The Official Start of Fall

Last Friday may have been the official start of fall on the calendar, but Sunday was my official start to fall thanks to my trip to Tanner's Apple Orchard near Peoria. Fall has always been my favorite season thanks to many things. The start of a new school year. Leaves changing in to beautiful shades of red, orange & yellow. Volleyball season. Football season. All things flavored apple & pumpkin...yum! And of course fall just isn't fall with out a visit to an apple orchard.

There's just something about seeing all the pumpkins, catching a whiff apple and pumpkin baked goods' delicious smell wafting through the air and seeing what crazy new apple and pumpkin products are in the shop (apple salsa was a new one for me this year) that truly makes it feel like fall.

I don't even necessarily have to physically pick apples myself to make the trip worthwhile. I didn't pick apples off the tree at Curtis Apple Orchard (the local orchard in C-U) until my freshman year of college yet have always enjoyed at least one trip each fall. Even if I didn't pick them myself, apples straight from the orchard just taste better. Maybe it's because I can actually see the trees they came from or maybe I'm just crazy.

It's a random dream of mine to own an apple orchard some day. Thanks to my lack of green thumb, however, this will probably remain a romantic 'some day' dream rather than a realistic one.

Crazy orchard owning dreams aside, I will always love a trip to the orchard each fall even if that means driving out of my way since the nearest orchard to the city is a good hour away...oh well, fresh apples and frolicking at the orchard are well worth the drive :)

My traditional pumpkin patch photos:

Sophomore year when I decided a bob haircut was a good idea

Junior year. For once I think this was the pumpkin I actually bought...

Senior year with my white sunnies from London :)

This weekend. Different orchard, same apple orchard joy.

What's your favorite fall activity?