With the arrival of shorter days and cooler temperatures, we all know winter is right around the corner.

But there’s plenty of time to enjoy the fall in Lawrence. Looking for an excuse to be outside the next month or so? Here are some suggestions.

1

The Kansas University football team plays Colorado on Saturday – and both the weather and fall foliage should be close to perfect. The Jayhawks also are home Oct. 25 – which should still be before you have to break out the heavy coat.

Don’t want to shell out the $55 for either of those games? Walking around the neighborhoods surrounding the stadium could provide hours of entertainment through people-watching, or grab a six-pack and head up to Campanile Hill to enjoy pre-game.

2

Experience a little “agritourism” – lose yourself in a corn maze. The KC Corn Maze, near Gardner (about a 40-minute drive from Lawrence) pays tribute to the national champion Jayhawk basketball team. General admission is $6, and those under 4 are free. Or try a hayride or pumpkin-picking expedition at an area farm.

3

Try a new outdoor sport. The Frisbee golf course at Centennial Park is a good excuse to spend an afternoon among nature, without too much exertion. Or if you’re tired of riding your bicycle around town, take it to the levee or mountain bike trail along the Kansas River.

4

Take a day trip. Face it, it won’t be as fun or easy to travel when the threat of snow looms. The Kansas Sampler Foundation offers fun things to do in the state, or the Kansas City Convention and Visitors Association has suggestions for the metro area. Worlds of Fun is open weekends through Nov. 2.

5

It’s not too late to make a quick jaunt out to Clinton Lake or Perry Lake for an evening of camping. The campfire will help keep you warm – but with lows sometimes dipping into the 40s lately, you’ll want to pack warm clothes and a warm sleeping bag for the nighttime hours. Or cheat by enjoying the campfire and driving back to your comfy bed when the fire goes out.

6

Here’s one that combined the outdoors and Halloween – the Haunted Hayride at Perry Lake, a benefit for Camp Adventure, a Christian summer camp. The hayride, at Old Town North Park in Ozawkie, is open from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Oct. 24 and 25. In addition, there are many haunted houses in Kansas City, Mo., including The Beast, 1401 W. 13th St., and The Edge of Hell, 1300 W. 12th St.

7

Take a guided stroll through downtown Lawrence with KU architecture and urban design students. The students are leading tours at 9 a.m. Saturdays through the end of this month. Tours cost $5, with those 12 and under free. They start at the Lawrence Farmers’ Market.

8

Take a historical stroll through a cemetery. Many of the famous names of Bleeding Kansas – among other eras of Lawrence history – can be found at Oak Hill Cemetery and others in town. Basketball inventor James Naismith’s grave is in Lawrence Memorial Park Cemetery. James Usher, secretary of the Interior under President Abraham Lincoln, has his grave at Oak Hill.

9

Have a digital camera? Combine your outdoor time with honing your photography skills. There are Web sites devoted to tips for shooting fall foliage. You can enjoy the weather and maybe pick up some shots to decorate your home, too.

10

Spend the last remaining days of nice weather in the backyard grilling and enjoying the remaining harvest from local fields. The Lawrence Farmers’ Market continues through mid-November from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturdays in the 800 block of New Hampshire Street and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays in the 1000 block of Vermont Street. In-season items for the fall include eggplant, cucumbers, apples, beets, onions, peas, potatoes and squash, in addition to meats from local producers.