You know when you’ve been somewhere so many times, but it feels like the first time? That’s how I felt on my most recent trip to New York. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been in the city, but this was the first time I was there while the leaves were changing. I can’t even tell you how special it was to experience Central Park in the Fall. It made me fall in love with New York all over again.

If you’ve read my blog in the past, you’ve likely seen me post about New York before (1, 2, 3, 4). I’ve attended a few fashion weeks, visited when the cherry blossoms were in bloom, but this was my first time experiencing the gorgeous fall leaves.

I’m originally from Wisconsin so I love fall best of all. The leaves in the midwest are breathtaking. It’s one of the (very few) things I miss about living there (mostly because I hate winter weather oh-so-much). But the fall leaves were always my favorite. In California, we do get some leaves changing, but the vibrant colors are not there.

As I walked across Central Park South into the park, I immediately spotted a bunch of vibrant yellow leaves. As I walked further into the park, I found paths lined with these golden yellow leaves all around me. The contrast of the bright blue sky streaked with wispy white clouds and the bright yellow was nothing other than breathtaking. Right then, I was glad I was able to see Central Park in the fall.

As we strolled around the park, I saw a lot of things I hadn’t seen before. It was the first time I saw a couple of lakes, people in rowboats, and geese lining the shore. I’ve definitely spent a significant amount of time in Central Park in the past, but I tended to keep toward the outside of the park, near the main roads. I never meandered through the park as much as I did this time around.

It was the most relaxing few hours. We just walked around, looked at the leaves, sat on a rock, and took in the city way up above. Central Park in the fall is something you should definitely experience if you can. I was so lucky to have timed this trip just right that I did catch some of the fall leaves.