One of our favorite traditions is taking a family trip to discover the bounty of autumn. We drive in a winding loop on back roads, enjoying the amazing colors of the leaves and making numerous stops. There are a few rules on this adventure: try something different at every place and ask questions.
We began our day visiting the Farmer’s Market in Viroqua. It is open on Saturdays from 8 am -12 PM and located on Rock Ave. Some of the offerings included: fall berries, vegetables, pumpkins, squash, mums, and baked goods. The coffee was rich, piping hot, and took a bit of the chill from the early morning air. The kids shared some of the biggest, juiciest raspberries we’d ever seen! They also sampled gooey, nutty, freshly baked coffee cake.
We headed out of Viroqua on HWY 27 with the destination of Gays Mills. In Mount Sterling, we turned onto 171. We spotted Mt. Sterling Co-op Creamery, a small store at the side of the road. Wisconsin is well known for cheese, but Mount Sterling has the distinction of producing high quality dairy goat products. We all tried goat cheese and found it delicious and very creamy, with many flavors and varieties. (My 7-year olds question: “Can I watch you milk a goat?” Sadly for him, that wasn’t possible at the cheese store.)
We continued east towards the orchards. The first one we came upon was West Ridge Orchard. The outside was lined with pumpkins and bins of squash and gourds. West Ridge has a free corn maze and photo opportunities where kids (or anyone) can put their faces through wooden cut outs. We sampled Apple Crisp Doughnuts (delicious), bought a giant box of baking potatoes, white pumpkins, and Zestar apples. Everyone enjoyed seeing the many varieties of apples and tasting them.
Our next orchard stop was at Turkey Ridge, which has been a certified organic orchard for 25 years. That means (and we asked) that they do not use any pesticides or herbicides. Animals—such as pigs, sheep, fowl, cows, and horses help control pests, fertilize, mow, and aerate the soil. (My 7-year olds next question was if he could get some sort of animal to take over our lawn duties, but sadly for him that also wasn’t possible). We picked up some organic cider and did a little more taste testing. Turkey Ridge also lets you pick your own apples (as do many of the other orchards) and we plan to try that another time.
We cruised down the bluff through falling golden leaves and drove across the Kickapoo River into Gays Mills. A few corkscrew turns on 171 East took us to the top of “orchard ridge.” We stopped at the scenic overlook to take some pictures of the fall colors and read the historical marker about apples in Gays Mills, which date back to 1905.
By now our elder son was getting hungry again (really?) and we headed up the road to Sunrise Orchards. Featuring an on-site bakery and a large sales area, the smell of warm, freshly baked apple cider donuts drew the boys like a magnet. Depositing quarters in a cup purchases hot cider and a few of the dozen donuts disappeared before we even made it to the register.
Our next stop, Kickapoo Orchard, is only a short way past Sunrise on HWY 171. As with many of the other orchards, Kickapoo is a small, family-run operation. We noticed that they are celebrating 50 years of family ownership this October. Kickapoo also had fun family activities: photo opportunities and a free sunflower corn maze. They have a well-stocked gift shop and I found some fabulous lotion actually made by the orchard owner. We also purchased caramel apples coated with nuts and candy and their bakery’s specialty: apple pizza. Luckily, I was able to work off some of these sweet calories wandering completely lost in the corn maze. (My 7-year olds question: “Can’t the GPS on your phone get us out of the corn maze?” Sadly, it could not.)
Once the 7-year-old finally lead us out of the corn maze, we went Fleming Orchard. In operation since 1937, Fleming also features a bakery and a wide variety of apples. We purchased a bag of Honey Crisp as well as Greening Apples for cooking. A step out the back door puts you in the midst of a live entertainment center. Kids can feed goats (and hoist a bucket to make them climb for the corn), view pigs and rabbits. You are also up close and personal with the orchard. Rows are neatly labeled with the many varieties of apples and stretch as far as the eye can see.
We rounded out our trip with two more apple orchards: Starry Ridge and Hillcrest Orchard. We found that orchards offer a lot more than apples. Many grow grapes, berries, pumpkins and squash. They have gift shops, crafts and other Wisconsin treats (cheese curds!). Most offer tours of their cider making operations, coolers, and sorting houses. Even if you don’t take a formal tour, it’s fun to see apples growing and taste them fresh from the tree. Everyone in our family learned something. Here’s what my 7-year learned: “Mom can’t find her way out of a corn maze without me.”