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  Visit a Brewery -140830

  Just like at a winery, you can take the info-packed tour, but one of the charms of a brewery is sitting at an oak bar in front of a huge menu of beers on tap for your four-pour flight. You'll have fun expanding your beer-loving repertoire and taking sips of each other's choice brews.

  Some breweries also allow you to order custom beer labels, which is something to keep in mind for your wedding as well.

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  Attend a Drive-in Movie

  Take in some Americana with a retro movie or a cult classic. Bring your own gourmet popcorn, grab some sodas from the concession stand, recline your seats a little, and you're golden. 

  Ask local friends if they know where a great drive-in movie theater is located nearby. While there are websites devoted to drive-in locations, some of them can be outdated, or a drive-in may have just closed down...and you don't want to drive an hour to an under-construction lot.

  Photo Credit: David Lassman

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  Take a Scenic Drive

  Drive through nearby countryside roads where the fall foliage is in peak color. (Check leafpeepers.com for info where you live, since dates vary by region and weather conditions.)

  Your GPS will keep you from getting hopelessly lost, so you can just take in the wow-factor of nature's most gorgeous "paintings" and pull over at scenic overlooks to take fun photos. For the ultimate experience, rent a convertible for a day!

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  Have a Photo Shoot

  Fall is a great time to shoot engagement portraits or a photo save-the-date with fiery-colored leaves in the background. Even as newlyweds, you can still get amazing pictures kissing under an apple tree or frolicking in your local park to add to your album collection.

  Check back with your wedding photographer to see if they'd be willing to shoot a one-year anniversary photo session or a baby photo session at a discounted rate, since you're a repeat customer now.

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  Gather 'Round a Fire Pit

  If you have a stationary or portable fire pit, fire it up and enjoy fall-flavored cocktails under the stars. It's the perfect setting to try out new recipes like a pumpkin martini or a spiced hot toddy.

  While you could chat the hours away in the glow of the flames with your love, it's also nice just to enjoy the quiet of the nighttime, holding hands and feeling immense gratitude for the life you're creating together.

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  Create Your Own Culinary Tour

  Restaurants offer seasonal specialties on their menus, like butternut squash tempura sushi, acorn squash ravioli or pumpkin crème brulee. So for a budget-friendly date night, choose a restaurant with fall-themed dishes and go for just one course or dessert and drinks. Every Friday, you can hit up a different eatery, giving you an entire season of date nights to play foodie.

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  Host a Tailgating Party

  Raise the bar on the usual hot dogs and hamburgers by filling your grilltop with marinated ribs, teriyaki wings and a chili station. While the dishes are cooking, you can have a quick game of touch football with your fiancé or husband.

  And if you're not at a pro football game, you can still "tailgate" in the driveway or backyard before the big game comes on TV. 

  Photo Credit: Tiffany Hughes from Lucky Photography

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  Watch a Game at Your Alma Mater

  Pro football games can be pricey, so if you can't get your hands on tickets to your favorite team's stadium, go to a game at your local high school or college instead. Visiting your alma mater can bring back fantastic memories — especially if they're still using the same cheers and marching band routines — and give you great stories to share with your fiancé or husband.

  Photo Credit: Art+Life Photography

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  Go Ghost Hunting

  If you love ghost-hunt shows, this is your chance to share the real deal with each other. During the fall, many paranormal groups offer ghost-hunt tours in a haunted theater, bar, or an insane asylum. Participate in sessions where you'll get to test out their EMF detectors and listen to special recording playback.

  Visit paranormalsocieties.com to find a group near you. Check out their Facebook pages to be sure they’re still active and that reviews are positive.

  Photo Credit: Syfy

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  Enter a Halloween Costume Competition

  A Halloween costume party at a sports bar or nightclub can be a fabulous throwback to your college days. Invest in some amazing getups or DIY your own together and enter to win anything from free drinks to a weekend getaway. 

  If you don't win — given that you haven't brought 30 friends to cheer for you during your walk on-stage — you can comfort one another later in the evening. In your Avengers outfits.

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  Take a Hayride

  Farms offer horse-drawn or tractor-pulled hayrides, with the evening hours being especially romantic or spooky (depending on the setting). Bring along some comfy blankets to sit on or wrap yourselves in. When the hayride is finished, the site might have a bonfire where you can make s'mores and sip hot cider or listen to live musicians, so pull up a bale and stay awhile. 

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  Hike a Trail

  On a crisp fall day, you can do miles on a gorgeous hiking path and maybe even find yourselves in front of a waterfall. Check out your local park service website or visit an REI store to get current trail maps for hiking on safe and marked trails.

  Also, hiking clubs exist in many townships, so check that out for a guided group tour that might introduce you to a new favorite outdoor activity.

  Photo Credit: Cariad Photography on Heart Love Weddings via Lover.ly

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  Ride a Horse

  Private stables often offer horseback riding lessons and trail rides, and you can even arrange for a private guide-led ride for just the two of you. Some stables even offer a picnic setup in a field, just like one of those dates on The Bachelorette.

  Bonus: It's a fun workout! According to fitness calculators, the average 130-pound person burns about 248 calories during 60 minutes of horseback riding.

  Photo Credit: Bethany Gilbert Photography on Inspired By This via Lover.ly

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  Pay it Forward

  November 13 is World Kindness Day, so for this date, do something kind together for someone else. Some ideas: work at a food kitchen, bring your duplicate wedding gifts to a charity resale shop, or send your favorite college-age cousin a $20 bill with a note that pizza's on you tonight. 

  Photo Credit: Crave My Photography on Grey Likes Weddings via Lover.ly

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  Spot a Meteor

  November 17th is the peak date for the Leonid Meteor Showers, which means that if you get a clear night, you’re going to see tons of meteors streaking across the sky. This one is for super-late night and the wee hours of the morning.

  Pointer: It's easier on your neck to set out a blanket and lay down together, bundled up, watching the light show above you, far in the heavens. 

  Photo Credit: Navicore on Flickr

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  Tour a Haunted House

  Yes, there are actual haunted houses out there! Check out the Real Haunted House listings on hauntworld.com to find a tour nearest you. Take in stories of reported hauntings as you hold hands and make your way down creaky stairs to cellars, peer into the just-as-she-left-it bedroom of a little girl who can reportedly be heard singing and more.

  Sound too spooky for your liking? Check out trolley tours that drive past attractions instead, where you can try to spot ghostly figures in darkened windows (from a distance).

  Photo Credit: Nightmares Fear Factory

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  Have a Movie Marathon at Home

  With the lights out at your place, snuggle up together under a blanket for a night of scary flicks. The Chiller channel often airs retro classics, as well as monster movies, so consider that option if none of the new slasher films appeal to you. Or, if you're not a fan of creepy children climbing up the walls like crabs, play romantic comedies or heart-racing thrillers instead.

  If the couch isn't comfy enough for hours of viewing pleasure, blow up the Aerobed in front of your TV.

  Photo Credit: Don Jon Film/Relativity Media

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  Go Wine-Tasting at a Vineyard

  Any time of year is wonderful for visiting a vineyard, but in the fall, you'll be in for a romantic treat when vineyards schedule their outdoor tastings with cheese and charcuterie platters paired to their newest vintages.

  Some wineries also give you the option of booking their tasting room for a private dinner, where you can sip fine wine and have a chef cook up a custom menu of farm-to-table dishes. Be sure to buy a few bottles of your favorite wines to bring home for future stay-at-home dates.

  Photo Credit: Michelle Zahn Photography on Michelle Zahn Photography via Lover.ly

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  Visit a Fall Festival

  Autumn festivals abound in townships, wineries and family farms. The community joins together for great eats and sweets, rides and attractions, and one-of-a-kind items from local crafters.

  You can pull up a chair at a table, enjoy your cider donuts and people-watch for hours. Some fall festivals even feature car shows, concerts, strongman competitions, microbrew stations with seasonal ales and more. Check out The Travel Channel's picks for Best U.S. Fall Festivals.

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  Go Pumpkin Picking

  Grew up visiting the pumpkin patch or fields each year? Introduce your husband to a cherished family ritual, and it'll then become yours to continue someday with your own kids. 

  When it's time to decorate your pumpkins, get creative with glow-in-the-dark paint, glitter, or free decorative templates that are available online. If you're carving your pumpkin, put an LED light inside to create a patterned glow.

  Photo Credit: Emily Steffen on Well Groomed via Lover.ly

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  Picnic Outdoors

  Surprise your sweetie with a picnic spread at your favorite park or in your very own backyard. You can include portable favorites, like gourmet sandwiches or wraps, fresh veggie salads, retro salads, and homemade swirl brownies. 

  Next time, he can create the surprise menu for you. There you have it — a new couple tradition that you can enjoy any time of year (in the winter, set up your picnic in front of a fireplace).

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21 Fun Date Ideas for Fall