritz Carlton. The Bay Area is such a beautiful place to live and explore.
Alison Melton, Hilton Head, South Carolina
The Fall is the BEST season in the Lowcountry! Weekends are filled with festivals and oyster roasts with friends. The weather is still perfect for lazy afternoons at the beach on Hilton Head Island! We also have two great charity polo events coming up in the area this year, so everyone is looking forward to that!
Debra Johnston, Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is conveniently a quick drive away from so many fall destinations. I love retreating from the city for a quick mountain getaway in the Highlands/ Cashiers, North Carolina area, located atop the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Darlene Streit, New Mexico
Fall is one of my favorite times of the year in Santa Fe. As the sun sinks a bit lower in the sky, we still have warm days and crisp, cool nights. The smell of roasted chiles is in the air, especially at our fabulous Farmers Market. It's the height of the harvest season with fresh corn, squash, peppers, cabbage, apples, and more – and pumpkins on the way. One annual autumn ritual here is going up to the mountains to see the aspens change. The combination of golden leaves shimmering in the sunlight against a deep blue New Mexico sky, along with the soft rustling sound as the wind blows through them, is pure Santa Fe enchantment at its best.
Scott Goshorn, Brentwood, CA
I like to participate in triathlons when time permits. I am currently training for one happening in late October and the cooler air paired with riding and running on along the coast is unbeatable. I start in Santa Monica and head out to Malibu and back and finish with a run along Ocean Blvd. Pair that with a post work out breakfast and it's a good start to a weekend morning!
Cindy Shearin: The Shearin Group, Manhattan Beach/Redondo Beach, California
The fall season is filled with many exciting events that locals look forward to year after year. The Hometown Fair, held this weekend on October 2nd & 3rd, is fun for the whole family; live music, pony rides, bounce houses, carnival games, food, shopping, and a beer and wine garden for adults. There is also a 5K race for all ages.
Next up is the world-famous Pumpkin Race, sponsored by the local business, Skechers. This race is for kids of all ages, where they engineer a pumpkin racecar to compete in an exciting downhill race at the food of Manhattan Beach Boulevard for prizes.
Following the fall festivities is the Holiday Tree Lighting in November, located downtown. As shoppers sip-n-shop, while the kids meet Santa and pet his reindeer, music, and magic are in the air. The ultimate event that every resident looks forward to is the Holiday Fireworks Show. Excited crowds fill the streets, and nearby homeowners host festive parties to ring in the holidays during the spectacular show.
Manhattan Beach is home to many regularly scheduled local events both weekly and monthly. See www.TheShearinGroup.com for more information.
Philip Weiser - Carlton International, French Riviera, France
Why Fall Is The Perfect Time Of Year To Experience The French Riviera
Every year thousands of tourists flock to the French Riviera. Travelers from all over the world come here to enjoy the sunshine, beaches, and sea. The arrival of fall means that the busy months of events, festivals, and holidaymakers come to an end. The weather begins to cool down, and the tourists return home. This article is dedicated to explaining why Fall is the best time of year to experience the French Riviera.
Temperate and Climate
The French Riviera is famous for having glorious sunshine 300 days of the year. During the summer it can be extremely hot, between 82 °F to 93 °F. Making the beautiful beaches a popular destination! The weather starts to cool down during the Fall months, becoming much more comfortable. Often the summer months feel too hot to explore, and the beaches can become crowded. In the Fall the weather temperatures fall to between 71 °F and 80 °F. The cooler weather makes exploring the historic towns and villages more enjoyable. However, the sun is still shining almost every day!
Beaches
On warmer days, many locals still visit the beaches and some even brave swimming in the sea! From 'La Plage de la Garoupe' (a beautiful beach in Cap d'Antibes) you can swim in the sea whilst enjoying the beautiful view of the snow-capped French Alps. If you don't fancy a swim, you can relax and enjoy a picnic on the beach. Many people enjoy sailing and windsurfing during the Fall and Winter months. Making the port towns a year-round hotspot!
Hiking
The French Riviera has some of the most beautiful hiking spots in France! From the Esterel Mountains, you can look down over the bay of Cannes and the bay of Saint Tropez. If you would prefer to explore the Provencal countryside, you can travel to The Var. An inland region within the Côte d'Azur - famous for its vineyards!
Food & Drink
The south of France has tons of beautiful restaurants! You can dine in a chic beach bar, or a cozy cafe - hidden up a side street. The French are famous for their delicious food! Antibes is a year-round city, meaning its cafés, and restaurants are open all year. You can explore the winding streets and find delicious places to eat on every corner. Antibes hosts a market every morning where you can browse the stalls and buy local produce. Whether you are enjoying a glass of rosé in a wine bar, or share a pizza at an Italian café. Antibes is the perfect place to experience local life on the French Riviera.
Sunsets
The French Riviera is famous for its sensational sunsets! Every evening the sky turns to candyfloss colors throughout the region. However, during fall and winter, the sunsets become much more dramatic! As the days get shorter, the light across the region changes. Everything from the color of the sky, to the color of the trees and vegetation, becomes vibrant. As the sun slowly sets behind the sea and Esterel Mountains the skyline appears to be ablaze. It is a truly breathtaking experience.
Gina Duncan, O’ahu, HI
Even though the weather may still feel like summer through October in Hawaii we have many fall traditions here on Oahu and on the other islands. My favorite is the Aloha Week Festival (dates for 2021 to be determined). The festival is ongoing for an entire week and starts off with the glorious Parade of Flowers, pa`u riders wearing long flowing gowns astride horses decked out in the finest ribbon and flowers. The Festival has been in existence since 1946 and celebrates all things Hawaiian. It is also celebrated on all islands so wherever you are there will be celebrations. My other favorite is the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival. This is over a month-long series of events with 67 top chefs from Hawaii and the mainland coming together in this top epicurean festival. The festival travels from island to island starting on the Big Island in October, then to Maui, and ending on Oahu in November. This year's theme is "Taste our love for the land". For the young and young at heart, you may love the Waimanalo Country Farm Pumpkin Patch with Sunflower Field. This farm has a drive-through tour this year with opportunities to pick your own pumpkin and enjoy the farm animal visit and sunflower fields. Their Pumpkin Patch farm stand will also be open. Whether fall is an apple cider on the beach or enjoying one of these wonderful events I hope you enjoy our islands this fall safely and with Aloha.
Amy Land-de Wilde, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Our weather stays pretty perfect all year long – sunshine with 70-85 degree weather throughout every season. Our outdoor lifestyle from dining alfresco at one of our open-air restaurants to hiking up to the top of a hill enjoying panoramic views and cooling breezes or swimming laps in the sea is enjoyed through the fall months (and into winter!) while our stateside friends are pulling out their scarves and ordering pumpkin-spiced lattes. Even though our weather, which impacts our daily lifestyle, doesn’t change much season-to-season we have other things that signify a change of season as we transition from summer to fall.
With fall comes the start of the holiday season, and with that comes visitors! Our island welcomes our seasonal residents and visitors alike, adding a little extra energy to our fall season. Our streets in Christiansted and Frederiksted come alive and our restaurants fill up. Many of our musicians come back for the season, and you can hear the strums of their guitars and the beat of their drums as you stroll along our cobblestone streets, adding so much liveliness to our fall season. Our winds pick up, cooling off our summer heat, and the flora and fauna change just slightly.
For those of us who live here, we take notice that fall is here and that soon we will be welcoming our winter friends to St. Croix.
Richard Salter - Salter Group, Fort Lauderdale, FL
We are now approaching the end of the summer months and it is very exciting that the heat and humidity will soon be toning down. This gives everyone in S Florida the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors more without the overwhelming intensity given off by the summer sun.
Our climate here cannot be beaten between the end of October all the way thru to the end of May. This is 7 months of bliss when the snowbirds come to town to enjoy all the outdoor activities the area has to offer.
You will see a lot more people exercising outdoors, strolling along the beach, or playing games in the many local parks.
What I enjoy most once the fall weather is upon us is the opportunity to dine outside in the multitude of outstanding local restaurants. I love to sit in the open air and basque in the gorgeous views offered by the ocean or Intracoastal front establishments. There is always something to see and it is so much fun to watch the parade of boats up and down the inland waterways around town.
To endure a few months with 92-degree heat and 80% humidity is certainly worth it to be rewarded with the perfect climate we are blessed with once fall arrives.
Nick Salter - Salter Group, Atlantic Beach, FL
I'll attend any Oktoberfest events that go on locally. Trying fall-flavored beverages and enjoying music is a must. My spouse and I also look out for "Halloween" themed drive-in movies where we'll bring pizza and our favorite snacks.
