Words by Christina Huntington // Photography by Sarah Prikryl
In Southern California, we don’t measure the change of seasons in terms of sun or snow. We measure it in light. Did you catch the subtle shift in sunlight this week—all that bright yellow of Summer fading into the hazy gold of Fall? If so, you may have been filled with a strange urge to stock-pile sweaters and buy everything with a pumpkin on it. Pumpkin coffee, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin toothpaste? Sure, throw it all in the cart!
Amidst the first-week-of-Fall flurry, we here at Sirens & Scoundrels have been inundated with requests for our “Best of Fall” adventure recommendations. Lucky for you, we happen to be experts on the matter. So to get you prepped for the cozy months ahead, we present you with our “Best of Fall Fun Hitlist”…all the best of the best for getting out into the world and exploring the many gorgeous, off-the-beaten-path treasures that make Autumn in California feel so magical. So grab your list and check it twice…you won’t want to miss out on any of these Fall treats!
Fall just wouldn’t be complete without a trip out to Oak Glen, CA, for apple picking, apple juice pressing, apple ale drinking, apple butter eating….you get the picture. You come here for the apples. Part pioneer town, part vintage Main Street, part old-timey farming village, the tiny apple orchard town of Oak Glen will have you swearing you took your DeLorean back to 1955 just to pick up Apple Annie’s famous “Mile High Apple Pie“. And believe us, this pie is worth time-traveling for. For full details on Apple Picking in Oak Glen, read on HERE.
If you’ve ever wanted to experience Heaven on Earth, where angels sing from atop endless trees of glittering gold as far as the eye can see, then be sure to make your plans NOW to head up to Mammoth’s June Lake Loop and take in all the epic majesty of the Sierra Fall Colors. The height of the fall foliage bloom is short, just a few weeks from when the Aspen trees set ablaze in all their bright yellow glory and when those first few winds blow the leaves from the trees. Keep an eye on the Visit Mammoth and Mono County Tourism sites for updates. This is one California adventure absolutely not to be missed! Get our complete Sierra Fall Colors adventure guide HERE.
JOSHUA TREE DESERT RETREATS ~ Art Tours & Music Festival
Joshua Tree is one of our favorite go-to destinations for a quick adventure any time of year. But in the Fall, all the elements come together for a perfect weekend getaway to soothe the soul. The heat settles down enough to hike without frying as the nights get cool and crisp enough for snuggling by the fire under the stars with the ones you love. With some of our favorite art and music festivals happening in October, there’s never been a better time to head out to the desert.
16th Annual Open Studio Art Tours ~ Oct 14-15, 2017 & Oct 21-22, 2017
“The Hwy 62 Open Studio Art Tours, now in its 16th year, is a one-of-a-kind experience for art lovers and art buyers to create a customized self-guided tour of the 80 plus open studios in the Morongo Basin and to speak directly with the artists about their work and creative endeavors in the intimacy of their private work spaces.” Full info HERE.
Desert Daze, one of our favorite no-B.S. music festivals, happens out in Joshua Tree each October at the Institute of Mental Physics. This year with Iggy Pop, Spiritualized, Allah-Las, Cigarettes After Sex, Ariel Pink, Unknown Mortal Orchestra & Hope Sandoval playing amongst a slew of other favorites, this is the one festival to put at the top of your to-do list! Full info HERE.
We can’t make a trip out to the desert without a stay at one of the many charming desert haciendas from Joshua Desert Retreats. With homes to fit every size and budget, they’ve become our most trusted go-to purveyor of comfy homes to lay our heads beneath the desert stars and plot all our desert dreaming. Read our Joshua Desert Retreats adventure guide HERE.
THE BEST OF DELICIOUS FALL RECIPES
Let’s be honest. As Fall starts to embrace California in its cozy golden glow, we suddenly get the urge to BAKE and EAT THINGS…EAT ALLLLL THE THINGS!!! So to help you do that, we’ve gathered up our favorite Fall Recipes for your yummy pleasure. These recipes are fast, inexpensive, easy and surprisingly healthy (aside from the Baked Pumpkin Fondue). But life was meant for living, which means…eat the cheese. Eat allllll the cheese. Just remember to share it with friends.
Everything apple under the sun in one convenient place HERE!
Our gluten-free take on that famous Mile High Apple Pie from Apple Annie’s in Oak Glen: HERE.
The yummiest soft-and-crispy Fall potato recipe that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner: HERE.
Delicious and divinely decadent, this is the one total show-stopper dish you need to impress and satisfy guests at any Fall gathering: HERE.
At home, in a cabin or around the campfire, this uniquely spiced cider can be cooked up and served virgin or spiked to warm the soul just right: HERE.
Be sure to take our Farm Fresh Folk Playlist with you while you bask in the beauty of Fall in California!
Golden days are here again! Happy Autumn-ing!!
love, Sirens & Scoundrels xoxo
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© 2017 Sirens and Scoundrels
Contributing Photography by: Daniel Mansfield & Christina Huntington
Sirens & Scoundrels 
Amazing photos and writing!! Loved your adventures!
Thank you so much, Lisa! So happy you’re along for the ride!
Such a great website. Writing and photography break taking!!
Thanks for introducing us to so many cool spots, yummy treats and inspiring tunes!!
Thank you, Kate! We’re so glad you’re enjoying our recommendations. Hope you go try them out too! Happy Adventuring!! 🙂