Wyoming really only has two seasons: winter and summer. Before climate change, we would step off the plane from our summer vacation in August and be greeted by a snowstorm. Shivering in our summer clothes, we’d dash from the airport to the car, grateful for the sweaters or light jackets tucked into our bags. A day later, the snow would melt, and summer would return for just another week or two.
Halloween was always a bundled-up affair, costumes layered over long underwear, bulky sweaters, or a coat disguised as a cape. Snow was often already on the ground, but it never stopped us from trick-or-treating for hours in a big pack of friends while our parents stayed home, handing out candy.
Fall also meant homecoming, with its crisp air, outdoor parties, and giant mums pinned proudly to winter coats at the University of Wyoming game.
In Southern California, fall feels entirely different. Outdoor swimming requires heated pools, and while the beach is breathtaking on a sunny day, the Pacific stays icy, too cold for a real swim. Fall there doesn’t bite at your cheeks or dust your yard with snow, but the beauty of the season still lingers in the light, the air, and the way the year quietly turns.
Restaurants have heaters or fire pits for Al Fresco dining. Apple picking is a weekend favorite and wine festivals celebrate California Wine Month. Miramar Naval Air Station, now Marine Corps Air Station hosts a spectacular air show in the Fall. As members of the San Diego Zoo, Halloween activities were a great family activity.
In late September the Santa Anna winds would swoop in, bringing strong gusts and extreme dryness to an otherwise mildly humid San Diego. I learned that the wind can make people feel agitated due to a combination of physical and psychological factors caused by an increase in positive ions in the air. The winds also exacerbates allergy and asthma symptoms potentially causing more irritation.
The Trade Winds in Hawaii are less intense in the Fall. Temperatures drop to the low 80’s during the day but the ocean temperatures are at their warmest, perfect for swimming. For most of Hawaii, there are just two seasons: “summer,” between May and October and “winter,” between October and April. We celebrated Fall with outdoor BBQ’s and potlucks for the weekly NFL games very early every Sunday morning. The shorter days were celebrated with crazy sunsets and incredible star gazing.
And then there is fall in Maryland, which tastes like oysters; steamed, fried, or raw on the half shell. It’s Navy homecoming football games in Annapolis, haunted houses that make you scream and laugh at the same time, and evenings spent wandering through straw mazes under a crisp sky. The heavy summer humidity finally lifts, leaving the air cool and comfortable. Everywhere you turn, there’s pumpkin spice: lattes, candles, and desserts signaling that autumn has fully arrived.
From Wyoming snow to California and Hawaiian sun to Maryland oysters, fall shows up differently in every place I’ve lived, but always with the same promise: a season of change, of gathering, and of memory-making. Wherever I am, fall is still the best.
Kate Emery General is a retired chef/restaurant owner who was born and raised in Casper, Wyoming. Kate loves her grandchildren, knitting, and watercolor painting. Kate and her husband, Matt are longtime residents of Cambridge’s West End where they enjoy swimming and bicycling.
