5 Things to do When It’s Fall in Florida

“There is a harmony in autumn and a luster in its sky…”

~ Percy Bysshe Shelley

Florida is finally starting to have crisp mornings. With brief dips into the sixties and highs starting to trend in the eighties, it’s finally starting to feel like Fall in Florida. Granted we don’t really get a true fall. Sweater weather barely lasts a couple of weeks before a day of winter and return to a sweltering summer.

Nevertheless, in respite of Summer heat and humidity, the Fall fling that visits Florida is quite nice. Our leaves don’t necessarily change color, we can’t really wear chunky sweaters and leather boots but there are plenty of things unique to Florida that we can do in addition to some Fall favorites.

Travel

We are now in the off-season, which means shoulder-season, or off-season, travel is now in swing until peak times during the winter holiday. This means as a tourist destination, Florida is in low season and there aren’t that many tourists in the state. Floridians can now come out and play.

Locals really don’t enjoy being out and about during a packed and heated summer at the parks and beaches. This is the time we can enjoy breezes in the parks, short lines at amusement parks, and sprawl out on the beach. We can vacation or stay-cation in our own state. I enjoy going to Disney during this time, exploring small gulf coast communities, and doing outdoor photography sessions.

Spend More Time Outdoors

Florida is definitely an outdoorsy place-when the weather is right. Aside from it now being the perfect time to go to the beach and visit theme parks, we can do more recreational things. We may not have mountain trails, but we do have hiking trails and gardens to wander through, streams and rivers to boat through, and fishing and catching. Not to also mention outdoor festivals and events.

Settling in at home though, I can now clear off the patio to make it more comfortable for outdoor sitting and entertainment. Summer and Spring is high in pollen and the outdoor spaces get covered in it. Now, I don’t have to worry about as much. I can break out the lights and lanterns to prime the space. Fluff the cushions and get the water features flowing. This helps me set a tropical fall atmosphere so I can do more activities like work and read outside. This also a great time for grilling and smoking, so I can rearrange my outdoor grill space to me more accessible for frequented days of cooking outdoors.

Curl-up Inside

Of course, we can keep doing what we have been doing: Staying inside! Curling up under a cozy blanket with a good book. Watching our favorite show with a warm beverage. I love attending to my home, changing out decor, switching tablecloths and lighting candles. When it doesn’t look like fall outside, it’s nice to bring it inside with autumnal scents, florals and scents.

Get in the Kitchen

I mentioned cooking outdoors. Smoking and grilling different meats and veggies outdoors is wonderful in the Fall, but it’s also great to try out seasonal recipes in the oven and stove-top. If you have yourself a good mixer, get ready for a lot of southern sweets such as sweet potato pie, carrot cake and gingerbread.

Getting back to baking from scratch is truly a mindful practice, almost a combination of meditation, science and art. This I love. It’s nice to put one’s whole being into making something delicious to delight others and that’s what’s done with food.

Put Up the Sun Dresses

While we may not put up the shorts just quite yet, we will put away the sun dresses as the Summer season, for weather and fashion, are past. We can still wear linen, but we can also add in some knit wear. Sun dresses are replaced with earthy toned maxi dresses and flowing skirts. As we don’t adhere to many color rules for seasonal fashion, with it still being bright in the sunshine state, we can wear coverups like white sweaters.