Ask The Geeks: What’s Your Favorite Fall Activity?
Autumn is in full swing, and so is Geekade’s 31 Days of Halloween. This year, we’ve turned to some familiar voices from around the website to answer a series of Halloween-themed questions, ranging from the mundane to a tad bit ludicrous in our new series, “Ask The Geeks.”
In the spirit of the season (but taking a less spooky approach), we ask…
What is your favorite fall activity?
Brenda Cierech (Tardy to the Party, 31 Days of Horror): Hiking is my go-to fall activity: it’s much more pleasant than hiking in the summer because the sun isn’t as bright, it’s not ridiculously hot, and there are fewer (if any) bugs. Plus, the views become even more spectacular as the foliage shifts from various shades of green to reds, yellows, and oranges. Not to mention the fact that the piles of leaves scattered across the trail make a satisfying crunching sound when you walk through them. Of course, my affection for true crime and horror movies can make me a bit paranoid during solo hikes; as exhilarating as it is to enjoy the beauty of nature without another soul in sight, it’s terrifying to imagine the man-eating black bear (which are few and far between, but do exist) or serial killer that might be stalking me during my solitary reverie. Suffice it to say, I’m acutely aware of my surroundings at all times as I take in the majesty of the forest. Just in case.
Dean DeFalco (Vest Lord, General Administrator): Scanning all the Black Friday deals.
Kris Randazzo (Stone Age Gamer, This Week’s Episode, Waveback): Wearing a hoodie, drinking hot chocolate, sitting in front of a fire pit, watching leaves fall.
Karen Randazzo (This Week’s Episode, The Think Tank): Cooking and eating. The weather is finally cool enough that you don’t mind heating up the kitchen and fall flavors are the most comforting of all the seasons. I’ll happily spend a day boiling soup, roasting turkey or vegetables, and baking all things pumpkin and apple.
Amy Ebeling (Editor-In-Chief): From the end of August to early November, I scour the aisles of every art supply, home furnishing, and department store in existence for any type of horror-themed décor, which I keep up all year long. It’s my time to stock up until the next Halloween season. The best day of the year is November 1, when all of the pop-up costume and decoration shops have their “Everything must go” sales. In addition to that, I love going to all of the haunted hayrides and walk-through haunts in the area. As a former professional zombie, a lot of the scares are lost on me because I know the tricks, but I still get giddy and giggly taking everything in. A personal favorite is Shocktoberfest in Sinking Spring, PA.
Janelle Hawkins (Turn It Up): Reading a book outside with a chai latte, in a leather jacket. I live in Nashville now, so I have to wait longer for it, but I already know which coffee shop and table there I’m heading to!
Gabbie Robbins (The Think Tank, Gabbie Re-Reads): Baking! Apple pie, pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, pecan tart, baked apples, cinnamon muffins, white chocolate chip cookies–it’s time to load up for hibernation.
Dave Marconi (You Shall Not Pass Go): I love going to Hillview Farms [in Gillette, NJ] with my wife and kids. We’ve done it every year since my first was born. They have a hayride to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch. We pick out pumpkins to bring home and carve, and then pick our favorite apples, Sun Crisp, right off the trees. We top it off with fresh apple cider and homemade donuts. It’s officially Fall when this happens.