1. Trying to dress for the weather
Fall weather in Charlottesville is a lot like me when I’m hungry: indecisive, all over the place and downright rude at times. Should I do good for my body and get a salad, or should I succumb to the little voice in my head telling me I deserve that Cook Out milkshake? Should I stay low 70s and sunny with a nice breeze, or should I be so unbearably hot that I can only wear white shirts and carry a shoulder bag due to that fun little body thing called sweat? Mother Nature, do your thing with the leaf color and chill out a little.
2. Actually make it to a football game
Since second year, it has been a game day tradition for me and my friends to go to Littlejohn’s. Nothing too out of the ordinary there, you might be thinking. Well, we like to tailgate… straight to Littlejohn’s. Do not pass Go, and definitely do not go anywhere near Scott Stadium. A Chipotle Chicken and a Boston College Eagle are both birds, right? Do yourself and your team a favor and Fill that Hill, even if it is one million degrees and you’re conveniently sobering up standing at a 45 degree angle surrounded by a lot of people you don’t know. It’s free, it’s fun and go hoos — your sandwich will still be there when the game is over.
3. The Fall Foxfield:
Wait, what? You read that right: Foxfield is not just a too-close-to-finals spring occurrence. The lesser known Foxfield races, also known as Foxfield Family Day, happens in late September every year. But, as it is geared towards families, expect less vodka-soaked Cane’s and more orange juice-soaked children running around. Benefits of fall Foxfield: shorter lines to the bathroom, general cleanliness, increased horse visibility and an excuse not to do homework.
4. Polo at King Family Vineyards
Missed seeing a horse at Foxfield? Missed seeing a horse at the fall Foxfield? Don’t worry: horses still exist in Charlottesville, and are a lot easier to spot at King Family Vineyards. Sundays are Polo days until mid-October, and admission is free. Enjoy a glass of wine or six, and hit the Instagram trifecta: wine tasting, a horse, and a group picture celebrating the fact that you finally got your friends to take off their workout clothing. Running from your Sunday schoolwork responsibilities counts as exercise, right?
5. Virginia State Fair:
Full disclosure: I just spent an hour on the Virginia State Fair website and think I have entered an entirely new stage of being. Things happening this year: A Salute to Secretariat, during which you can take selfies with a giant horse poster and meet the famous horse’s descendants, an event that’s advertised draw is “heavy hors d'oeuvres,” a concert featuring a song called “Cold Beer With Your Name on It,” another band who has performed with banjo player Steve Martin (not to be confused with actor Steve Martin,) a Demolition Derby, a Junior Sheep Show and a Dairy Cow Birthing Center. And the list of food vendors hasn’t even been posted yet.
6. Visit the Safari Park:
You’ve definitely heard of a drive-through, have probably passed moo-through (drive-through ice cream!) and have maybe been privileged enough to get yourself to a brew-through (drive-through beer!) But, have you ever visited a drive-through zoo? You heard it here first: petition to change Safari Park’s name to Zoo-Through. Located in Natural Bridge, Virginia, an hour away from Charlottesville, one can literally drive through this zoo as if on a safari adventure. Think going through the car wash is fun? Try adding lions and tigers and bears, oh my! A baby rhino was born a few weeks ago, and according to one of the testimonials on the park’s Yelp page, you can feed giraffes there too.
7. Visit the Virginia Film Festival:
Charlottesville’s Virginia Film Festival is a pretty big deal. Drawing in some big-name indie films as well as accepting entries from filmmakers all over the country, the festival is a chance to get seriously cultured and watch some pretty cool films. Many students are involved, both with internships and with self-produced films. Held in November, it’s definitely a fall favorite worth checking out.
8. Try to find parking at Carter Mountain:
And you thought waiting in line to get an apple cider donut was the hard part? Think again. It’s a dog eat dog world up on Carter Mountain: so aggressive that one might even consider purchasing an off-road vehicle for the ordeal. A seemingly innocent grassy hill becomes akin to that ridiculous plastic parking game we all played unsuccessfully as children. But, this time, you can’t give up in the middle because the green car was too big and you just weren’t feeling it anymore. Make your mother proud and keep the doctors away by sticking it out: the apples and resulting apple-related pies/ice cream/everything is worth the traffic jam.
9. Feel guilty for not partaking in fall activities because you want to stay in bed:
So, it’s pretty nice out, but your bed is pretty comfortable. You have just five more episodes in season six of Parks and Recreation and that’s only five increments of 22 minutes which means you’ll be out of bed soon, right? The days will soon be getting shorter, so take advantage of an extra hour or three in bed — it won’t make a difference before the sunset, right? My friends, I advise you to go with your gut. Yes, it may be nice out and your roommates may be doing fun outdoor things such as sweating and getting weird backpack tan lines. If you’re not feeling it, you’re not feeling it — the great thing about nature is that it will still be there tomorrow.
10. Outdoor dining at Two Guys Tacos:
And you thought I’d say outdoor dining at Trinity or Boylan, right? After an in-depth, year-long discussion with my roommate, we decided that Two Guys Tacos was the enigma of The Corner. It delivers, yet 95% of U.Va.’s population lives within twelve feet of it. It’s still open, but has anyone actually seen people eating there? Who are the two guys? Why should I pick Two Guys over Qdoba? Though I’ve yet to actually make it inside, I’m hoping one of you will cut your losses in the long Christian’s line and try it for me. Please let me know how it goes.
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