Saturday, in honor of the crisp air, and the fact that I didn't have to work, I loaded up my little family and headed deep into Kansas to visit a cider mill. Does it get any more fall than a cider mill...apples and hay bales and pumpkins?
I have been wanting to go to the Louisburg Cider Mill for weeks now, and it finally worked out that Uriah didn't have an event yesterday and I didn't have to work (I love love love the first Saturday!). As I was feeding Finn early Saturday morning, I broached the subject of maybe taking a family road trip. Uriah procrastinated for a bit, I think he just wanted to stay home and relish in an entire weekend off...he actually used the fact that laundry needed to be done as an excuse to stay home. But I was determined. I didn't care that there were storm windows to put up and leaves to rake, I wanted to go to the cider mill and I would not be delayed another weekend. I demanded that everyone get ready to go and loaded them into the car.
It was one of those glorious fall Saturday mornings. It was a little bit crisp outside and there was a bit of a breeze, but the sun was shining bright in the blue sky. We took off down 69 Highway farther into Kansas than I have been in the 4 years that I've lived here (yes, I realize that I work in Kansas, but that's just across the state line and doesn't really count. I'm talking about going into Kansas). It's prettier than I thought it would be. In fact, I commented a couple of times to Uriah that I felt like we were driving to Uncle Mike's house in Minnesota and for a minute I was so homesick that I couldn't breathe.
It was just after 11 when we got to the cider mill and they were doing a bustling business. People were coming and going with brown bakery bags in hand, the slight stained outline of cake doughnuts could be seen on the sides. The smell of apple cider brewing hung heavy on the air and the sound of kids running around mixed with the crunch of leaves beneath our feet. We looked around outside; I thought there was a corn maze, but apparently not this particular weekend. We wandered through the General store, our mouths watering at the smell of the doughnuts. Uriah bought a bag of doughnuts and some hot cider and we took our morning snack outside to enjoy the sunshine. I'm ready to go back just for the doughnuts. They were...amazing. Light with a hint of cinnamon and the cider was hot, but not scalding; the perfect accompaniment for the doughnuts. Before we took our self-guided tour of the cider mill, Uriah put some cinnamon sugar on Finn's lip and that baby's eyes got really big and his tongue licked at that sugar with the quickness of a lizard. I think it's safe to say that he liked it...and that I passed my sweet tooth on.
We finally meandered our way back home where Saturday chores awaited us. The house got semi-cleaned, the laundry got done, and Uriah raked some leaves. Abby spent the afternoon playing with her friends and she came in smelling like fall. I made ribs for dinner and we rented a movie for Abby (How to Train Your Dragon) and a movie for us (Robin Hood).
It was the perfect Saturday...and on Sunday-Funday, in the midst of football and snacks and pumpkin bars...Finn learned to roll from his tummy to his back.
I wonder if you were there when I drove by on my way from Paola to Overland Park to scrapbook at Archiver's? Probably not....that wasn't until about 3:30/4 pm. I'm glad you enjoyed your drive out to Miami County. You know, there is a vineyard just across the road and a little West of the Cider Mill? ;-)
ReplyDeleteI didn't know there was a vineyard...another trip without the kiddos is in my future!
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