Autumn is the absolute best. I start pulling out sweaters and scarves before the weather even remotely justifies it, then spend weeks happily overdressed. I love the whole production—noodle soups, spicy drinks, crunchy leaves, dark afternoons, fogged-up windows. Bring it on! Here are five ways to make the most of every minute.
Courtesy of ShibShib
1. Dates after dark
On a cool fall evening, finding a cozy bar glowing against the night can feel like a biological need. New to the Chinatown–International District, ShibShib brings the energy of Beirut and Cairo to cocktails, music, and small shareable plates. You might find roasted halloumi with pistachio cream, dates, and cherries, or an Arabic-style shepherd’s pie. Laugh with friends over a drink made with apricot tequila, Curaçao, sumac, and lime. The menu changes seasonally and with the team’s whims, but you can always count on good eating and a great time.
Courtesy of Forage Seattle
2. Fungi foray
I love mushrooms, but do not trust myself around a wild one, which is exactly why Forage Seattle exists. The company’s two-hour beginner outing teaches complete newbies how to identify mushrooms, understand where they grow, and forage without becoming a cautionary tale. The three-hour chef-led version adds an outdoor cooking demo. Ready to go deeper? Four-hour hunts head farther afield for what founder Angela Shen calls an “adult Easter egg hunt.” Whichever you choose, you leave with a bag of delicious little forest nuggets and much less fear.
Courtesy of Fjellsangin
3. Peak indulgence
Last winter, I stayed at Fjellsangin and spent the weekend deciding whether the hot tub or cedar sauna deserved me more. The cabin sits near Mount Rainier’s Nisqually entrance, though hiking becomes optional once you see the fireplace and the trees through the windows. Order ahead for housemade pizzas, trail lunches, snack boards, movie-night supplies, or a Nordic-inspired sauna ritual. Explore the mountain, then put on a robe and remain exactly where you are.
Photo by Steve Wrzeszczynski / Unsplash
4. Hayride confidential
I am hesitant to tell you about Jubilee Farm because my family has been going for years, and it feels like our little secret. The working farm in Carnation offers bumpy hayrides to the pumpkin fields, piles of warty gourds, pigs, chickens, a small hay maze and farm store, hot cider, kettle corn, and usually, a food vendor. It’s perfectly quaint and definitely muddy, so here’s another secret: bring plastic bags for everyone’s boots and pack extra socks. We ride home cozy and shoeless, fighting over the last of the kettle corn. Saturdays & Sundays in October.
Photo by Julia Kicova / Unsplash
5. Apple hour
You can’t have fall without a jug of good local cider, so why not make fetching one an outing? At Rockridge Orchards & Cidery, a 10-acre family farm in Enumclaw, apples are harvested and pressed on site for sweet cider. The farm also makes hard cider, berry wine, and vinegar. For a closer, ferry-ride excursion, Vashon Island Cider Fest returns October 3 with apple pressing, food, music, and tastings from regional makers.
