So there you have it. A full moon on Halloween on a Saturday night, complete with daylight savings time to give you an extra hour of sleep - foiled!
Amongst all the things combating the war inside our head, we head straight into fall and winter with yet more months of having to process change. We’re forced to get creative and somehow celebrate the spookiness that Halloween brings without the gatherings we’re so used to.
Sure, there won't be any carnivals, trick-or-treating, parties or other festivities but maybe having a full moon with an extra hour isn’t as bad as we think!
Enjoy nature and get out there!
We happened to book a week in the desert right around the 31st which got me thinking. What better way to enjoy a full moon than out in the desert? With that, what area do you live where you can enjoy nature?
Why not take beach chairs, a blanket and with just a few people, why not spend the evening under the stars with a full moon to enjoy. Anyone live by a cemetary?
What about these ideas?
Pumpkin Patch
Although many pumpkin patches are not offering hay rides, apple bobbing contests or any other harvest festivities, why not walk through a pumpkin patch? Pick out a pumpkin for cooking great fall recipes, placing on your front door or giving as a gift.
Even though I don’t have kids, I find this would be just as fun. Find a little outdoor cafe somewhere and end the day sipping on a hot toddy or gewürztraminer. Is it still as hot where you live like us?
I don’t even remember the last time I visited a pumpkin patch.
Apple Farm
We live in Los Angeles. So we would be the first ones to tell you there aren't any apple farms around here. However, I managed to stumble on not only an apple farm but an apple town.
There are several apple farms still offering apple picking and several of their shops and cafes will be open. The great news is they weren’t affected by the recent fires so with less than a two hour drive from Los Angeles and one hour drive from the desert - helloo Oak Glen!
Another quaint apple town is Julian near San Diego.
The Beach - Summertime Locale
I know, this isn’t the first place I would think of when it comes to Halloween but when considering the idea of going outside, what area do you visit during the summertime? Is it too cold? Is it too cold to go on Halloween? Probably not, right? (Although I’ve been in Denver around October when it started to snow.) Think outside the box and consider an area you’d go during a different season but might be an option during COVID-19. The idea of sitting by the fire, under a full moon at the beach sounds wonderful. With an extra hour? Bring it on!
Scary Movies
Ok I don’t like scary movies - at all! But for some of us, regardless of a quarantine or not, people love to watch a good scary movie. One year we actually were at my sister’s house where my brother-in-law put together an outside movie theater. We had popcorn, smores, appetizers and of course wine where I sat by a fire.
What was funny was that not even being outside with a lot of us would keep us in our chair during those scary moments in the movie. I was inside of course when the movie started (have you seen The Woman In Black? omg!) but it was a lot of fun to hear people still scream and jump up out of their beach chairs - outside!
This is at an outdoor movie in the park… oh the good ‘ol days.
Visit the Fall Colors
The best time in Sonoma is the Fall for it’s beautiful colors, harvest and weather. This year however, not only are we dealing with COVID but we’re dealing with the issues with harvest and weather. With this year’s harvest tainted with smoke and an Indian Summer that won’t quit, there you have it - again.
However, there are still some great places to visit with beautiful fall colors and even with what has happened in Sonoma, the wineries are still open and serving. Where can you catch the change in leaves for a nice hike or bike ride?
Entrance to Stonestreet in the Alexander Valley.
Maybe instead of thinking of Halloween, harvest and festivities, maybe mother nature is trying to get us out, smell the roses and nourish ourselves back to the beauty that nature has always given us and actually pay attention to it this time.
Maybe it’s not about the parties, the “fun” and scary spooks. It’s about discovering how the beauty around us has lavished us with the change in seasons - even for us in Los Angeles. A full moon, beautiful fall colors, harvests that only come around once a year and time with our family. I mean, isn’t this why we love the Fall so much?
What are some ideas that you’re doing for October 2020?