By Maeve Hushman, Staff Writer
Sweet little sugar maple
With golden leaves
Turning red up to the top
Watching the perfect little leaves
Scatter around the ground
Sweet little sugar maple
Stopping just to stare at you
Small and just a bit innocuous
But noticeable
Seen
Loved
Noted
The sweetest sugar maples
Are those that are secret
The first half of the pictures were taken in Georgetown, Colorado. The second half of pictures were taken around campus, starting from the RVs and ending in front of Loyola. As you can see, there is a wide range of green to golden to fiery red leaves. I invite you all to take a moment and stop once in a while and notice the subtle change that is happening around us! Don’t let this beauty pass you by!
Seeing the leaves change colors and fall the way they did gave me a peaceful sense of change coming our direction in the most positive way.
There are so many great fall activities to partake in, especially in Colorado where leaf peeping and pumpkin patches are essential. Here are some of our favorite places to go in celebration of the great fall season.
Alaina’s Recommendation: If you're looking for a chance to see the leaves change in Colorado, then I have a place for you! I took a drive out to Golden, CO with some friends, and the views were breathtaking. The town itself its an adorable little mountain town full of thrift shops, brunch places, and is an awesome place to spend an afternoon. Golden Gate Canyon State Park has stunning views of the Aspens and the fall colors are to die for! I’d recommend hiking because the views are even more beautiful close up, although you do need to purchase a pass to park your car within the park limits. That said, the drive to Golden is just long enough to get a good fall playlist going, and there’s a Starbucks about 2/3rds of the way there so it's a perfect opportunity to grab that pumpkin spice or pumpkin chai latte and soak in all the fall vibes. (Above photos by Alaina Valdespino)
Morgan’s Recommendation: I love corn mazes, and one I particularly recommend is at Anderson Farms. It is a drive, about 40 minutes, but I highly recommend it. My roommate and I went last year and had a great time. Their corn maze is Colorado’s longest-running corn maze, and it is 25 acres with over 8 miles of trails. Not only that, but each year the maze is a fun design rather than just random twists and turns. Last year’s theme was Bee Kind, which featured a bee and beehive design, while this year’s theme celebrates the 20th Anniversary of Terror in the Corn. But the corn maze is just one of their attractions, so there is even more to do including a pumpkin patch (a classic fall activity) and horror-related activities like Zombie Paintball and Terror in the Corn (a haunted corn maze).
Photo by Sandra Vo
Autumn offers a variety of seasonal festivities, including pumpkin spice lattes, jack-o-lantern carvings, and thick sweaters, but perhaps the most iconic of all, is the colorful leaves scattered across the ground. One of the greatest joys in life is walking across these leaves and hearing the satisfying crunch underneath your feet.
But what happens when they don’t? Then you’re left disappointed, engulfed in the miseries of false hope, and with energy expended stomping for no reason. To avoid such a mishap, here are some distinct characteristics of the crispiest leaves on the ground to fulfill your autumn ASMR desires.
By far, the number one indicator of a leaf's crunchiness is its dryness. Leaves that are visibly moist will be darker in color, often plastered across the ground, and strewn flat. On the other hand, leaves that have achieved optimal dryness will be lighter in color, raised slightly above the ground, or curled at the ends. Only dry leaves are able to produce a satisfactory crunch.
However, a leaf’s dryness is not the only factor in its crispness. A perfect leaf will not only be dry, but be in an optimal position for stomping. A dry leaf that is flat against the ground will not produce any noise. The best leaf is one that has curled so much that it is nearly cylindrical, taking on the appearance of a rolled newspaper. This provides the most favorable distance from the ground for the foot to snap the leaf and produce the crunchy noise.
Where will you find such crispy leaves though? Avoid areas with sprinklers or close to drains as these leaves will likely be moist and dissatisfying. Prime locations where crunchy leaves gather include the area between the curb and sidewalk, where wind has pushed piles of leaves together. Even better is if one of these locations is particularly sunny, which means most of the leaves will have dried due to the sunlight.
If you’re desperate enough, you can even artificially produce crunchy leaves. Gather a pile of leaves and leave them outside long enough to dry (assuming the weather forecast does not call for rain). As long as the wind doesn’t kidnap your precious pile, you’ll have a delectably crunchy pile of leaves to revel in for a grand total of four seconds.
And with this knowledge in mind, may all your autumn be filled with leafy delight.
Crafting, or making anything really, can be a great way to relax, de-stress, and give your mind a break. For me, I like to listen to music, or even watch tv while I make things. It is so satisfying to see a completed project. It is almost therapeutic, and I highly recommend it.
So, you in? Carly and I have a few inexpensive, relatively easy and simple crafts you can do. After all, we are in college.
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