Get Romantic This Fall

So, there’s no denying it—its Fall. The weather is cooling off, kids are pushing me down the subway stairs on their way to school, and department stores are setting their display tables with turkeys and Santa Clauses.

Those long summer nights and romantic strolls on the beach are pretty much finished (unless you like freezing water stinging your face), but just because the leaves are dying, doesn’t mean the romance has to.

Here are a few dating ideas that can only happen in the Fall.

• Apple picking: Even if you live in the city, there’s got to be an apple orchard somewhere close to you, and talking a beautiful walk through rows and rows of apple trees is simply amazing. You can soak up the Fall air, get a few apple-tinged goodies (apple cider donuts = heaven), and do something active with the one you love (or are beginning to love).

• Do the Fairs: Street fairs, country fairs, fall is the perfect time to grab your sweetie’s hand and pull them towards farm stands or a rickety Ferris wheel that looks like it might kill you both. There are plenty of fairs happening in September and October, all you gotta do is Google them.

• Carve a Pumpkin: I don’t know when you get too old to have fun scooping out pumpkin guts, but if that age ever comes, I hope I’m dead before it happens. Working together to make the sweetest pumpkin your neighborhood or dorm room has even seen is not only a bonding experience, but a chance for you to show that special someone your fantastic knife skills.

• Go For a Hike: Fall is the perfect time for energetic dates, since it’s cooler and sweat is less likely to invade every article of clothing and stream down your face. Grab your sweetheart, strap on some good shoes, and show them how in shape you are with a long walk or hike. Just make sure to watch out for bears—nothing ruins a date faster than getting mauled.

• Make an Apple Pie: Buy in the ingredients, find a real home-cooked recipe, and cover everyone with flour. Cooking together is a surefire way to build intimacy, and will give both of you something sweet to taste before heading to the bedroom for something sweeter.

Summer will always be awesome, but nothing says “come a little closer, baby” than a cool breeze and a cup of hot chocolate.