You can keep your pumpkin spice lattes; the real autumn draw in the Midwest is a superb orchard. And guess what? After years of [diligently] trying them all out, and [selflessly] downing cider and donuts, we have a new fave.
All Seasons Orchard…
…in Woodstock, IL, is worth its weight in Honeycrisp apples. (Which, by the way, are enjoying their peak season rightthisverysecond.)
One of the largest orchards in northern Illinois, they have over 15,000 apple and pear trees, an extensive barnyard full of exceptional activities (and oversized wooden furniture, if Instagramming the Fall is your thing *cough*anditis*cough*), and delicious handmade goodies well worth the drive from the city proper.
First off, these apples.
With our specific Honeycrisp bags in hand (different bags act as tickets to different orchards, and Honeycrisps are the superstars of the trees, you guys), we took a wagon ride over to a grove with the biggest apples I’d pretty much ever seen in my life. (And which taste insanely crisp, sweet, and fresh.)
Yes, we may have sampled one.
After we picked our fill– and the kids got supremely cute kid-sized apple bags– we rode back to the barnyard for the fun.
And this barnyard? Is SO fun.
With over 2 dozen activities (most of them free with your wristband!), we had a hard time deciding where to start. Eventually it looked like this: photo op on the giant wooden animals, playing in the corn box (way more fun than it sounds), photo op on the tractor, squeeing at the baby animals in the petting zoo, (begging for a baby animal in the petting zoo), soaring through the air on the gigantic, inflated jumping pillow, a brief run through the humongous Sand Box, shooting apples from the apple cannon (an extra ticket for that one, but OHMYGAWD so worth it), jumping in the pumpkin bouncy castle, finding even more inflatables inside the barn, jumping on those for another half an hour…
…and then we tried the cider donuts and freshly pressed apple cider. Goodness gracious. Between that and the homemade caramel for which they’re famous, this is definitely a place to cheerfully indulge your sweet tooth. (FYI: Samples are always present in the Farm Market barn. You’re so welcome.)
We absolutely have to go back. Not only do we want to see the pumpkin patches in full glory, but on this trip we couldn’t squeeze in the corn maze, the zip lines, the cow train, the pony rides, the bee observation…
(…the apple slushies, seconds of cider donuts, homemade fudge…)
(Yes, we brought P.J. with us, and no, a whole-fam pic wasn’t exactly working out for us. #RealTalk)
Plus, it feels good to support a local, family-owned farm (the kind who implements best environmental practices for their trees and the ecosystem).
Plus, it feels good to head home with a car full of Honeycrisp apples the size outstretched palms.
Yours in flannel and adorable Fall boots (well, not THIS week),
Keely
***
If you go:
All Seasons Orchard
14510 IL Route 176 Woodstock, IL 60098
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