a brief respite

Since Mike and I have been working pretty much non-stop lately, yesterday we decided we needed to take a break from everything going on in our lives and just spend the day as a family. (we can always catch up, right?)

Whenever we want to get away from it all, our first thought is always to jump in the car and head down hiway 61, and cross over into Wisconsin at Prescott. Considering what a gorgeous fall day it was, many other people felt the same way! I don't think there are traffic delays, all that often, in Maiden Rock, or Stockholm. But get a nice day in October, with unbelievable color, and what a boon for their local economies!

Our first stop was in Maiden Rock, at our favorite bakery. The line was out the door and down the sidewalk, so we decided to skip that and instead browsed the market they were holding. We picked up Lazy Wife Pickles, Blueberry/Rhubarb Jam, Fresh Salsa, and Apple Butter-all lovingly made in someone's farm kitchen. Then we picked out some goofy looking gourds and pumpkins, and headed on our way.

Taking a county road off of very busy Hiway 35, we headed up the hill to look for apples:

This is a delightful little orchard-they had freshly baked apple treats and even a winery! The best part? You could pick your own apples. So of course we had to.

The woman who worked there, who brought us to our spot in the orchard, was so friendly. We chatted as we walked down the dirt path, and she told me of getting stung by wasps, and about her family. As she left us, she gave me a big hug and thanked us for stopping by. See why I love Wisconsin?

The trees were just heavy with fruit, and we had our bag full in no time. Don't they look happy?

After stocking up on apples and cider and cheese curds, it was back on the road.

Our day brought us through Pepin, Nelson, and Alma, with winding county roads bringing us to Mondovi, where we stopped at the local hardware store to browse, and had homemade malts at a little cafe. It was perfect in every way, and when we parked in front of our house our truck was full of autumn treats and warm memories.