As the seasons shift, make a plan to soak up the sights, smells and unique delights of fall.
Discover farm fresh
Autumn is an ideal time to celebrate our nation’s bounty by visiting farmer’s markets to marvel at the colors, textures and wonder of fresh produce. Take a farm tour and learn how our food moves from plow to porch. Visit a community garden and become inspired to join in or plan for your own. Check out a colorful sunflower festival for a different kind of leaf-peeping. For a more immersive experience, spend the night or a weekend on a family farm. Leave everyday expectations behind and get ready to pitch in for the morning chores. At farms across the country kids can collect eggs, pet pigs, corral critters, tend to a garden, fish in the creek or hang out in the shade of fruit trees.
For more: www.FarmStayUS.com; www.communityrootsaz.com
Pick your own apples
Whether you fancy Granny Smiths, Fuji or Golden Delicious, the whole family will enjoy a day in a pick-your-own-fruit orchard. Gather your crop, then return home to choose your favorite recipes for crafting your own apple juice, pie or cobbler. Stay close to the hearth or visit Washington, the state that harvests more than half of the country’s apples.
For more: www.PickYourOwn.org; www.usapple.org; https://stateofwatourism.com; https://stuckeyfarm.com
Take in a roundup in South Dakota
Each year, the public has been invited to hear the thunder of hooves and photograph the moment as experienced riders round up a herd of some 1,300 buffalo during the state’s Buffalo Round Up and Arts Festival. Considered a critical management tool in maintaining a healthy herd, the buffalo are corralled and then tested, branded and sorted. The fall event typically includes a pancake feed, Western and Native American entertainment and the chance to peruse the fine art and crafts offered by more than 150 vendors. Weather permitting, you can snag top-notch views of wildlife via the 18-mile Wildlife Loop State Scenic Byway. Possible sightings include elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep and the resident bison roaming the park.
