Cider Hill Family Orchard - October 8, 2021

Here is another fun place to visit in the fall. Sigrid, our friend Edel, and I were there last Friday. The Cider Hill Family Orchard is actually more than the usual orchard in that they have a train ride for the kids and a playground.

You can pick your own apples or buy ones they picked. Applewood smoked BBQ is available in addition to their famous apple cider donuts (really good), apple slushes, and other delicious items.

The house and a large covered shelter house are available to rent for weddings or other kinds of events.

They are open until early November. A link to their website is below. The orchard is located just four miles north of I-70 on K7/US 73.

https://www.ciderhillfamilyorchard.com/

Sigrid enjoying a cider donut.

Sigrid and Edel take a break

milyorchard.com/

Missouri Apple Country - Fall 2021 - 9/17/2021

Every fall, Sigrid and I enjoy taking a scenic drive through Missouri apple country. Our favorite place to go is US 24 Highway from 291 Highway to just east of Waverly, Missouri. Starting around the intersection of US 24 and Missouri 13 Highway, the road is dotted with orchards, vineyards, and nurseries selling Fall flowers. Many of the orchards have roadside stands stocked with apples, pumpkins, honey, and jams that are all locally made. Most of the stands are open from 9am to 5pm.

On our return trip, we usually go back to Highway 13 and take it south through Higginsville on the way to I-70. There are more roadside stands along the way. If you want to make more of a day out of the trip, you can explore some of the old river towns like Lexington. Depending on what you stop to see and the route you take, the trip would be 2 to 4 hours. This does not include time out for lunch at one of the small local diners. We always make lunch a part of our trip. Enjoy the beautiful Fall weather.

Here are a few photos from our trip.

Dream Acres is located on Missouri Highway 13 just north of Higginsville, MO.

B2 Bomber Fly Over - 9/12/2021

The B2 bomber was flying over our subdivision yesterday for the opening day game between the Chiefs and Cleveland Browns. The last flyover of a B2 was before the playoff game between the Browns and the Chiefs in January. We won both games by the skin of our teeth. We need to keep the B2's flying over all our games. In January, the plane was the Spirit of Arizona. Yesterday, it was the Spirit of Mississippi. As I mentioned in my January post, our subdivision is on the flight path for the B2s as they circle several times before the actual fly over the stadium. They have to get their timing just right over the stadium. Here are a few shot taken with a handheld 600mm lens.

Grinter's Sunflower Farm - 9/8/2021

Inspired by other friends who have made the trek to the Grinter Sunflower fields, Sigrid and I were there last Wednesday. The farm is located between Lawrence and Tonganoxie, Kansas just off US Highway 24/40. It is about an hour drive from Kansas City. We arrived a little after 8:00 am were the third car in the parking lot. Mornings are the best time to go to avoid crowds and have great light for photos.

If you are interested in going to see the flowers, go soon. The season, which runs from late August through the first half of September, is nearly over. There are still nice blooms there but they won’t last too long.

The east field is very flat and hard to see the vastness of the field while standing in it. This field gets really muddy after a rain shower. The west field by the General Store is on a slope so it drains better and isn’t as muddy. The slope helps a little in allowing a better view of the entire field. Try the General Store after you are done in the fields. They have good coffee and a nice little bakery.

We tried to get photos at each stage of the bloom’s life. It was fun. The attached photos are a combination of both mine and Sigrid’s. Her butterfly photo was the best shot of the day.

Here is a link to the a website that has more information on the Grinter Farm.

http://www.kansastravel.org/lawrence/grinterssunflowerfarm.htm

Smelling the Sunflower.

Somebody had a great sense of humor.

This is not a sunflower....it's a Grinter Bakery Cinnamon Roll.

Sigrid's Monarch Butterfly photos were the best of the day.