Celebrate Harvest Time at Apple Holler in Sturtevant, Wisconsin

I am an autumn baby, so each year I try to embrace the season by doing something "fallish" to celebrate my October birthday. This year we spent the day at Apple Holler in Sturtevant, Wisconsin. Apple Holler is just over an hour from Chicago's western suburbs and is located right beyond the Wisconsin border, directly off of the highway.

Apple Holler boasts a farm, a restaurant, apple and pumpkin picking, indoor and outdoor live theatre, musical entertainment, creepy story time and so much more. Upon entering the farmstead you will soon see that harvest time has clearly arrived. Kids can ride a horse or train, ramble around in several mazes and watch the resident goats climb a wooden plank at least 20 feet high, cleverly named "the golden goat bridge."

There is a small park area for little ones and also a hay bale maze complete with tunnels. Kids can climb aboard a stationary railroad or ride small pedal carts around a winding track. There's even pumpkin bowling! Yep, that's right; you can literally roll a pumpkin down a land to knock over the large pins! All of these activities require tickets which are reasonably priced at about a dollar or so apiece. Each attraction may cost approximately between two and five tickets.

Apple Holler is set upon an apple orchard with delectable fruit ripe for the picking. But you can, of course, skip the picking and purchase a sack of succulent apples for about $1.89 a pound. Also available for purchase at Apple Holler are pumpkins, mums, gourds, Halloween wines, cider and more. There's even a caramel apple dipping station complete with sprinkles, chocolate, marshmallows and nuts.

Wander around Apple Holler or rent a wagon for the kids and you will find bridges, scarecrows, fall displays, picnic tables, gazebos and large yard swings. Wander inside the restaurant and you will find perhaps my favorite part of Apple Holler. The Apple Holler restaurant resembles a country kitchen with knotty pine walls, plaid curtains and old fashioned signage selling everything from gas to women's hats.

And Apple Holler has an incredible daily all-u-can-eat special. The restaurant offers scrumptious fluffy apple pancakes topped with rich whipped cream for only $4.99. I ordered the cakes and was not disappointed. However, I only had one helping considering each order consisted of two jumbo pancakes smothered in a dozen or so apple slices. We also enjoyed warm corn bread and delectable apple butter. Just beyond our table, I noticed that the staff was setting up a delicious lunch buffet including macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, pasta salad, potatoes and more.

Visit Apple Holler this fall season in Sturtevant, Wisconsin. For more information log onto www.appleholler.com.