You ever been to San Antonio, Texas? I am a big fan. I was there recently for work and had the opportunity to have dinner with some friends. I had planned for warmer weather but to my surprise, it was a little cooler than I anticipated. Unfortunately what I brought to wear didn’t quite do the job. Life is that way, isn’t it? We can assume and plan all we want, but sometimes life just happens and things change. What we had planned for sometimes turns out to be something quite different, and we are often left with picking up the pieces. We never know what tomorrow may bring, so while we still have today, we need to make the most of it. We can always find excuses on why we can’t do something, but how much more should we find reasons to do something fun with the people that matter the most? So for this week, I thought it would be helpful to include some fun ways to make the most of the warmer weather while we still have it. Here are a few suggestions….

Visit a “local” coffeehouse
I know there is a Starbucks coffee house on almost every corner, but have you ever visited a locally owned coffeehouse? Might be hard to believe but there are some out there. You can use google or the yelp app to search out locally owned coffee houses near you and use it as a date night. Also, many coffee shops host art installations, live music, or game nights, so in addition to cozying up during your date night, you get a bonus out of your visit!

Geocache
I had never heard of this until I visited a State Park a couple of years ago and almost stumbled over one. Are you the sort of family that likes to have a goal when heading for the big outdoors? Then geocaching might be a great activity for you. Geocachers use an app on their mobile device to find a specific set of GPS coordinates, then they search for a hidden container in that area. When they find it, there’s a logbook inside to sign, and usually some small trinkets of the “take one, leave one” variety. There are probably geocaches right in your town, or you can check any area park with hiking trails. You can hide your own and add them to the app for others to find, too.

Go apple picking
We tend to think of apples as an October treat, because of Halloween apple bobbing and caramel apples. But many apple varieties begin to ripen in September, and the picking season is in full swing. Apple picking is a fun outing, and often orchards offer add-ons like hayrides, fresh-made cider doughnuts and my personal favorites, apple cider and apple pie (heated over ice cream of course).

Go “real” camping
Renting an RV or staying in a fully furnished, air conditioned log cabin is not “real” camping in my book but hey, if this is what works for you, then do it. Right now is a great time to experience the outdoors and doing it while camping can be a fun experience. My first camping experience with my wife ended abruptly because of a severe wind storm in North Carolina but even after all of these years, we still laugh about our experience together. The key here is making memories and having fun together, however you define camping.

Plant things in the garden
I’ll be honest: this is not my strong suit. I was not born with a green thumb. I do, however, know that many families this time of year are good about putting in mums and planting trees. This is also a great time of year to plant bulbs and garlic. Besides having something fun to do together, you will feel good about yourself when your yard looks gorgeous next spring.

Attend a fall festival
One of the reasons I love the fall is that there are tons of fall festivals to attend. If you do a google search on fall festivals in your area, you will more than likely see several options to choose from. What I like about this option is not only the food, but you get the chance to be outdoors and experience the local culture (which can very interesting depending on the festival you choose.)

The bottom line is life is short and you don’t know what tomorrow may bring. So why not make the most of each day? We can make all the excuses in the world of why we can’t do something. But let me ask you this, when you are at the end of your life, are you going to say, I wish I would have spent more time at work? No, of course not. So whether it’s one of the ideas I have suggested or something else, this is a perfect time of year to get busy and start having some fun.

Was this helpful? Feel free to leave a comment. Would love to chat with you.

God Bless,

Doug Hedrick