By Christina Monroe and Tarini Dasari

Thanksgiving break is fast approaching, and if you are currently in the process of making plans, we certainly have recommendations! One of our favorite fall activities is apple picking. It can provide you with a walk around a beautiful orchard, plenty of apples to snack on and bake with, and quality time with the people you love. One of our top spots is Honey Pot Hill Orchards, which not only has a plethora of apple varieties, but also has a petting zoo, a hedge maze, a hayride, and also (what we believe to be) the best apple cider donuts in the North East!

You can also take a day trip to see the foliage. Maine is a great place to see the changing leaves, but if that’s a bit too far, New Hampshire is a great option too. It’s very peaceful to drive on uncongested roads through the mountains, surrounded by falling leaves of all different colors. If you would like to be even closer to home, simply take a walk around Back Bay, the South End, or even Longwood! Elizabeth Kuntz ’23 says, “every autumn, the changing leaves are a highlight of my walk to school!”

Another fabulous break idea that can double as quality time with your family or friends is baking! Baking is an activity that we all probably wish we had more time for. So why not take this opportunity to try something new and possibly end up with a delicious finished product! Pies are most definitely a Thanksgiving favorite; so try your hand at an apple pie (the superior flavor of pie), pumpkin, cherry, french silk, or any other flavor! If you need other ideas, feel free to take a look at the Thanksgiving Recipes article in the arts pod. 

And our final, perhaps most outlandish idea. Binge-watch some of your all-time favorite TV shows’ Thanksgiving episodes! It seems to be a TV show staple to have a Thanksgiving episode every year, and they are never short of drama and humor. Some of our favorites include New Girl (which has an endless supply of Thanksgiving episodes), Gossip Girl, The Vampire Diaries, and of course, Gilmore Girls, the ultimate fall show. 

Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to relax, spend time with loved ones, and express gratitude. The Banner is certainly grateful for all of our loyal readers, and we hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving break!