As you may know, we just got back from the US after traveling to experience the magical fall foliage. This trip was a super spontaneous “mini-moon” that we decided to go on after realizing that the last two months, of wedding planning and getting married, have been pretty hectic.

This trip was everything we hoped for! Connecting with nature, eating good food, sharing romantic moments and getting tons of inspiration for the year ahead (if you haven’t been following, we just celebrated the Jewish new year a month ago). I came back to Israel packed with energy and with a huge craving for pancakes, and pumpkin, well and also real maple syrup. What can I say? This is my body’s way of combining some of my favorite things about the US - Halloween and Thanksgiving vibes, tall stacks of pancakes, pumpkin and the colors of fall.

Our trip started (and ended) in the greatest city of them all - NYC! Since we only spent a few days in the city, I will not be including a full NYC guide here, but here are some of my favorites at the moment:

• Matchaful- unusual delicious matcha combinations and healthy snacks.
• Butcher’s Daughter- for a light vegan (and veganish) breakfast with great vibes. If it is a nice day and you’re at the Nolita branch, you could also just grab something from their to-go shop next door and enjoy it at the green and gorgeous Elizabeth Street garden.
• Nix- a Michelin star vegetarian/vegan restaurant. Great for a date night! Don’t skip the squash dumplings.
• Union Square Market- always great for fresh produce and other goodies.
• Bondst- an amazing Japanese restaurant with great veganish dishes. Their agedashi tofu is one of the best I ever had.

After getting our jetlag in order, we were ready to start our road trip to see the fall foliage. Our plan was very loose, but we wanted to get up to Burlington, Vermont, through the White Mountains of New Hampshire and back to New York. Here are the highlights of the trip:

• Gaskins, Germantown NY- a great local restaurant that offers some vegan dishes. This was an early dinner stop for us after driving through the beautiful Hudson Valley.
• East Wind, Windham NY- a charming little hotel, where we spent our first night.
• The pinnacle trail, Bolton Landing NY- easy and short hike with exceptional views at the top.
• Burlington, Vermont- a cool university city. Walk by the lake during sunset to catch amazing photos. Farmer's market on Saturday is the perfect place to get some real Vermont maple syrup. Walkthrough Church street and the surrounding area to get the city’s vibe.
• Pingala Café, Burlington VT- an all-vegan café in Burlington. I had a delicious (not) avocado toast and a berry bliss smoothie.
• Table Rock trail, Dixville Notch New Hampshire- moderate climb to a beautiful viewpoint.
• Echo Lake, NH- this magnificent lake is the perfect picnic spot. 4$ to enter.
• Bear Notch Road between Bartlett and Lincoln, NH- this is a beautiful drive with great sunset view spots. Bring something warm to drink and enjoy the pink sky.
• Gipsy Café, Lincoln NH- a colorful restaurant with yummy vegan options. Ask for the vegan menu.
• The Maker Café, Hudson NY- a chic breakfast spot. I had an avocado toast (without the egg) and a chai latte with their homemade milk.
• Swoon Kitchenbar, Hudson NY- a highly recommended restaurant! They have a special meatless Monday menu on Mondays and other great dishes that can easily be served as vegan on their regular menu.

Hopefully, if you got this far, you’re ready to eat some pumpkin pancakes. This recipe was developed after I returned to Tel Aviv and wanted to make sure everyone can make it, even if they don’t have access to pumpkin puree or pumpkin spice. I use real pumpkin and a simple blend of vanilla and cinnamon.