A love letter to the season we wait for all year — winding roads, warm donuts, and everything in between.
There is a particular kind of anticipation that builds as the summer starts to wind down here at Shookhill Secret, and it’s for fall in New England. The moment that first crisp morning arrives, we start dreaming about winding mountain roads, orchards heavy with apples, and smell of something cinnamon-spiced coming out of the oven and our cooler weather wardrobe that has been packed away for months. Over the years we’ve shared so many of our fall favorites here on the blog, and we thought it was high time we gathered them all into one cozy, can’t-miss guide.
The foliage road trip. If there is one thing New England does better than anywhere else, it’s autumn color (and lobster rolls). The best way to see Fall foliage is behind the wheel. Our favorite route starts in Boston, then winds up through the storybook town of Woodstock, Vermont, where we love checking into the Woodstock Inn and stocking up on picnic provisions at the Woodstock Farmers Market. From there, it’s on to Hanover, New Hampshire, home to Dartmouth College, with a quick detour across the river to the King Arthur Baking Company Store in Norwich for fresh bread, kitchen accessories and baking treats. The real showstopper, though, is the drive from Lincoln, New Hampshire, along the legendary Kancamagus Highway — sixty miles of fiery red, orange, and gold that practically demand you pull over every few miles. Don’t miss Sabbaday Falls, Lower Falls, the 1858 Albany Covered Bridge, and Fadden’s General Store & Sugarhouse for award-winning maple syrup. We always finish the loop with a night at the Omni Mt. Washington Hotel, where sunset drinks on the porch have become something of a tradition. New England fills up fast in October, so book your hotels early — the first two weeks of the month are typically peak color.
Apple season and cider. No New England fall is complete without a trip to the orchard. We keep a running list of favorite varieties: Fuji for snacking, Honeycrisp when we want that perfect sweet-tart balance eaten fresh out of hand, Granny Smith for baking since they hold their shape beautifully in a pie, and Winesap for their rich, almost spiced flavor that’s wonderful cooked down into applesauce. And then, of course, there’s the cider — fresh-pressed, sipped cold on a warm afternoon or warmed gently with cinnamon sticks and cloves once the evenings turn cool. We’ve even dabbled in making our own hard cider for sipping fireside with friends.
Donuts, naturally. You cannot talk about New England fall without talking about apple cider donuts. We make ours from scratch, rolled in a cinnamon-sugar coating while still warm, and they never last long. If you’re near an orchard this season, seek out a fresh batch, still warm from the fryer — it’s one of the great simple pleasures of the season.
Great hikes. Fall is the very best time to get out on the trails, when the air turns crisp and the views turn spectacular. We love the easy, family-friendly walk to Diana’s Baths Waterfall in North Conway, New Hampshire, and for something a bit more ambitious, the trails up Mt. Washington reward you with sweeping views in every direction. Further north in Maine, hiking Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park for sunrise is an experience we recommend to everyone at least once (reservations recommended).
Cozy at home. Fall isn’t only about the road trips. It’s also about the first fire of the season, mugs of coffee on cool mornings, cider based cocktails by the fire in the evening, and the simple joy of decorating the house with warm green and rich brown tones along with pumpkins, and mums to welcome in the season.
Put it all together, and you have everything we love most about autumn: the drives, the orchards, the hikes, the sweaters and the quiet cozy moments at home in between. We hope this inspires your own perfect fall.
What’s your must-do fall tradition? We’d love to hear about it.
