5 of the Best Fall Dates I Went on This Year

themaeveblog
Nov 8, 2021
7 min read

This fall, I have had the wonderful pleasure of exploring my surrounding East Tennessee area with the greatest company possible :)

For a college student, I would argue that it is so important to get out and explore, especially at the end of a

long week. Homework and endless textbook readings start to pile-up, and it can be really easy to let a syllabus completely monopolize a weekend. For me, I have found that Friday-night dates provide me with a much-needed time to unwind and take my mind off of the massive workload I have likely accumulated, while simultaneously giving me the chance to do and see things that I normally would not do or see, all with someone I really care about.

This Fall, I was lucky to go on several really fun outings, and I would love to share them with you! The ones that I am mentioning here in my list of 5 were definitely the stand-out nights for me. Of course, these were all dates that could mostly be done at any time of year, but I do think that doing them in the Fall is ideal. I did all of these following things this past season, and I certainly enjoyed every moment. These are things that anyone can try (young or old), and none of them should break the bank... since they were all experienced on a college couple's budget. And so, here are my list of 5 favorite Fall dates that I personally experienced this year:

5. Homecoming Football Game

In September, we threw on our sweaters and headed back to the ol' alma mater. Honestly, it was really important for me to just go back to my high school and visit the homecoming game. And, for me, this made for a really fun night. I enjoyed seeing the marching band play and visiting old friends, too. It was nice to go back, and I am lucky in the fact that my boyfriend and I both graduated from the same high school (though not the same year). In that, it was interesting to experience a game together and reminisce about our high school experiences. Oh yeah, we honestly did more than watch the gameplay, but seriously, what screams Fall in East Tennessee better than football season?

No, this was not my top date by any means, but it was a really fun night. I think that catching any sporting event is a great fall date, in that it gives you a chance to go out, get some night air, and socialize just a teensy little bit.

4. Pho and Barnes & Noble

One of the dates we went on this fall was a Pho date. Honestly, the timing of this couldn't be better: I was coming off of the heels of a nasty cold, so warm soup really did hit the spot!

I have to be honest, though, I was quite tentative about trying a new food. I knew what Pho was, but had I ever tried it? Nope.

Rest-assured, the type of Pho that I tried was really warm and delicious. I ordered a simple Beef Pho for the first time, though I hope to try the chicken option one day, since I love chicken (over just about any food). The bowls are huge and I struggled to put a dent in it, but it is still worth it (to anyone up for the challenge). The restaurant we got ours from is called Bida Saigon; it is a Vietnamese Restaurant located in Knoxville, Tennessee. (I highly recommend it if you are ever in the area!)

I cannot stress how much fun a soup date has the potential to be, especially in the Fall. It was warm, cozy, and comforting to me. This may sound odd, but I felt very at peace during this date. And because we got Pho, the nature of the soup broth (mixed with meat and noodles) made it a filling meal, too. Overall, I am really glad he suggested that I step out of my comfort zone and go try this.

Oh! before grabbing our bowl of Pho, we also stopped to tool-around in Barnes and Noble. Visiting a bookstore of any kind sounds like a win, in my book (pun definitely intended), so I think this type of date would be really fun for anyone to have, especially if you are much like me.

Next time you go out, consider hitting the bookstore, grabbing a bowl of Pho, or both, you won’t regret it!

3. Movie Night, Dune

Okay, so this technically wasn't a one-on-one date, but it was pretty fun. We went with a couple of our fellow college students to see Dune (part one), and I think that we all had a really nice time. It was just starting to feel like Fall on the day that we went, and so I was even able to enjoy sitting and staring out of the windows on the drive to the theater. The movie was also really-well done, so it was a lot of fun to watch. I have been reading the novel Dune by Frank Herbert in my spare time. I found that this movie was a pretty accurate depiction of the events in the book (that is very important to me)! Of course, the point to including this into my list is that it was simply nice to do an activity indoors. (It was also nice to sit on the butt-warming seats on the car ride, but that is a complete digression.)

I think that movie dates are cliche, but equally overhyped for good reason. When it starts to feel like fall, it can be really fun to take cover indoors and watch a good movie. You don't even have to hit a theater to do so. We did, but I think that a movie date imagined any way would be super cute and super fun for anyone’s itinerary of fall activities.

2. Apple Barn & Mountain Adventures

Sometimes it is the weirdest dates with no planning and no purpose that makes for an enjoyable night. One thing about myself is that I actually really enjoy the nights where there isn't some big event to got to. Thus, when we get in the car and drive all-over, I personally find myself to be having the very best of times. And what better time of year for a drive is there, than in fall?

I snapped this picture at the scenic overlook

on Highway 111, just outside of Dunlap, TN.

It was my idea to head to the local apple orchard and barn for this date, but I made a mistake with the business' closing time, so we virtually had 15 minutes to explore the place before closing. No matter, we still looked around and managed to grab a 1/2 peck of apples. But, this did mean that our plans for dinner were thrown-out the window.

The weather was nice, when we did this, so we decided to go for a drive on the mountain. The trees were the brightest shades of oranges, golds, and reds. (My favorites are the dark oranges, his are the bright reds). We spent time driving around and looking at lots of pastures, cows, and trees (time that I personally would not want to spend any other way!). At some point, we managed to drive down the mountain, past Pikeville, TN, and over into Dunlap. The sun was just starting to set, so we stopped along the highway at this built-in overlook we came across. The sunset was incredible: possibly one of the best I have seen in a long time. The way it spanned across the ridge, and our position overlooking the valley, was AWESOME!! I am really glad that we took a few wrong turns, and ended up there.

When we finally made it home, it was late, and we still had not eaten. We were headed to a pretty popular restaurant in town, but then we passed one of those "mom and pop" type restaurants, and that plan quickly changed. I do not know why, but looking into the mostly-empty restaurant, save a few old people, I saw how I wanted the night-out to end...

CHICKEN TENDERS!!!

The food was good. It was warm, comforting comfort-food. I think he ordered chicken livers, okra, and beans... and I, naturally, had tendies...so you can see how perfectly the meal fit in with the overall night.

I don't know much. What I do know is that Fall seemed like it was at its best that night. I got to see changing leaves, farm animals, apple orchards, sunsets, and old people, all in one drive! That said, I highly suggest this type of exploration. It was definetely really special to me.

1. Symphony, Dvorak's New World

And... drumroll please... (literally)

The hands-down best date I went on this Fall was to see the Chattanooga Symphony & Orchestra's performance of Dvorak's New World Symphony. We got all dressed up in our finest (this was Thursday, mind you, not even regular date-night) and we went to experience the music, live. It poured rain during the drive, and we did manage to get lost on our way to finding the Memorial Auditorium (what can I say, we are not regulars in the city), but all of that was quickly forgotten as soon as we made it into the auditorium.

Of course, there were only a handful of people our age in attendance. (I'm starting to think I'm an old-soul, or something).

But again, the music was absolutely incredible. It was my first time experiencing anything on that scale, too. As a former band-geek, I was certainly privy to live concerts, but never have I gotten to see the CSO, specifically (besides seeing the Nutcracker ballet years ago) until this. I was and am highly impressed. If you live in the Chattanooga area, definitely put them on your list. The concert was fairly well-attended, but I would love to see an increased interest in the arts, for their sake.

They put on a fantastic performance.

So, I guess that's all I've got!

My top 5 fall dates from this Fall weren't filled with pumpkins and Halloween-y activities like you might expect. They were really just filled with a lot of nice, peaceful moments were I got to scale-back and appreciate my setting, my favorite season, and my boyfriend. I think I benefit from the slower, simpler pace, but that is not always the case. No matter what, to have a fun fall date, I really think you only need to be cozy and warm. The rest can be left up to you- whether you prefer outdoors, indoors, or somewhere in-between.

I am so thankful to have been able to have such a better season, this year. Though my work load as a sophomore in college is much heavier than it was as a freshman, the peace I have during this season, as opposed to last, has been much more noticeable. I think that fact has really given me the chance to be ready for/ to enjoy these 5 dates. For that, I am very thankful.

So, feel free to let me know if you happen to try one of these things for yourself, sometime! Just remember that not everything has to be expensive, high maintenance, or high-energy to have a nice night.

And, not everything has to be

pumpkin...

(though, who's complaining if it is?)

- Maeve