Stilton: What's a hayride about? I'd love to do the full US Halloween ...The cool air, the quality of the light, the leaves.
Ixamyakxim: Farms will take people through their land on large "beds" pulled by a tractor. The beds usually hold about 15 - 20 people and are lined with hay bales to sit on. Some (most?) can be varying degrees of "scary" (from cheesy to downright creepy) with vignettes set up (a witch's house, a gallows execution in progress, etc). Some are just nice evening pulls (yes I know what that means ;) ) along without the other scare stuff.
What you mention about the US and the evening air, the smells, sounds and light are what I love the most about the season. Halloween happens to be a bit of a focal point but Fall where I live is an amazing time of year.
Its all that other stuff that we don't see here that I like. Its virtual folk law and over here we don't have access to it in such an immediate way. All we have is Google - we can't smell it.
I remember the Canada trip. I took an Amtrak from New York to Toronto, a twelve hour trip, and I was in heaven all the way. Going along the route of the Hudson River the view of the trees on the other bank was incredible. The sky was a perfect cloudless blue, the water like a mirror, and the trees reflected so many colours of autumn it dazzled. I had a camera but I knew keeping the image in my head would be more special. I can still see it. It was the perfect time of year to be there.