A warm fall afternoon in Wisconsin was perfect for experiencing some of the fun things the season offers. With 10 pre-teen girls from the soccer team I coach, we headed to a local farm orchard.
There were rows and rows of trees filled with apples ranging from Wisconsin Granny Smith to Red Delicious to Empire McIntosh and more.
The girls climbed apple tree after apple tree. They sampled and compared their red and green goodies of all sizes, each girl finding her own favorite.
Full of smiles and energy, the girls swung from the branches and climbed as high as they could. Their giggles and chatter filled the air.
We even attempted the long walk to the pumpkin patch, but, due to time restraints, we had to put that on hold. I assured the team that with our next win we will do either the hayride to the pumpkin patch or a corn maze.
Once we were through picking apples, we headed to the barn. I sat with my daughter, Madalyn, and step-daughter, Lily, and enjoyed a lunch of barbeque pork sandwiches, a hot dog, caramel apple pie, and a caramel apple. The smiley barn-styled shop features baked goodies, Wisconsin cheese, and more -- you can even find homemade apple cider donuts.
Although we never made it to the pumpkin patch, Madalyn found a pumpkin half her size to take home. And of course, Lily followed suit.
-- Melissa Carlson
