At long last, the heat of summer begins to ease up to make way for Fall. The long, hot North Carolina summers remain a definitive feature of our piece of the world that I love and appreciate, BUT sweater season... it's amazing. Today, I donned a sweatshirt and felt an actual breeze for the first time in months and started to look forward to my favorite parts of autumn in the Triangle.
Playing in the Woods
We are surrounded by a plethora of accessible trails for hiking and biking. Soon, we will find the green of our beloved pine offset by the red, orange, and yellow of deciduous trees. Where better to enjoy the splendor of leaf death than in the woods? There is a park or nature preserve within half an hour of any city center in the Triangle - Umstead State Park in Raleigh, Eno River State Park in Hillsborough and Durham, and Brumley Forest Nature Preserve in Chapel Hill to name a few. Those three offer convenient parking and a variety of trail length and difficulties to suit explorers of all ages and fitness levels.
Drinking Outside
Falls in the Triangle offer all the joys of drinking outside in the summer without the profuse sweating and sunburn. Swing by Cocoa Cinnamon in Durham and grab a table as you sip a hot coffee for the first time in months and doodle in your journal (What about Fall makes reflecting so necessary? Is it the previously mentioned leaf death?). Try out the rooftop bars at The Durham or Unscripted as it finally seems safe to opt for a perch CLOSER to the Sun. In Carrboro, settle in to your Weaver Street routine - enjoy a salad without fear of sticking to your seat, dance on the lawn without fear of dehydration, or simply appreciate the cooler temps as you chase your toddler around the mulch, a truly adorable, season-less task.
Social Bike Rides
The temperate evenings make the many social bike rides significantly more appealing. There is something inherently unnerving about making new acquaintances when you are so sweaty that you appear to have stepped directly out of the shower and into your "casual chic" biker gear. As the seasons change, the night falls earlier, the rides get shorter, and the conversations shift from, "Can your kidneys shut down from dehydration?" to "Man, your scarf game is truly on point." Not sure where to start for your closest ride? Check-in at Bullseye Bicycle in Durham, Back Alley Bikes in Chapel Hill, or Oak City Cycling Project in Raleigh. There are events for all skill levels/disciplines to which each of these shops can introduce you.
So, as Labor Day looms ahead of us, don't lament the end of summer - dust off your Uggs and prepare for Fall.