As fall nears its end, I have begun to think about things I have not checked off my “fall bucket list.” My fall has been filled with various activities like apple picking at Russells Orchard or going to the Friday night football games. These activities have become a tradition for me and many others throughout my childhood. But what about something different, something more underrated, to fill those last spots on my bucket list? 

The first activities that come to mind when you think about spending the fall in little Ipswich, Massachusetts, are probably apple picking and going to the corn maze. These also happen to be the most populated activities during the fall season. Finn Lawler, a Manchester Essex Regional High School student, says that “apple picking initially draws in a huge population of people” but “isn’t all that exciting.” It ends up being very underwhelming and overrated, as Finn would say. The bustling crowds at Russell Orchards make it a little less appealing, especially when the crowds are full of children. So what are some less talked about fall activities that could be more impressive or overpopulated?

Baking isn’t the first thing you would go to when thinking about a fall activity, but it is one to consider for next fall. When talking to Maya Bhuju, a Masconomet Regional High School senior, I learned that a less popular fall activity is “baking an apple pie with your friends or family.” She explains that this activity is much different from the “traditional and basic fall activities” that everyone turns to as soon as the leaves turn red. Baking is one of the many underrated activities of fall, according to Bhuju. She says that “it is a refreshing change from your typical trip to the corn maze” and that “it allows you to use your apples from Russles Orchard while making your apple pie,” becoming a fun activity for all involved. 

Only some people, however, have a talent or liking for baking. So what is a different and new fall activity for those people? When talking about the fall, Heather Wright always brings up walking. Fall is the best time for a walk. Why, you might ask? Heather says, “Fall has the best scenery and temperatures for walks.” With red and orange painted leaves,

your eyes are never left disappointed. During the fall, it is also never too hot or too cold when you are on a walk. The temperature is set at a perfect 50-60 degrees if you go in early October. Foliage walks are much less discussed when discussing fall activities because they seem more like a form of exercise than a fun fall activity. Heather would argue differently. She says that when she gets to bring her dogs for walks on Crane Beach, she feels “very relaxed and overjoyed by the calming surroundings” of the beach. She thinks that “more people should appreciate nature and the beauty that the fall brings to the natural environment” by taking more walks in the woods or on the beach. 

Now my fall activities bucket list is almost complete and filled with many new and exciting activities that I wouldn’t have thought of at first.