Family Adventure | Cider Hill Family Orchard | Kansas City Family Photographer

It’s not official, but I feel like fall is here. A tell tale sign that we’ve shifted to fall is that it’s actually cooler in the shade.  Kansas summers are brutal with heat and humidity, the only salvation is air conditioning. So, even though we’re still hitting 80 degrees, you can now get some relief under a tree. So, yea, there’s my scientific support that’s it’s now fall.

Fall is my favorite time of the year. Probably because I’m an October baby so fall means my birthday and all the excitement and anticipation for that just makes everything else this season seem so much more fun. Fall is full of traditions and one of the very first things we do each September is some apple picking. We’ve found a great little spot at Cider Hill Family Orchard in Kansas City. It’s quaint and simple and has everything you could want from an apple orchard.

I should maybe start this story by saying I don’t even like apples. Apples, applesauce, apple pie. Nope. Not for me. The kids like them, but this tradition is more about the experience anyway. Such as, riding on the tractor. You hop in that wagon and it transports you to full adventure mode.

Then there’s the hunt. Looking high and low for the perfect apple. Green ones, red ones, weird colors in between. I can’t tell the difference and have no idea what types of apples we put in our bags, but like I said, it’s about the experience. The thrill of finding a perfect one, the sense of accomplishment of being able to reach high and snag one. And also, the sense of defeat when a beauty is just out of reach; even with that weird basket on a stick thing.

Not to mention, it’s just a beautiful place. Full of nature and color. And mud. There’s was lots of mud this year. It’s really fun to see my kids actually work together. Like a team. They most often fight like cats and dogs, so some peace and camaraderie was a great change of pace while it lasted.

Oh, and then there’s the apple cider donuts. Now that’s an apple food I can get behind. Mostly fried dough with a pound of cinnamon and just a hint of apple. We were living our best life there for a bit; laying in the sun, snacking on some donuts.

I’m really looking forward to more fall traditions and adventures. What is your favorite fall tradition? Oh, and what are your kiddos being for Halloween? We haven’t figured that one out yet.