If you have been following along, you know that we moved to Central Florida from Missouri in July 2020. All last year I kept waiting for the leaves to change and for the fall and winter season changes to happen like they did in the Midwest. They never did. And I had zero complaints. Since I have lived here I have went swimming in an outdoor pool every single week of year. So for me, not having this fall chill and then winter bleakness is amazing. Not having the seasonal changes definitely isn’t for everyone though! As hard as I find it to believe, there are people out there who love the cold and kind of come alive in the fall.
The weather is a little bit cooler than it has been, but it is really just at night. And it is only a temporary “cold” front that is supposed to be gone by next week. In the day time the highs are still in the 80s and 90s even with this “cold” front. Last October when my mom was visiting it got up to 100 degrees every day! So the “cold” front has been an unexpected surprise.
One very interesting fact I learned last year was about the living oak trees. All fall I kept waiting for the leaves on the oaks to change and when they never did I looked it up (I don’t know why that didn’t occur to me sooner) and apparently most of the oaks here are what they call “living oaks” which means they keep their leaves year round. They do shed them at some point during the year, but it happens so fast that I never even noticed.
Another great thing that happens in Florida in the fall and winter is ORANGE SEASON! There are roadside orange stands popping up everywhere right now and we will start seeing the oranges more and more over the next few weeks. If you have never had a fresh Florida orange, you have no idea what you are missing out on! Fun Fact: they really are mostly green and/or brown, the stores dye them orange to make them look prettier.
Another part of fall in Florida that I love, are the bushes you see below with the gorgeous purple berries and they are very fittingly called “beauty berry” shrubs. You can see them almost everywhere right now and besides being very pretty, the berries are actually edible! They don’t really taste that great, but I am told there is a beauty berry jelly that is out of this world delicious. The birds and other animals really enjoy eating them and personally I really enjoy looking at them. They bring a nice little pop of color on our morning walks.
The manatees are also starting to come up in the springs right now so make sure you are following our Instagram and Facebook pages for photos and videos when we see them. We do try and post a lot on our Instagram stories when we are out and about so please join in on the fun!
As you can see, fall in Florida is quite a bit different than a Midwest or New England fall but no less beautiful! Plus, it is the perfect time to enjoy outdoor activities without the worry of getting too hot.
We are in the process of planning another trip to the Palm Coast soon and would love to hear your recommendations on things to do, places to stay, and most importantly…DOG BOARDING!
We are in the process of adding an events calendar to our blog because Facebook doesn’t have an ideal system and we really think something user friendly would be beneficial for every one. If you know of any upcoming events anywhere in Florida coming up please email me at doti@itsmorethanbeaches.com and let me know. Adding an event is free to do as of right now, so don’t hesitate to send us an email letting us know about anything from community yard sales to festivals! We hope everyone has a great weekend
I love all of the amazing photos! Gotta love the sunshine state!