After a hurricane of a year, fall has been extra beautiful it seems. The leaves started turning the same week the temperatures climbed into the seventies, creating a perfect invitation to get outside, slow down, and hear that familiar crunch under our feet. And one of our favorite places to be reminded of the beauty of fall? Just an hour and a half northwest to the charming town of Decorah, Iowa.
Hit the road early with good coffee and an even better playlist. And I think Mila pulls off my hat better than I do!
We stopped at Impact Coffee for a maple tumeric latte and some hot cocoas for the kids and then headed right to our favorite place to take in fall, Phelps Park and Trout Run Trail.
Cruz's face!
I'm not sure I've ever seen colors more brilliantly bright than this year. We hiked until the end of the trail, spotted The Cut and our usual camping spot from way atop the bluff, then headed all the way back to the truck with leaves in our shoes and grumbling bellies.
We grabbed lunch with the honeybees outside Pulpit Rock.
And spent a fun afternoon at Pinter's Pumpkin Patch. We had never been to this place before and it was wonderful! I feel like every time we spend a day in Decorah we add a new notch to our belt. This one came in the form of tractor rides, corn mazes, and all sorts of varieties of pumpkins to take home.
And last but certainly not least, a trip out to Luna Valley to see Tom and Maren and eat some Pig and Fig and watch the sun go down at the sweetest pizza farm.
Fall road trips are my favorite. We listened to Harry Potter on the way home, drove past several farmers in their fields, Friday night home football games, and small town bars filled with people gathering around pool tables and pints after another week of work. And it all just felt like home.
