As the temperature drops and oversized sweaters resurface, it’s tempting to stay holed up in your dorms and let Boston’s loveliest season pass you by. This fall, though, expand your horizons and visit parts of Boston you’ve never seen before. With my list of 7 things to enjoy in Boston this fall, you’ll experience Beantown in a unique, cultural way.
7. Go bike riding along the Esplanade.
Boston has an awesome, efficient biking system called Hubway where you can rent bikes for three days, 24 hours, monthly, or annually. Once you pay, you receive a key and insert it in any of the service’s bikes. After you finish your ride, you return it to any Hubway station. Bike rides along the Charles River are especially easy, safe, and fun!
6. Take a day trip to Cape Cod.
If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, or you just want to get away for a day or the weekend, Cape Cod is only an hour and a half away. In the fall there are less tourists, so you can enjoy the island’s beauty in a way you’ve never experienced. Enjoy fried clams and scallops, or peruse the beaches for the hundreds of gray seals and harbor seals that have recently moved close to the shoreline.
5. Discover a new cafe on Newbury Street
Newbury street is always a go-to option for the fall. With its many cafes and restaurants that offer outdoor seating, you can enjoy the hustle and bustle of Boston in a tranquil way. During autumn, L’Aroma Cafe and Trident Booksellers & Cafe are fun places to sip a warm latte and delve into a good novel.
4. Visit the spooky town of Salem
If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, visit the spiritual town of Salem, located about 45 minutes from Boston. Peruse Salem’s official Halloween website www.hauntedhappenings.org and see what events are going on in the town during its month long Halloween festival.
3. Go apple picking at one of Boston’s many orchards
Put on your favorite scarf-sweater combo, grab a few friends, and go to one of the suburbs’ many apple orchards. Take a look at www.applepickingboston.com and pick an orchard. There’s nothing yummier than fresh fruit and apple cider!
2. Be a spectator at the Head of the Charles Regatta
Be one of thousands of spectators at the city’s two-day rowing event, which takes place annually on the Charles River October 23-24. Watch as over 8,000 high school and college athletes take to the river in the world’s largest two-day regatta.
1. Experience the cultural Beantown Jazz Festival
Take a trip to Boston’s South End and be one of thousands to experience the 13th Annual Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival. It takes place on September 28 and begins at noon. There will be performances by new artists as well as Grammy-Award winning artists. Make sure to go and celebrate one of music’s most vibrant genres!