Category: General

As the summer blends into the cooler weather of autumn, a remarkable transformation takes place in the foliage across the country, and it is spectacular around the Lake of Ozarks, as the greens give way to a variety of bright reds, shades of orange and even lovely hues of purple. This makeover starts to occur in early October when black gum, maples, hickories, oaks, and other hardwood trees turn their leaves from green to the astonishing variety of warm shades and convert these normally green forests to a magical colorful kingdom of yellow, orange and red. The Ozarks are among the first places in the state to be painted in these bright hues which reach their peak brilliance by mid-October till mid-November. This brief but explosive spread of colors is a sight to behold and tourists from all over come to Lake of Ozarks to enjoy this natural painting.

All trees and their leaves start out in spring as green. This green color of the leaves is due to the presence of green pigment chlorophyll which is essential for the photosynthesis needed by the trees to convert the energy of the sun for their growth. During the summer season, the green pigment is plentiful in the leaves during the growing season, and they overwhelm and mask the shade of color of any other pigments that may be present in the leaves. As autumn draws in, the sun loses its intensity and it results in the elimination of chlorophyll in the leaves. This loss of the green pigment lets the other, previously masked colors to come up to prominence and eventually it becomes the color of the tree. Each species of trees have their own specific hue and color.

The Ozarks have thick forests spread over a wide area that contains a variety of color changing trees. Hiking trails and scenic overlooks are bustling with activity as the weather is normally great for enjoying a long walk in the woods. Local hiking trails are particularly vivid at this time of the year. Walking, driving or even boating through the forest in autumn around Lake of Ozarks is truly a wonderful experience that should at least be experienced once in a lifetime.  Those interested in taking in the sights by water can charter a scenic boat trip in Lake of Ozarks for quite a memorable cruise.

Generally, the color change follows the same pattern year to year, but it can vary, as much depends on the weather. The area is blessed with a great variety of trees, shrubs, and vines. Their leaves change color at different times, so visitors can enjoy a fall color season that may last around four to six weeks. The best time to see the splendors of fall is around mid-October. At this time oaks, hickories, ashes, and maples show their glorious colors. Eventually these bright colors become dull and the leaves fall off the trees leaving them bare.

As the peak colors season comes to a close, the leaves drop off very quickly and you could be left with bare twigs and branches within just a week. By the middle of November, the fall color season is over. You certainly will not be disappointed if you are at the lake at the right time. The Lake of Ozarks region is certainly one of the top spots for viewing the stunning colors of fall.

Honestly, most people don’t like to see summer coming to an end, knowing that all the enjoyment, coupled with the fun and exciting activities are finally going to end. Yes, we all love the summer vacations. As a kid we can all say that summer vacations are the best, when you begin to remember all the enjoyment and fun you had with your friends as kids. Those exciting young memories never go away. But the truth is that, a lot of people still prefer the fall season (autumn), the perfect and cool weather that comes with all kind of natural views. Autumn is like a new start for most people. The change of clothes and way of dressing, the way all the leaves on the tree fall, the change in activities, are part of what makes the fall experience great.

Everyone has their best season and we all know the weather we prefer. But sometimes our opinion about other seasons change as we grow up. Perhaps, for some reason you don’t like autumn or you seem to love other periods of the year, I have listed some of the reasons why autumn deserves a place on your short list of lovely weathers.

Beautiful views

Some people like to believe that autumn really starts when the outside views begin to look natural to them and what else says “beauty” than “natural”. All the trees begins to change colour and appear more beautiful with leaves all over the floor. Sometimes all we can do is thank nature for providing such an amazing view. When in a car you begin to see this magical picture by the road side as the vehicle moves, it’s just so perfect.

Fresh start

At the beginning of autumn you start to feel the summer weather slip away gradually, everything starts to change. It’s a new start, with changes in activities, clothes, and the start of a new school year, the environment itself begins to change. Those are the times you look back at lovely memories like ” the fun of not going to school on the first day, when you lied about being sick” and all other funny memories you can never forget.

Visiting the pumpkin patch

Autumn is always a time to pay visit to the pumpkin patch, it actually gives you the opportunity to show your carving skills. Imagine the fun you get when carving pumpkins and decorating them with your friends, it’s super exciting. During this time of the year pumpkins are all over, like almost everything turns out to be pumpkin flavored.

Family holidays

The wonders of autumn doesn’t stop at its weather and natural views, you don’t just think back at old memories, autumn also gives you the opportunity to create new and lasting memories with your family. Holidays like “Thanksgiving” comes around during the fall season and they give you the opportunity to spend an engaging day with your family.

Football season

Sport seasons are always welcome everywhere, it gives you the opportunity to cheer the teams you believe in. Most people loves autumn because of sports. If you are a football fan, you must really love Fall, because all those anticipation and excitement before the season start comes to an end and you finally get to see the real action as the season gets going.

There are a lot more reasons to fall in love with autumn, the ones listed above are just the general reasons why most people love autumn. Every season of the year comes with its own specialty, but they all have their side effect. It would be great to enjoy only the best part of each season every year without suffering from its side effect. With autumn you get all the best things a weather can give during the day, with as little side effect as possible.

Known for its very powerful sentimental impact, autumn always touches those who spare a moment to reflect on its special beauty. While artists, poets, and novelists attributed it to so many different aspects of life, we can easily see that no matter how varied, there’s almost always one thing in common in their interpretations: autumn is one of the most “personal” times of the year. Be it a result of its warm and earthy palettes, which can provoke a sense of stronger connection with our roots and backgrounds, or how the ambiance of baring trees inspire us with a better understanding of the cyclic nature of life, no one can argue against the feeling of wonder that it spreads. The magic of Autumn is certainly tangible.

Autumn provides many colors and shapes that you can choose from to suit your perspective and mood as you please, combined with the backdrop of the earthy hues of trees, you can maintain high levels of inspiration throughout the season, as brown shades are considered among the most harmonious of colors, while the sight of cascading leaves washes over you with calm and tranquility.

There’s a wide variety of botanic aesthetics that can reinforce your own personal perception of the fall. For one, you can reinforce the sense of elegance and serenity with Gladiolus murielae, a poised flowery plant that starts growing from late summer: tall stemmed, white flowers with striking maroon blotches in their throats, and fragrance that oh, goes-so-well with that spectacular scent of fallen leaves.

The Sternbergia, or autumn daffodil, has one of the most beautiful shades of yellow. Not only are the Sternbergias considered to be quite easy to maintain, but it can add an optimistic touch to the most “stern” looking of gardens without being kitsch at all. they truly go marvelously well with the overall aesthetics of the fall, and with the very chic and subtle linear texture in their petals, they have so much to offer for your eyes from afar or up-close.

Autumn embraces the energetic types, as well, and the Siberian Squill can easily fascinate your eyes and soul with an electric shade of blue, especially when contrasted with rock and woodland gardens, and while we’re on the topic of energy, The burst of colors which the Dahlia can add to your surroundings is at its best from August to September, while also coming in all sizes if you’re seeking a powerful variety.

If you wait for autumn for its sense of calm, the Cyclamen hederifolium is one of the flowery plants that hit the spot. With silverish leaves and delightful sugar pink and white blooms, it can survive until the end of winter, thus infusing the atmosphere with unmistakable grace while also being quite easy to maintain.

Those are few of so many options readily available at your disposal, the autumn sky is the limit. Don’t deny yourself the chance to create your own personalized haven in this opulent time of the year.

Scorching summers, burning sun, waves of heat transiting into chilly cold days and nights, misty and foggy air, dead leaves falling from trees, rustling of leaves under your feet, smells of wood fire, fruits ready to be picked up. Yes, you heard it right. The Fall season has stepped in. It is the time when the sun burns cold. The sky tries to match its color with orange leaves. The mornings become foggy and frosty. There is vivid moisture in air. You are about to experience the Fall season at its peak.

It is the time when you get a chance to hang out with your family and friends more likely than any other time period of the year and in the same way you are more prone to skin allergies. Skin care must be expedited in Fall as allergens are super active this time of year and they effect your skin. You can avoid these skin afflictions by doing some precautionary measures and it starts with the understanding of what exactly will happen to your skin during this season.

Symptoms of Fall Allergies

Signs of fall allergies can vary from person to person but here are some of the most common indications that can tell you to be ready to combat them. Runny nose, red, puffy eyes, itchy, flaky skin, which becomes even painful at times. Some people even experience hives which are small bumps on your skin, while others suffer from asthma and eczema. All these symptoms can trigger irritation in the sufferers. The right and important thing to do is to consult your doctor as soon as you see the first signs of skin allergy.

The Most Common Allergens

There are different triggers causing allergies but the ones which are the well known are here below:

• Ragweed is a yellow flowering plant that starts to produce pollens in fall. This is one of the biggest triggers of allergy and produces up to 1 billion grains of pollen a season. This plant grows nationwide and its pollens can travel to farthest of the areas. Almost all the doctors agree Ragweed to be the biggest trigger of Asthma.
• Mold is a type of fungi. It most likely grows in damp and moist places of your house like basements, toilets and kitchens. But like other pollens Mold also grows outside your house on the wet piles of leaves. It is also one of the biggest triggers of allergies.
• Dust mites are microscopic, small pest which grow on dust house. The growth is triggered in Fall season when you first time turn your heaters on. They are naturally fed on human skin flakes that are shed around the home. Humidity is the ideal ambience for them.

Precautionary Measures to Protect Your Skin From Fall Allergies

These preventive steps can save you from a costly visit to a dermatologist:

• Keeping your surroundings clean can save you from the panics of irritation caused by allergies. Keep your body clean by regularly taking a bath and washing your hands and face often. Change the bed clothes and covers of pillows and wash them with hot water regularly. To stay away from Dust mites, keep your air vents clean, change vent filters regularly.
• Keep your windows shut if you are seriously allergic to Ragweed, Mold and Dust mites. Try to stay indoors and in case of going out keep your cars windows closed as well. Change your clothes every time after you work in your garden or yard.
• Uncover your shoes and jackets after entering your home. When you go outside wear your mask. Change your clothing after entering the house may lessen the possibility of accompanying the pollen with you which were stuck to you when you were outside.
• Keep your skin moisturized after taking a shower with lukewarm water. Use lotions to keep your skin hydrated.

It’s that time of the year again, leaves are accumulating on your backyard, the temperatures are dropping, and the morning air feels more crisp. These are signs reminding you that your summer days at the beach are over.

Unlike the summer, when everyone is pumped up to enjoy the sun and play some fun activities, autumn is frowned at for its chilly weather. This, however, must not be the case. There are tons of outdoor activities that you can enjoy when summer is over. In this article, I will share with you five of the top activities.

Apple Picking

For many people, Apple picking is the highlight for this new season. Unlike getting them from your local grocery store, apples from the orchard are fresh from harvesting hence have their sweet, crunchy taste at its best.
In some orchards, you are given a chance to harvest the apples yourself. This allows you to come with your friends and family and enjoy the activity as you compete to pick as many as you can. Not only is the activity fun, but also a learning opportunity for your kids to learn where their food comes from.

Nature Walks and Hikes

Summer may be over, but your fun doesn’t have to end too. During Autumn, the weather isn’t as hot as summer and not as cold as winter. You, therefore, get to experience cool chilly weather, perfect for a nature walk and a hike.

Enjoy the changing colors of the trees from your walk in the woods and get to witness the breathtaking magic autumn has on nature when you hike high enough on a mountain and hill.

Visit a Pumpkin Patch

Halloween is around the corner, and you want to create the scariest house in town. Well, pumpkin carving may just be the activity for you.
With your family, visit the local pumpkin patch and sort out enough pumpkins to carve. Try hosting carving contests to see who can carve the scariest pumpkin, or enjoy the fresh taste of pumpkin pies for the season.

Family Camps and Bonfires

If you are a fan of cooling down and sipping a warm cup of cocoa, you have to try family camps. Due to the chilly weather, you get to spend quality time with your family near a campfire and get unplugged for your social media for a while.

Not a fan of camping? No worries. You can easily light a bonfire in your backyard and invite your friends and family to join you as you enjoy the warmth of the fire while sharing jokes all night.

Test your Photography Skills

Autumn is a season of transition. The sceneries around are changing, tree leaves are falling as they begin changing colors. The season creates a beautiful landscape for taking memorable pictures.
Birds are also known to be migrating in this season, hence, taking their pictures as they move will make it more memorable and fun.

Conclusion

Despite popular beliefs, autumn is a beautiful time of the year that may turn out the best if you take part in the right activities. Besides the activities above, you may also try road trips, kite flying, or even collecting fallen leaves with your kids to make an autumn collection. Who said this season can’t be fun?

Looking to break the routine? Change scenery? Escape the winter? Check out these Cancun alternatives! There, you’ll find a handful of best kept secret fishing villages, which are secluded paradise in disguise. Why Cancun alternatives? Because even a paradise like Cancun can become boring with repetition. So what are these alternatives? They’re San Crisanto, Sisal, or Isla Holbox. When your family insist on Cancun, tell them the truth:

Last year 2.8 million travelers visited Cancun, more than 14.5% increase than the previous year. The visitors keep coming. But, do you want to escape to more of the same? A vacation is meant to be a time to relax, not a time to get stuck in airports, check in and out of hotels, and busy packing and unpacking.

Do you want to learn more about budget-friendly, less-travelled destinations travel destinations other than Cancun?

Wouldn’t you like to enjoy quality time with your family away from all your duties?

Do you want to explore the low key gems of Yucatan?

Here’re three hot alternatives to the too touristy Cancun:

San Crisanto

San Crisanto is a quick 52 km drive away from the east of Progreso. You’ll find this eco-travel sleepy fishing town tucked away along the Emerald Coast. While there’s not a lot to do here, the 50-pesos tour in 850 hectares of mangroves alone is a great value and worth the visit.

A small boat will take you through the mangroves where 137 species of wild animals will greet you. Culminating with a sweet swim with the tarpon fish in the crystalline Cenote water.

It’s a perfect marriage between man-made canals and nature’s wildlife.

This is a shortcut to the sublime where you connect with nature directly. The area survived a couple of hurricanes before, and was rebuilt, the locals had to rebuild the mangroves by hand. They dug 11 km of canals to rejoin the 15 sinotes around the area so the mangroves live. And the UN recognized the effort to conserve biodiversity.

Other activities to enjoy in San Crisanto: birdwatching, the beaches, and the Annual Coconut Festival. The coconut grove as the indigenous peoples people call it is truly one of the last places of its kind. It’s as close as you can get to a breakaway-secluded-virgin-paradise-beach.

It’s here where artists, writers, and entrepreneurs get their breaking through ideas, or not. The point is: if you want to go off the grid and stay connected at the same time, this is where you want to be.

This is a life at bare minimum, and although it’s harsh, it also enlightening. When that sort of living tickles your fancy, and you want to see how Adam and Eve lived their lives, San Crisanto is for you.

On a more optimistic note, there’re tons of cabanas and rentals with varying degrees of luxury. But, you better bring your own essentials.

After all, if you haven’t cooked your own food under the palms of the San Crisanto beach, have you ever lived your life?

Sisal

A quite, retreat town west of Progreso, Sisal is your next adventure.

You’ll fall in love with the most secluded beach, which looks exactly like the one in your dreams. There, you’ll revel in long hours of meditation and yoga by the ocean. Sisal is a viable alternative to Cancun because it’s a lesser-known travel destination. What else will you enjoy in Sisal? Kayaking, flamingo watching, and biking.

The village has a small population. However, many expats are coming and going, and the expat community is growing. It’s a perfect blend between a perfect getaway and connect with civilization. So you won’t be left out.

If you want to really make the most out of your trip, you need to stay at the best place in town, Las Hamacas. Whether you’re a small family, or a cluster of families travelling and living together, this is the place to be.

It’s like a modern village inspired by traditional Mexican aesthetics. The architecture is a blend of modern strokes, and authentic Mexican bling. It gives you a euphoric experience just living in that place. Not to mention, the huge swimming pool, the breathtaking beachfront complex and ocean view, and comfy beds. And if you have sharp eyes, the brilliant craftsmanship.

Sisal can easily become your second home if you fall in love with it. And there’s no reason why you shouldn’t.

Considering the vibe of a Mexican town by the ocean, the small population, and the memories associated with the sea.

Once upon a time, Sisal was the main port of the Yucatan. But today, it is clean, quiet, and inviting. Just a small Mexican town by the ocean. Home to flamingos, clear water, and colorful buildings.

It’s the perfect alternative to Cancun when you’re looking for a balanced environment for your fam.

Isla Holbox

The straight forward fact is: If you follow conventional travel wisdom and visit Cancun, you’ll miss out on many beautiful other places to enjoy your vacation. Places like Isla Holbox.

You’re about to learn all about one of the hottest alternatives to Cancun, it’s called Isla Holbox.

What do you need to know? 1) it’s one of the most romantic places on earth. 2) it’s part of the Yum Balam Nature Reserve. 3) One of the best islands in the Caribbean. Now, that you’ve covered the basics, there’re more basics to cover!

The best barefoot beach, Playa Holbox has a relaxing atmosphere with its smooth sand and translucent water. Whether you want to go in for a swim with your fam or enjoy the sunrise with your loved one, the beach is where to be.

During winter months, the beach has few people and you have it all for yourself. In addition to the 26-mile shoreline of the island. So there’s no excuse, you’ll have fun. Even just sitting by yourself and doing nothing is considered enjoyable here.

At any moment, you feel overwhelmed by the scenery around you, just hop into a golf cart taxi and leave. The island is pretty big with lots of hideouts and hidden pockets to explore. Don’t limit yourself to the beach.

If you fancy snorkeling with sea turtles, you must visit Cabo Catoche which is exactly between the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. A magical experience in a magical place. It’s a few hours away from Holbox. If you want to enjoy your trip to Holbox, don’t miss kayaking.

You’ll immensely enjoy kayaking along Playa Holbox and through the mangroves of Yum Balam Nature Reserve. One of the most popular activities. This is an experience of a lifetime, you’ll remember it for as long as you live and tell it to your grandchildren. You have to see for yourself, but the air is quiet, the mangroves trees embrace and intertwine in a lovely manner, and the still water is like an extended mirror reflecting the surroundings.

Lots of colorful and tropical birds are watching you sometimes lazily, and sometimes excitedly. Generally, it’s safe from alligators but expects surprise visits.

Conclusion

Be bold enough to break out of the touristy spots. Sometimes, the fairy-like places can be found after a wild boat ride in the Mexican mangroves.

Bring mosquito repellants with you, it doesn’t matter but brings them anyways. Make sure to stay hydrated as well.

Cancun is one of the most beautiful cities in Mexico and the world. But, with the more tourists pouring into the city, it’s becoming loud and crowded. Some travelers prefer it that way. To each his own. However, you prefer to own your time and take things slow. The provided alternatives will prove exciting.

Consider them starting points for your next adventure.

Away from the hustle and bustle of the big city, you can listen to your inner voice. That voice which inspired you to travel in the first place!

Accepting one version of the truth is lamer than settling in one place. Go, and write your own adventure.

All eyes are on you.