5th Annual Autumn In New England | Live Lovely Travel

My Autumn in New England adventures began long before I made it into a blog series five years ago starting with B. F. Clyde’s Cider Mill in Mystic CT. Autumn has always been a magical time for me while living in New England and it thrills me every year to be able to share it with all of you, whether you live in New England or somewhere far from this little corner of the United States. Autumn magic can be found anywhere during the season.

This year I took a week off to do all of the autumn things I feel that I miss every year. There is so much to do, especially here in New England from going to a pumpkin patch and carving a jack-o-lantern to Halloween parties, harvest festivals and fairs, haunted houses and hayrides, cider mills, apple picking, visiting Salem Massachusetts or Sleepy Hollow in nearby New York. Then there are autumnal crafts like pressing leaves and decorating for fall or making all the cozy pumpkin spiced recipes. It is easy to feel like you are missing out when you see photos of people online sharing cider donuts and pumpkin spiced lattes at scarecrow competitions. I took a week off, not to do it all all, that is an impossible task, but to enjoy and slow down the season.

With the blog I have felt some pressure to do more so that I can share more with you, but that is not sustainable and it goes against my simple living values. I am not a big website with staff, just one person living in a rural area of Connecticut. Year after year, I am most busiest with photo shoots in October and I really feel like I miss out. This year, with no weddings booked (but plenty of other photo shoots this month) I took a week to do the things I wanted to do, with no pressure to accomplish everything. It has been years since I have had a full week to simply be. I do not want you to feel like you have to do it all either, however, I do want to encourage you to take the time this season to do at least three things that you enjoy to refill your cup. These three things can be very small and simple like going on an autumn hike, carving a pumpkin, or trying a new recipe. Life is busy and hectic. If we cannot enjoy the seasons of our lives, what can we enjoy?

I hope that the autumn adventures that I share inspire you, not pressure you, to make the most of the season. With everything, less is often more. During my week off I did not skip from place to place at a fast space. I kept my plans to just one or two things a day. I slowly made my way through my activities and soaked up every beautiful moment. I visited a new-to-me local country store, stopped by my favorite autumn market (the Apple Barrel at Lyman Orchards), went apple picking at a new-to-me apple orchard, made candles, baked cookies, put together an autumnal puzzle, made a pilgrimage to Orchard House in Concord Massachusetts, spent a day exploring Salem, did a witch themed photo shoot, enjoyed a day in Millerton NY with a good friend, and had a girls day in Kent CT. I could not fit in a trip to the pumpkin patch (hopefully this weekend!) and I did not make it up to Vermont. But oh wow, did I have a journey to inspire my creativity and gratitude.

This season in my Autumn in New England series, you can expect plenty of local travel, crafts, and recipes. I will be sharing my first Harvest picnic with you, recipes for maple glazed salmon, apple butter pork tenderloins, and baked acorn squash, and numerous autumnal adventures and book lists.

Thank you for being here. I hope that you enjoy my autumn adventures and that you have some of your own this year without feeling the pressure to do it all. If you are enjoying your time, you are doing enough. Happy Fall!