Autumn Day Trips

Autumn is by far my favorite time of year.  It's time to pull out those comfy sweaters, the fairs and harvest festivals are in full-swing, and the beautiful show that nature puts on is breathtaking.  That orange and golden foliage makes for an incredible backdrop.  If you are looking for a picturesque setting for some gorgeous family snapshots, here are some ideas for autumn day trips that I just love. Be sure to post your favorite place to visit during autumn on Instagram and tag me (@bethanydarin).   I am always looking for new places to explore! By the way, if you are hoping for a professional portrait experience, let me know!  I would love to create some autumn inspired art for you to hang on your walls!  Get in touch and we can schedule your session.  For an abbreviated version of a full session, don't forget about my autumn mini session event, which I am hosting this year at Topsmead State Forest in Litchfield.  Seats for mini sessions are very limited, so be sure to claim your spot!  Click here for more information. Brooksvale Park I have to give a little shout out to one of my very favorite hidden spots, located in Hamden, Connecticut.  You may have heard me rave about Brooksvale Park in the past.  I can't help it.  The park is adorable.  It is home to a picture-perfect red barn, farm animals to check out, a playground for the kids, and it's right off of a gorgeous bike trail.  I can't even tell you how excited I was to learn about the Brooksvale Park fall festival!  I didn't know about this event until I stumbled across it on Brooksvale Park's website.  It is being held on Saturday, September 26 from 11:00 to 4:00.  The hayride sounds like a lot of fun - not to mention a great photo opportunity! Rogers Orchards Rogers Orchards has two locations in Southington, Connecticut.  I am most familiar with the orchard located on Route 322 because, frankly, it's within walking distance of my house.  I love any orchard, really, and Rogers does not disappoint.  Picture rows and rows of perfect orchard fields and a little country store which, right now, is beginning to fill up with all things harvest-y.  Corn stalks, pumpkins, gourds, bales of hay, not to mention the apples!  The location that I am most familiar with has a cute little pond, too, which would be a good spot to pose the kids.  So for a great family snapshot opportunity, go on an apple picking adventure followed by a stop in the store.  You can find Rogers Orchard's harvest calendar here.  While you're there, I beg you to please splurge on some apple cider donuts.  I promise you will not be sorry!  And since I live so close, feel free to drop some off at my house, too.  (I know I sound like a spokesperson.  I assure you I am not.  I am just THAT passionate about those donuts.) Two day hikes #1 - Wolf Hill Trail Hiking is one of my absolute favorite things to do during the days of autumn.  Now that my baby is a  bit bigger, it's time to strap him on and get on those trails.  I have a few favorite spots that I love to go to every year.  If you have very young children in tow, Wolf Hill Trail is perfect.  It's super a super short and easy hike along the Scoville Reservoir in Wolcott, Connecticut.  It's the perfect spot for little ones to explore nature while you capture a few shots of them among the tall trees.  The foliage becomes a gorgeous yellow in autumn.  It's so perfectly pretty. #2 Wadsworth Falls State Park Another favorite spot for a hike is in Middletown, Connecticut.  Wadsworth Falls State Park just has so much going for it.  There is a lot of history surrounding this park, which is evident in the structures, stone walls, and, of course, the mansion at Wadsworth Estate.  Walking through the park feels like taking a trip back in time.  This is an area that I am just drawn to.  There are a few trails throughout the park, and they are all do-able for little feet.  Whether you park at the mansion and hike around the lawn and gardens or go deeper into the trails to make your way to the waterfalls, it's all good. I could have made a much longer list of areas to check out this fall.  There is just so much to love about this time of year in Connecticut!  So be sure to get out there with your family and take lots of snapshots of those autumn-y memories in the making.  Autumn is the perfect time of year to schedule your professional portraits, too, and I have a few available sessions left before winter.  Click here to schedule your session!