My husband would solidly disagree, but I have a long list of reasons as to why autumn is the best season.

You get to wear the comfiest clothing and galavant around sipping on hot cider drinks. All of the solid foods involved with autumn are delicious, too, even that weird canned cranberry sauce.

Any overindulging is hidden by all of the oversized sweaters you’ll pull out from underneath the bed.

It’s just the best time, especially if you’re somewhere with excellent fall foliage.

Throw on your flannels and settle in because I’m taking you on a ride through the best things autumn brings us, year after year.

Fall foliage meets all expectations.

Fall is the best season because it’s the perfect time to get cozy and embrace the changing weather. At its best, it’s also the most scenic. Those fall colors are a big reason why some people think that autumn is the best season of the year, myself included.

My first New England trip in October met all expectations when it came down to leaf-peeping. Yes, I’m using the phrase “leaf peeping.” It’s cute and it’s fun and it’s a super fun thing to do during autumn, so get over it.

There is just nothing like a real autumn where those leaves start turning colors and the trees are set ablaze with oranges, reds, and yellows. It tops the best things about fall.

I’m not being hyperbolic when I say I felt something akin to a gut punch when I really saw it for the first time.

Vermont is the best state for fall foliage from what I’ve seen so far, in my humble opinion.

Fun fact: Peak leaf peeping varies from year to year, but early to mid-October is likely your best bet for foliage in the Northeast if that’s what you’re after.

The sound of crunchy leaves is a delight.

As you’re moseying down your favorite trails or just taking a brisk walk around the neighborhood, you’ll likely hear that signature crunch that’s so delightful in the fall months. Those are the leaves you were peeping at a few days to weeks prior.

If they haven’t formed that signature mulch that happens in Chicago around November, it’s all still a good time. Crunch away.

Fall means excellent hiking weather.

A woman gets ready to hike at a covered bridge.

Even in San Diego, a mostly dry climate, we would need to wake up pretty early to hit the trails if we wanted to get a hike in during the warmer months.

As long as it’s not pouring rain, fall makes for some excellent hiking weather. It’s one of the top reasons to love fall if you love being outdoors. It’s cooler throughout the day, meaning you don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn to hit your favorite trails.

You may still want to do that to avoid the humans on said trails, but that’s another thing altogether.

Your favorite shows are back.

Maybe you don’t think the summer hiatus is a big deal, but once that cooler weather hits, you’ll be happy that your old favorites are back to get you through to warmer days.

It’s just pretty great to cozy up and turn on that show you’ve been waiting for, just to see your favorite character killed off if it’s Shonda Rhimes.

The return of football is also something many enjoy about the season of autumn. I’m not one of those people, but I can appreciate it when my husband wins his annual Fantasy Football league. I like money.

Fall flavors are delectable.

A cider donut against a blue sky and tractor

I’m not trying to trigger anyone here about pumpkin spice. It’s fine, and honestly, nothing people should be getting so angry about every year.

Guys, there are bigger things to get so upset about.

I’m talking about everything else. It’s maple and cider and salted caramel. It’s cranberries and warm apple pies and spiced hot beverages and caramel apples.

Yes, it’s also pumpkin. Throw it in a pumpkin pie and it’s likely less offensive to you, right?

Fall flavors are my favorite flavors, and they just taste better when the weather’s getting all crispy and you’re inside all warm and tucked in with a hot cider. If you’re nice to me, I’ll even share.

Fall flavors are even what get Brian excited about the season, and fall falls in third place among his favorite seasons.

Here’s more on the vibes in our home each year:

Hot drinks are in.

I mentioned this a little bit above, but it bears repeating. Fall drinks are delicious.

Tell me about a time you had some hot spiced cider that didn’t end in the comfiest cozy night of your life.

Give me a reason why you don’t like mulled wine that doesn’t include the fact that you’re a monster.

Maybe I’m being too dramatic, but I haven’t even mentioned pumpkin spice. Again, there are better things. There are also worse things. It’ll be all right.

Fall fashion is forgiving.

A woman walks her dog in the fall near a covered bridge in New England.

You look beautiful just the way you are, even if the year hit you harder than most. When September hits and you’re living in a place with seasons, it won’t matter soon enough anyway.

Fall fashion is so forgiving.

Throw on an oversized sweater and leggings and all of a sudden you’re some supermodel. Work the room, friend. Work those leaves.

Sweater weather is comfy.

On top of hiding all of your favorite lumps, the autumn season just begs for clothes that are all kinds of comfy.

As those cold spells hit the closer you get to winter and Christmas, nobody will care what you’re wearing anyway. I mean, they likely don’t care anyway, unless you’re trying to enter the local grocery store without shoes or a shirt.

Autumn is about comfort. It’s about staying warm. You don’t need to worry about being too trendy when those teeth are chattering. You just want to warm up. That hot cider will help.

Summer tourism is over.

There are some places that you really should visit in the summer months.

Most places, though, are better in the fall. The best national parks are less crowded because the kids are back at school. People are generally traveling less as they feel that chill in the air. You’ll have more goats to yourself.

Throw a scarf on and quit being a baby. Outside of New England during leaf-peeping season, there’s a whole world waiting for you out there at budget-friendly prices.

That’s because you’re traveling in the off-season.

Note: Traveling abroad over the Thanksgiving holiday is one of my favorite things to do. Domestic travel can become terrible, especially air travel, but most Americans stay put come November. That means fewer Americans abroad. Huzzah! Your family will understand when you break the news to them if they’re cool.

Traveling throughout New England in the fall is awesome, by the way. I was in no way disparaging the experience, as it’s the thing bucket lists are made of.

You’re not sticky all the time.

Autumn is better than summer because summer heat can get pretty unbearable, especially if you’re dealing with humidity where you live. That’s likely most of the country.

I was lucky enough not to deal with that during our time in San Diego, but it really was like a slap in the face when we returned to the Midwest temporarily afterward.

It was a wet, hot, sticky slap in the face.

The pumpkins have eyes.

A woman sits in a garden of pumpkins in a New England town.

Come October, the pumpkin game gets intense. They come in all different shapes and sizes. They come in all different colors.

Some of these gourds even have eyes.

I’m saying they have eyes painted on by local fall-loving artists, not actual eyes.

Embrace the pumpkin craze. Buy one. Buy another one. Hold them dear until they rot on your porch.

Goodbye, bugs.

Can you tell there have been moments in my life where I’ve really liked sending summer on its way?

I love autumn because cooler temperatures mean fewer bugs. A Wisconsin lakehouse weekend sounds like a great time until a mosquito bites you on the face and then comes back for more in an even harder-to-scratch area.

Ticks and fleas are also less prevalent as temperatures go down, but you should still take precautions if you’re out hiking. Bring the bug spray and hose yourself down with that DEET, even in the fall.

Note: DEET is your best protection against preventing tick bites and the worst diseases that can come from them. Brian has had a bout of Lyme disease. He’s fine today, but we didn’t know that then. It’s scary, but mostly preventable if you protect yourselves.

October is when things get spooky.

Spooktober is one of my favorite things about fall. I do not like scary movies. I watch them in between my fingers just in case that helps. I’m afraid of the dark for no reason other than it’s dark.

I love Halloween, though. When we’re invited somewhere fun for the holiday, I love dressing up. Tell me my husband and I didn’t nail Hall & Oates.

I love spooky experiences, like haunted forests, haunted houses, and towns like Salem known for their witchy pasts.

I just likely won’t sleep much after, and that’s my cross to bear for my love of Spooktober. If you’re already decorating your hours in September for a little Spooktember, by the way, I salute you.

It’s easy to visit snuggle city.

When you’re feeling kind of chilly, it’s only natural to want to snuggle up with the nearest honey.

That can mean your dog, too. Mine is an excellent snuggler who pretends like she’s never been told she isn’t allowed on the furniture.

If you don’t have a loved one around or a furry friend, you really should get a dog.

It’s also fun to curl up with your favorite blanket and dust off that book that’s been on your shelf for way too long. I’m sure there’s something on Netflix you haven’t watched if the idea of that is too painful.

Winter is coming.

A beautiful view of a church with changing leaves in New England

Now, hear me out. Winter is terrible. We left the Midwest for San Diego for seven years because of things like Chicago’s snowmageddon and the city’s dibs habits when it comes to saving parking spots after big snowstorms.

That makes fall feel all the more urgent. It forces you outside to take in those last breaths of summer if you’re lucky.

There’s always that week of unseasonably warm weather in October, at least there always was when I lived in the Midwest.

Fun fact: The hottest Halloween in Chicago was in 1950, when temperatures hit 84 degrees. I can only imagine the spicy Disney princess costumes that year.

There’s no judgment about the weird stuff you do.

Perhaps you’ve always wanted to dress up as something really niche for Halloween. As long as you’re not culturally appropriating anyone, you do you.

Maybe you’re sick of all the attention on Movember and want to take the beauty routine down a notch. I promise that your husband won’t care if you miss leg day.

I’m talking about shaving your legs, not working your calves.

If you’re only here because you’re writing an autumn season essay for a teacher lacking imagination in this moment, just remember this: fall is a time for reinvention.

Autumn is the season of reflection and setting yourself up for the mental anguish that can be the holidays. If you can’t relate to that, can I spend the next round with you?

My favorite season will always be autumn.

This is the season when I feel my best. When I’m experiencing a true fall with its crisp temperatures and the smell of crunchy leaves underfoot, I feel joy. I also don’t care how basic it is to feel a pull toward fall. When it’s done right, fall is awesome.

Now, when it’s done wrong, as is often the case in the Midwest and its gloom and rain, I could take or leave it. That’s where fall in New England comes in, though.

There’s not much that’s more whimsical than a steaming cup of cider up against a backdrop of those fall leaves.

Want some ideas for fall travel destinations? Check out these guides:

More posts that are just for fun:

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Too much, or just enough?

Autumn Is the Best Season. That Is All.