What a hoot! We did their wine and goat hoof it event after staying a few days in Galena…read more You start out trying out Illinois wines. These are from Fergetaboutit Vineyard, and to be blunt, they were the best wines we have tasted in Illinois. If you like wine and have tried wines from France, Spain, Italy or California, yes, I mean that. The "hoof it" part was fun. You get set up with a guide (don't forget to tip the guide) who lets around a dozen goats out of the pen, and you walk with them on a 1.2 mile hike. It's mostly shaded (so shaded that we didn't wear sunscreen, and I don't tan, I scorch, and got NOTHING, so it's pretty shaded. There is poision ivy on the trail, so if you see leaves of three, let them be. The goats are quite affable, but listen to the guide. At the end before they approach the pens (which the goats will run towards) they let you feed the goats with carrots and you have to show the goats you don't have carrots in your hands (two hands up, open) or they will jump on you to get "your carrots." They stop several times. The pace is best described as "sedate" - you'll have a hard time breaking a sweat. Our advice, stick to the path, don't go off into the weeds. Some other things: Pack in, Pack out - they don't have trash cans, so what you bring in, you carry out. You will get a glass for each person who signs up for the wine event (which has the logo on it) as a momento. We got out a little late. The goats all have names, but you don't have to remember them. But you will. Little stinkers. Another tip: Once they get let out of the pen, they have a tendancy to "dump and run" so watch your step, or you'll get some fresh goat crap on your shoes or feet or LEG.

We were staying in Galena to celebrate our anniversary, and enjoyed participating in this unique…read moreand fun excursion. It was about a 15 minute drive from downtown Galena, the end of which is on a somewhat unpaved road. There were about forty goats on our walk, all of which were friendly and seemed to enjoy the walk as much as the people did! Our host offered helpful facts about the land and goats along the way, and there were opportunities to feed, pet and take photos with the goats during the hour+ outing. Two tips: Don't be late, the tours leave right at the scheduled time. And don't wear a colorful long dress - one of the goats nibbled a few holes through my wife's dress. Overall, a memorable experience that really added to our Galena anniversary trip. Highly recommended!

We loved our time at the GalPaca Farm and seeing these mystical creatures. Pronounced Gal-Paca, not…read moreG-alpaca! The owners (2 Gals) were super friendly and interactive with us on any questions we asked. We loved hearing their story and how close the community around them is. On this street alone, you can hit a pumpkin patch and an apple picking farm all 5 minute drive from one another. They currently had a 'Yarn Hop' going on which we thought was so fun. With that, they really put standards in place for COVID safety precautions. At the front entrance, there was someone waiting to understand how many people were in your car (and if there were any children) so that they could contain crowds. Masks were worn and there is specific areas for parking marked. When we arrived, we were given a couple of carrot bags to feed the alpacas. They were all roaming, minding their own business eating the grass, but once you shake your plastic baggy of carrot goodness, they'll start walking to you instantly. They eat with their bottom teeth and are just the cutest things. I'm also extremely jealous of their eyelashes, extensions can't get you that amount of volume! Right next door, they have a another barn with their shop of goods, including honey/bee products. My friend got the alpaca gloves, another got the body butter, and I snagged a GalPaca shirt. There's lot to choose from and they're all labeled nicely. The cutest thing is, if you purchase yarn, there are the names of the specific alpaca it came from. So cute! Even though it's getting a little chillier, I would make my way out here to explore! A short 30-40 minutes from Madison and lots of other farms to see. You can also then go to more of the city area of Mt. Horeb afterwards.

Loved my time at GalPaca alpacas! We went during the local Yarn Hop even though my friends and I…read morearen't avid knitters. It was well worth it to spend some time there and watch the alpacas! Right away as we pulled in, we were given a baggie of carrots and the alpacas perked right up and came straight to us at the gate. Seeing and feeding the alpacas was so much fun! GalPaca Farm Alpacas was very conscious of the pandemic and made sure to ask about the number of people we had in the car and to limit the amount of visitors to make the experience fun and safe for all. Definitely check out the store inside, they have a full variety of items like alpaca wool gloves, socks, and dryer balls. I picked up some wood cutting board balm and some solid lotion bars made in-home and I love using both on a daily basis. Hope to get back out there when the weather is warm again!

Educational and enjoyable hour spent at Gretta's Goat farm. My group learned about the goats, held…read morebaby goats, were shown the goat soap making process and taught about cheese producing! We also learned about bee keeping and the integral dog and donkey protection of the goats. We tasted and bought yummy caramels and other products. Definitely a worth while stop!

My husband and I went to Gretta's Goat Farm for our second visit. Our stay was amazing. We were…read moreable to experience the quiet stay on the farm, the cozy guest house and THE GOATS! The goats are amazing. We were able to pet them freely as the hosts allow you to interact with them. Especially on the goat hike. I was fortunate enough to do this on back-to-back days. It was so fun to play with the goats as they ran around. The hosts are extremely friendly and so nice. They were happy to chat about the farm and provided a chance to purchase things at their store. We took home everything from T-shirts, to goat soap, to honey. All of which were great. The experience on the farm was calm, quiet and therapeutic. We can't wait to go back:)

Eugster's is one of those pumpkin-picking-apple-orchard-petting-zoo family farms, this one in…read moreStoughton Wisconsin. Coming for "Lavender Days there was plenty of lavender around for sure. Plus goats, cats, kittens, pigs, ponies, donkeys, chickens, turkeys, sheep, etc... Wife seemed pretty happy walking a goat through the lavender field.

We spent a fun morning here this past Monday. They have so many baby goats and for $2 you get a…read morebottle of milk to feed them. These baby goats do not kid around when it comes to drinking their milk and the bottle will be gobbled up in a flash. You can also feed chickens and they have a model cow you can pretend practice milking. Plan to spend at least two hours here. Right now they have a gorgeous lavender field filled with bees. Very picturesque and looks great in photos.

I had SO much fun at Schuster's!! We came for Blooms on the Farm but really were surprised with all…read morethe fun little activities throughout the rest of the farm. You can wander around and find fun games, photo ops, and great food. The farm animals of course were adorable. I thought the entry ticket and flower ticket were very affordable for the abundance of beautiful zinneas we picked, access to fun yard games, and super kind staff. Highly recommend holding a baby goat if you can!! We also enjoyed corn hole, the "corn pit", kids playsets, and the jump pads. This is a great place to be summer or fall and there is something fun for everyone!! Worth the short drive from Madison for sure

I was there on a Saturday on October. The place was lively. There were a ton of activities,…read moreespecially for kids. Entree fee includes 2 apple cannon shots. There was hay ride, a kids train ride, corn pit etc. Couple of times a day there was candy canon, where they shoot candies to the people. Apple caramal apple slushie was my favorite food here. It comes with a caramal apple and a cider donut on top of slushie. Hot cider and pumpkin cake were good. There was pumpkin picking in the middle of hay ride. I picked a small pumpkin. Price was reasonable. People were picking huge pumpkins and in larger numbers.

A great place to spend a fall day with the kids. There is so much to do here! Feed or pet goats,…read moredonkeys, kittens, rabbits, pigs, turkeys, chickens, peacocks, geese and more. A bag of feed is $2. Get active on the playground equipment or try and tackle the corn maze. (beware no clues inside!) Then you can take the wagon ride every 30 minutes out to the pumpkin patch and sunflower field. They have food and beverages including hot apple cider and delicious, warm, fresh donuts! Do note that the price of a pumpkin is not included with admission. They are priced separately based on size.

THEY'RE ALSO A WEDDING VENUE!…read more I would not recommend using! The venue itself is unique and definitely fun for people who love the farm and animals. I got married here in November of 2019. When I first went to see the place I loved it, the owner even seemed pretty down to earth and easy going she talked about all the success she's had with previous couples and how she really got to know them. Well, after I signed my contract and paid my deposit, it couldn't have been more different! I had to contact her multiple times to even get a response. Usually a text a few days after my initial call or text "hey did you get my message" I would contact her about once a month with questions or to pay her, so it's not like I was some sort of crazy picky bridezilla. During my engagement I was working full time another part time job and planning the wedding, the owner was of zero help. Until the week before the wedding then most of my questions were answered in a timely manner. READ THE CONTRACT! I ended up paying a little over $7,500 JUST FOR THE VENUE FOR THE DAY!!!! You will be nickled and dimed for everything EVEN FOOD TO FEED THE ANIMALS! The day before the wedding and the morning of the wedding the pipes in the bathroom were frozen. We planned to get ready in the provided barns which they put some space heaters in the one for the bride that barely kept it warm. The groomsmen waited until just shortly before the wedding to go in that provided barn since it was so cold. The bathroom is a trailer that was quite a distance from the barn where your reception is (or where you get married during inclement weather.) On our particular wedding the floors in the bathroom were not kept mopped so, I had multiple guests slip in the bathroom, one had actually mentioned it to the owner and she just said "okay" and then did nothing about it. The barn where the wedding and the reception were was not heated very well either so I had guests wearing coats the entire time and even leaving early because they were so cold. We were also charged a $200 fee taken out of our damage deposit for the heat, that really didn't seem to be working. The owner also stepped on the bottom of my dress as I was walking into the barn and left a muddy shoe print on the bottom of my dress right before I was to walk down the aisle. I will say at that point there would've been nothing we could do to clean it off since there is no running water in the barn, and it was ceremony time, but she could've at least aknowledged it later and compensated me somehow for it. I'm attaching a picture! I will say a positive was one of the employees Megan, she was so kind and helpful throughout the wedding, she offered to get me drinks and even helped with clean up. She was there till the end while THE OWNER WAS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND!!! I felt bad for her since many of the things had gone wrong were out of her control. IF I WAS REVIEWING JUST HER SHE WOULD GET 10 STARS! Since the wedding I have contacted the owner regarding these issues to try and get my money back for at least the heat that we were charged for that wasn't even working adequately. I work in the service industry and I understand we can't always please everyone, and things can go wrong, but It's necessary to aknowledge them and let the people you're serving know that and try to make them better somehow. I'm really an easy going person, and especially a bride. At the end of the day I got to marry the man of my dreams and the love of my life! so that aspect of the day went perfectly. I wish I knew a little more about the particular venue and other people's experiences before I booked it, so I do hope that this information helps a future bride.

My sister and I had a fun time feeding the animals. The gift shop is awesome with so many beautiful…read moreand soft things. Barchetta (? The rooster) is beautiful and so friendly. Everyone their was so nice. Loved it!

What a nice family run farm Alpaca Pines is. We stopped by thinking it was Boone County Farm Stroll…read moreday. It wasn't; we were a day early. The owners Bob and Vicki Donley were super nice about it and took the time to show us around. We spent time in the back learning about the mill and yarn making process. Outside we checked out the alpacas. Interesting animals. Back in the store we browsed their finished alpaca products and we left with a couple things. This is definitely a five star destination.

Heard that Berning Acres was awesome and they did not disappoint! Louis was an absolutely amazing…read moretour guide and an even more impressive young man-- my seven year old and I agree that we would give him 10/10 stars! Immense respect to Natalie and her crew for the tireless work that they do. Lucky to have spent the morning learning from them! Highly recommend!

My husband and I decided to try out the farm tour at Berning Acres while we were visiting Galena,…read moreIL this summer. We had visited another dairy farm in the past and though it was interesting, it didn't hold a candle to Berning Acres. Farmer Natalie reached out in advance and let us know the "ground rules" for everyone's safety. We arrived a little before our tour and waited until it was time to go inside. We were joined by a multi-generational family group, including grandparents in their sixties, their adult children, and grandchildren aged about 2 to 10. There truly was something for everyone. Natalie was very engaging with each age group and made sure we learned all the cool things about their "girls." From the time the tour begins, you are immersed in all aspects of the farm, the cows, the fermenting hay, the workers doing their jobs and the delightful Berning family (we only met her sons but I'm confident that her daughters are just as wonderful) and their other farm animals! We were able to get up close and personal with new born cows, feed three-week-old calves and learn about all of the spoiling that goes into those mama cows as they prepare to birth their calves. We even had the chance, if we wanted to try our hand at milking. Natalie was very candid about the effort and investment involved in family farming, highlighting how advancements in technology help ensure the health and proper nutrition of cows at all ages. Aside from the farm tour, they also offer a farm camp and some really cool adult adventures with craft beers and wines (great ideas for a girls' weekend!), they have amazing Berning Acres cheeses as well. #galenaadventures #familyfarms

A unique stop, you must check out. The seasonal cocktails…read moreare DELICIOUS!! The service was super friendly and helpful. And the food is great. Don't skip the mustard!!! And so much to check out and look at. Very cool vibes!

Had lunch here yesterday with Jr. Great service…read more Great food. We ordered the pretzel and the cheese curds for appetizers. I had the rueben. Great vibe inside. Great location. We plan on visiting again for dinner.