7 Fun Outdoor Activities to do This Fall ...

Tailgating your local (or pro) football game is one of the best outdoor activities for Fall. You can practically smell football spirit on a Sunday, so even if you're not a fan, it's still fun to hang out with your friends, fire up a portable grill, drink, eat, and be merry. If you are a football fan, tailgating is even more of a blast, especially when you're decked out in your team's gear.

Apple orchards are absolutely beautiful in the Fall with all of the colorful foliage and rows of delicious apples. Grab a basket and go picking with your friends (and enjoy an apple or two while you're at it). When you're done, you can go home and make baked apples, apple pie, homemade applesauce, or just about any apple item of your choosing.

Pumpkin patches are such a fun place to visit, and they often have yummy treats or cool displays to see while you're there. Host a carving party afterwards and have a contest to see whose design takes the cake.

This German festival happens in cities all over the country. Traditionally, it's a 16-day festival held in Munich, Bavaria, Germany beginning in late September and running until the first weekend of October, but the date varies for each city in the States. Search online for the nearest fest and prepare your belly for some delicious German food and beer.

Fall is harvest time for wine in many areas, and the time when the grapes are brought in for the big crush, which you can even take part in yourself with some old fashion grape-stomping. Wineries are also incredibly beautiful in Autumn and the perfect backdrop for a romantic weekend or girls' trip.

Bonfires are one thing in the summertime, but on a chilly night with the crisp, fresh Fall air? There's nothing better. Roast marshmallows, tell stories, or just enjoy that incredible smell of burning wood under the stars.

As imagined, nature hikes in the Fall are like something out of a painting. While on your hike, pick up some of the most colorful and unique leaves. When you get home, press them in-between the pages of a heavy hard-cover book (put blotter papers down to protect the pages from moisture). Stack a few more heavy books on top for extra weight. After a week or two, when the leaf is fully pressed, sandwich it in between the glass of a floating picture frame for beautiful Fall-inspired artwork.

Even though it's a bit colder out, wrap yourself up in a cute scarf and jacket and get yourself outside as much as possible. There's no reason to completely dread the end of summer when Fall is so gorgeous and full of outdoor things to do. What's your favorite Fall activity?