Fall...hmm not really Fall weather...

but we went the apple orchard anyway.  It was 80 degrees or so and it got a little hot in the corn maze...especially when we thought we would have to call for help!!  It was a good cornmaze and we found our way out of phaze 1 but I couldn't get the boys to do phaze 2... so sad.

It was a lot of fun though.  It is called All Seasons Apple Orchard in Woodstock.  Yes we drove an hour to get there.  But I will say it was cleaner, less crowded and there were TONS of apples on the trees for us to pick.  They even provided really cool apple picking thingy's that you could use to pick the apples up high.   It was not cheap...it was 18.00 per person for the whole experience and you can't just do the corn maze and apple picking.  You can just apple pick for 10.00 for 5lbs, and it does always seem odd to me that I pay more for apples when I have to go out and pick them myself BUT that being said, nothing, I repeat NOTHING tastes like a fresh apple from the tree.

The overall experience seemed genuine ...unlike other places that have totally gone commercial, Apple Holler brings in apples and pumpkins from outside sources.  Last year by the time we got there in late September all the apples were picked and there were only apples in big cardboard bins in the isles and we saw them laying out the pumpkins form large bins into the pumpkin patch...sort of ruined it for me.  If I wanted a prepicked apple or pumpkin I can go to WalMart.

All Seasons had some unique things like an apple cannon which the boys absolutely LOVED, this sucker really chucked the apples.  There is also a pumpkin cannon....seriously!!!  It looks like an old military weapon.  The corn maze was one of the best we've been in, it was tough but you can figure it out if you take your time.  You also get tickets to take a shot with the apple cannons when you complete one of the corn maze phases...of course that is  how they hook you because shooting it off once is NOT enough.     The food was okay but pricey of course.  The petting zoo was good as well...of course we were there early in the day so the animals were hungry and not overly hot.  There was lots to do with the littler kids to...a cow train which was adorable a couple of bouncy things, one was actually in the ground like an airpillow sand box if that makes any sense, it was cool.  A corn sand box.  Check out their website...  http://www.allseasonsorchard.com/new/orchard.php

All in all it was a fun day....so this week I'm making my apple butter and apple sauce...so excited.  I've ordered my water bath canning stuff..can't wait to receive.  Next weekend is Civil War Days in Lake Villa...looking forward to that as well!!!  I LOVE FALL!!!!