Autumn: It's Official

It's officially Autumn.  I used to hate fall.  As a kid, it just meant summer was over, school was starting, and winter was near.  That was then.

But not this year; I'm in love.

Here's some things to love about the fall:

1. The leaves are bright and beautiful (which lend to dramatically improved drives and bike rides).

2. It is now OK to rock your flannel.

3. Apples are everywhere!

To usher in the fall, we decided to spend a lovely Sunday afternoon apple-picking.  A little bird told me that Indian Ladder Farms had the best cider donuts, so it was our destination for the day.  Of course, we took the scenic route.

Erin and I are a little short for apple-picking...

Everyone seemed to have the same idea, because it was very crowded.  But we were still able to pick a bountiful bag of apples.  In fact, we had to take turns carrying it!

This hefty sack set us back $14, which seemed steep, but let me tell you, there's a lot of apples in there.

After picking, you can head further down the road for the donuts and market.  The market sold everything apples -

Pretty!  But it's about $3 cheaper to pick your own.

- as well as various local products, such as fruit, veggies, and Palatine cheese.

And of course, donuts.

So close, yet so far.

The donuts are made fresh, but you can only get them if you wait in line for the take-out window.  And on a day like Sunday, the line is very, very, very long.  Unfortunately, we did not wait :(

This was very disappointing.  So unfortunately, I cannot safely vouch that these are indeed the best cider donuts.  But if you're wondering, you can find out here.

Anyway, get out there and enjoy fall.  Apple recipes to come!