Fall in Colorado is one of the most beautiful times of the year.
Leaves are changing, harvests are happening, and festivals are abundant.
But this year…it looks a little different.
Fall events are cancelled, school break vacations are on hold, and some of our favorite activities are not available to enjoy right now (in-person football games, anyone?).
But fall doesn’t have to be boring this year, it just needs to be creative!
We have some ideas for enjoying the season around Colorado’s Front Range while still social distancing. Please note that while these ideas do not have a risk-free guarantee when it comes to catching a virus or sickness, they are relatively low-risk when guidelines are followed.
1. Conduct an Apple Tasting. Have your kids select 4-6 different types of apples (now in season!). Wash, slice, and place them in front of a tag with their apple name. Encourage kids to rate them – making note of their sweetness, tartness, and how well they go with cheese, peanut butter, or warm caramel!
2. Bike a Trail. Enjoy a leisurely local ride along the Plum Creek Trail or try Dawson’s Butte or Spruce Mountain for mountain biking. Peddle the paved South Platte Trail in Littleton or take a drive up to Dillon Reservoir Trail.
3. Get Take Out From A Top Chef. BRAVO’S Top Chef Season 5 winner, Hosea Rosenberg, owns two restaurants in Boulder. Order the make-at-home family style enchilada platter with queso fundido from Santo or select any of the locally-raised meets from Blackbelly Market (we particularly love the homemade sausage for fall grilling).
4. Paint Your Picture. Make some room in your hiking backpack and add small art canvases, paintbrushes, acrylic paints, a cup for water, a plate for paints, and some napkins. Along your favorite hike, find a spot where you can relax and set up. Paint anything from a leaf on the ground to the view in front of you. A great activity for the entire family!
5. Spread Kindness. Have kids write fall poems that can be placed in neighbors’ mailboxes, make soup to drop off at Grandma’s house, or grocery shop for a friend that needs some self-care time.
6. Cook Together. Fall is a wonderful time to cook and one of our favorite things is to use locally harvested produce to make something delicious! Pick up a bag of freshly roasted chili peppers for homemade green chili, braise some red cabbage and serve with a Colorado made bratwurst, or roast root vegetables from a local farmer’s market. Try making pumpkin pie for dessert.
7. Hike and Picnic. Colorado can provide spectacular backdrops for a hike and picnic. Some of our go-to places within a days driving distance for families include Golden Gate Canyon State Park, Kenosha Pass, Mueller State Park, and Evergreen Lake Trail. Don’t forget to pack a picnic! We love Italian subs served with plenty of vegetables, warm apple cider, and a bite of dark chocolate for dessert!
8. Make a Reservation for Rocky Mountain National Park. Listen to elk bugling, hike to a lake, or just take in the sights of one of the nation’s most brilliant spaces. Reservations are now needed and can be made here.
9. Host a Book Club. With cooler weather and earlier evenings, curling up with a good book is a cozy way to spend an hour or two (and a great self-care activity!). Ask your spouse, friends and/or family to join you in reading a selected book and then Zoom to talk about it. Some interesting non-fiction ones we’ve read lately that could spark conversation are Know My Name, Boy Erased, and Educated.
10. Try Something New. The pandemic can give us the opportunity to try something we never would have done in the past. So go ahead, look into a new experience such as horseback riding, fishing, mountain biking, playing a musical instrument, learning a new language, geocaching, or quilting. Or just try cooking kohlrabi!
Don’t let social distancing disconnect you from life. Allow it to encourage new adventures and experiences!
For those living in Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Parker, Centennial, Larkspur, Monument, Colorado Springs, and the greater Denver metro area who are in need of holistic care for such things as stress, anxiety, pain, sleep, digestion, hormones, and other health issues, please call us at (303) 688-6698 or click here to schedule a free 15 minute phone consultation with Dr. Graves to talk further.
Get out and enjoy your fall…social distancing, masks, and all!
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