Look, we’ll be honest here; a nice road trip or a weekend at a cabin are two of our most favourite ways to enjoy fall, what with nature being at its alluring best. And those would have been the only two fall favs of ours had we not been living in a city as happening as YYC. Come fall, it’s not just nature putting on a show with its bright and colourful foliage, Calgary too has a lot to offer.
Whether it is relishing the fall harvest, trying out a pumpkin-spiced something, or hiking to satisfy the leaf-peeper in us, the city has enough to offer to make even the most cynical of us fall in love with fall. So, we put together a list of some of the most amazing activities to indulge in this fall.
In fact, we are going one better and filling you in on this cost- and fuel-efficient way to get to all the below mentioned places. Enter: Communauto. Now, you might already have used the car share service; it is after all quite popular. We’ve been using the service for a while now because the ride is pretty sweet and the deals even sweeter. Their pricing is straight-up astonishing, in a nice way, of course.
So, whether you’re in the burbs trying to get downtown to check out the shops, or in the downtown core trying to get out and pick some pumpkins – Communauto is the easiest and most affordable car share program in the city. Plus, you can avoid the whole parking hassle as they let you drop off the car in any of the FLEX zones that are just about everywhere. We do suggest that you read their parking guidelines before booking a car share though. Besides, let’s face it, despite all their convenience, fall is hardly the weather for scooters.
Moving on… below are our top picks to enjoy the Calgary fall to its fullest.
Pick a fresh as hell pumpkin (or 5) to carve and/or devour
The Saskatoon and sour berry-picking season might be over but there’s still some strawberry and loads of pumpkin left to pick. Off the top of our head, you can still pick strawberries at The Jungle Farm and as for pumpkins, well, there’re plenty of patches to grab your own. Take Butterfield Acres, for example.
Be mesmerized (yet again) by the Harvest Lights at The Calgary Farmyard
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But of course, we go to the Calgary Farmyard for the maze. But there’s no denying that finding your way out of a pitch-black (not quite since you can use your flashlights) maze into a pool of colourful lights is just as satisfying as it is mesmerizing. This is the kind of thing you never tire of. FYI, you can take the Communauto cars here as well, because, unlike scooters, they don’t need to stay within the city zone.
Drink all the fall-themed drinks you can (and not just pumpkin spiced lattes)
Just because we love PSL doesn’t mean we can’t relish a few others too. Fortunately, Calgary cafes and breweries don’t hold back with their fall menus. Our faves: Pumpkin Pie Latte at Higher Ground, crème brûlée Soft Moon at The Moon Tea House, AND Pumpkin Ale at Ol’ Beautiful Brewing Company. Again, if you want to save yourself the parking trouble while also enjoying a private ride with your significant other, Communauto’s the way to go.
Create your own fall treats-topped caramel apple at Granary Road Pumpkin Fest
Is it even fall if we haven’t, at least, once visited the Granary Road Pumpkin Fest? We say NOT! From their pumpkin-flavoured everything (even soaps which btdubbs are amazing) to the fresh fall harvest this giant of a farmers’ market is a fall staple. And this year we’ve decided to go a step further and deck up our fav snack, aka caramel apple, with all the flavours of the season at the Jack O’Lantern apple decorating class.
Go for a hike to take in the colourful beaut that is nature in the fall
We’ve said it before and we won’t shy away from saying it again- autumn is the best time to hike. The heat isn’t crushing, the sun isn’t as harsh and the views are an absolute delight. This is the time to trail through Fish Creek Park or if you’d rather wander outside the city, venture into the Bragg Creek for great hikes and views that last forever.
Mix the two great pleasures of life- eating and viewing the fall colours
This one’s our favourite and we insist that you give it a try too. Here’s what you need to do- pick up a pizza from your fav joint. Ours is Una Pizza + Wine because well, pizza and wine. Then, grab a blanket, drive off to a look-off point, set up camp, and enjoy. In case you’re wondering what lookout points to go to, here’s a list of 10.
That was our list peeps. If you’re ready to take on any or all of the above fall adventures, well, head over to the Communauto website here to check out their car share rates and deets. You can thank us later!
