Five things you can do to embrace autumn
Shake out your checkered flannels, and plan your next stop to your nearest coffee shop for a pumpkin spiced latte, because fall has arrived.
This year, the Fulcrum has compiled a list of seasonal things that you can do around Ottawa to celebrate the beginning of fall. So, make sure you have your bus pass nearby, and get ready to hit the town.
Hiking
Cold temperatures, the changing colours of leaves, and a wider range of hot beverages sold in most cafes makes autumn the perfect time of year to go hiking. While living in Ottawa’s suburban sprawl might make it hard for some students to get out into nature, there are tons of options to experience the great outdoors if you’re willing to go on a transit adventure. Using Ottawa’s seasonal shuttle service, can get you into Gatineau Park where there are eight interconnected trails. Alternatively, if you’re looking for a weekend getaway from school, both Algonquin Park, and Mont Tremblant are a couple of hours by bus, and offer extensive hiking trails.
Apple picking
While Ottawa’s tornado on Sept. 21 may have closed some apple orchards for the season, there are a few that remain open for students looking for a fun, and tasty, afternoon activity. Students may want to check out Orleans Fruit Farm and Pinewood Orchards. Both orchards offer visitors the opportunity to pick the fruit for themselves—so, be sure to stock up on lots of apples for other fall baking activities like…
Pie making
Since many fruits and vegetables are hitting their harvest season this month, it is the perfect time of year to try your hand at baking—and there’s no better seasonal dish than pie. Apples, pumpkins, and even sweet potatoes are in season this time of year, and make for amazing pie fillings. If you love to bake, and want an added challenge, try making the pie crust from scratch. If you want to go a little easier on yourself, or you have limited cooking supplies, you can buy pre-made crusts—or, if all else fails, Metro and Loblaws sell pre-made pies too.
Catch a sunset
Watching the sky turn from a shade of blue to dazzling shades of purples, reds, and oranges as the sun sets over the Ottawa skyline might be something that you can do at any point during the year—however, there is no better time to do it than in autumn. Unlike the summer and winter months when the sun sets at extreme times, most students can expect dusk to set in as they’re finishing classes, and have some free time. Plus, unlike spring, the crispness of fall air is the perfect atmosphere to have a picnic along the Ottawa river, or Major’s Hill park, as the sky puts on a dazzling show in the west.
Scare yourself with Halloween activities
Fall isn’t just about the beauties of nature—there are tons of fun opportunities to scare yourself into the Halloween spirit. To stay close to Ottawa, walk into Centretown and check out the Ottawa Haunted Walks—hooded guides take you around the city and fill you in with its spookier history. Alternatively, if you’re looking for more of a scary overnight affair, HI Ottawa Jail hostel is your opportunity to spend a night in a former jail close to campus. The hostel is supposedly haunted, so if you like sleeping in a room behind bars with ghosts that walk the halls, this hostel might be the perfect overnight excursion for you.
