County Line Orchard

Grab some fall family fun with a day of apple picking at County Line Orchard in Hobart, Indiana. Apple picking is a Midwest fall tradition, with orchards offering sweet delights in Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana. For Chicago families like mine, County Line Orchard in charming Hobart, Indiana, supplies the closest orchard, at about a 40 minute drive from the city. What I love most about County Line is that it’s located in a small farming community that draws families from both Indiana and Illinois. Pick up trucks, corn fields and livestock surround the area for a quick country escape for city slickers.

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Sculpture of Roman Goddess Diana surrounded by a pond

Revel in nature’s fall colors at Brookgreen Gardens Harvest Home Festival on October 24-25.  Enter the scarecrow building contest, try pumpkin painting or opt for hay rides, basket-weaving and pottery demonstrations while listening to live bluegrass music. With the lush Brookgreen Gardens as the setting, your fall vacation will be filled with beauty.  Covered with palmetto trees, hydrangeas and expansive lawns, Brookgreen Gardens resembles a swampy Garden of Eden.

Nestled between Myrtle Beach and Pawley’s Island, the 9,200-acre outdoor museum and National Historic Landmark boasts sculptures, gardens, fountains, marshes, swamps, an aviary and a zoo.  This place is so massive that admission tickets are good for seven consecutive days. I recommend devoting a day to the Harvest Home Festivalactivities and another for the sculpture garden and lowcountry zoo. Read More »