We have been to this locally owned orchard several times and have enjoyed it every single time. My…read morekids absolutely love the free playground and the animals you can pet, and honestly, I love them too. The free tractor ride is such a nice bonus and always a hit. All of the picking spots are wonderful and make for such a fun family outing. The bakery on site is also amazing and always has the best goodies. Overall, this is one of our favorite places to visit and we always have a great time.

A nice alternative to some of the bigger and more popular orchards around St. Louis and across the…read moreriver in Illinois, Braeutgam Orchards is definitely a place you'll want to visit in the Fall for your annual pumpkin and apple picking traditions. Crowds were manageable and any line we stood in (whether it was for the tractor to take us to the orchard or in the bakery to buy goods) didn't take long to go through. Loved that there was no additional fee to ride the tractors to the orchards. The one downside is that while there is a bakery, there is no food stall to buy lunch or snacks like chips or hot dogs. If you plan on spending a portion of your day there, you'll want to be sure to bring a cooler with food. We made the mistake of assuming there would be things to buy for lunch and we left starving after snacking on a couple of apple cider donuts.

Eckert's is a place filled with nostalgia for me as I've been going since I was a kid, and after a…read moremany year hiatus I was super excited to check it out again. We decided to stop in and do the sunflower fields with our season pass, allowing us to roam the sunflower fields and get 1 big sunflower each. In addition, we chose to snag a vase for a few extra dollars so we could pick even more smaller sunflowers along with some zinnias to complete our bouquet. The wagon ride out there brought me back to all the times we went as a kid, and the fields itself were beautiful & well maintained! While we were out in the field, we also were able to enjoy a cider from the shack which was pretty great as well. The lady working the cider shed out in the fields was also super helpful in explaining the whole experience to us, which helped us decide on what we wanted to do. When we returned from the sunflower fields, it was time to stop in to their Cider Shed for Xtreme Bar Bingo and a cider flight. There were a ton of tables and plenty of room despite the small crowd that showed up for bingo, and the outdoor pavilion & fans kept things cool despite it being a heater (heat index of 109°F). Our cider flight included the Pink Lady, BeeKeeper, Orchard Sunset, & Cider Donut. While I wasn't a huge fan of the Pink Lady & BeeKeeper, the Orchard Sunset & the Cider Donut were absolutely phenomenal! I would go back just for those two ciders even if we didn't get to do anything else. We were a bit hungry during bingo and decided to try out the Brussel Sprouts as a small side, and while they were pretty good, they were pretty bland with no additional seasonings or add-ins which was a little disappointing. The service at the Cider Shed was great with the staff helping us choose which ciders we may want to try. They also let you get 3 free samples, which was super useful in making our decision. After losing at Bingo (nothing new there), we figured it was best to end our Eckert's evening by having a quiet dinner in their Country Restaurant. I saw a seasonal Grilled Peach & Burrata salad on the menu that I was really excited to try, so we split that as an appetizer. Although it was another solid dish, it wasn't anything special in my opinion. The burrata definitely paired well with the grilled peach, but there wasn't much else to say about it. From there, we snagged a fruit wine flight as we were very curious on how their wines taste. The flight included Blackberry, Strawberry, Peach, & Apple wines, with the Blackberry stealing the show as best overall! The Strawberry was also nice, tasting like a watermelon jolly rancher, while the Peach & Apple were just okay. Lastly, for the entrees, I got the Cheeseburger Platter with a side of mashed potatoes and brown gravy while my girlfriend got the Chicken & Dumplings & a side salad with Aunt Helen's Sweet Vinaigrette. The cheeseburger platter was okay, nothing special, but the mashed potatoes & brown gravy were incredible. The chicken & dumplings fell a bit short as they were pretty meh, lacking the amount of chicken we were hoping for, and the side salad was not great as we thought the "sweet vinaigrette" just didn't taste right. The staff in the restaurant were again, super helpful, nice, and attentive, making us feel right at home. Finally, we grabbed 2 Cider Donuts for dessert on our way out. To say they were delicious would be an understatement. While they were a bit greasy, the flavor and texture was to-die for and gave us a perfect sweet treat to end our night. All-in-all, we really enjoyed our day out at Eckert's roaming the sunflower fields, creating our own bouquet, playing Xtreme Bar Bingo, & trying new ciders & wines. While we will definitely be back for the experiences, donuts, & ciders, the food is nothing special in my opinion and would likely be skipped. Would definitely recommend coming out for their summer & fall experiences, though!

Have you ever been surrounded by sunflowers? The Sunflower Experience at Eckert's is the perfect…read moreplace to do it. Mom and I chose the Flower Power Sunflower Pass, which included admission, a single cut-your-own sunflower, a souvenir mason jar lemonade (booze optional) and a pretty faux flower crown. It added a fun, whimsical touch to the day and made for even better photos! There was an option to fill a cut-your-own vase in the field for $10. The ride to the fields is part of the fun. Slow your mind and enjoy the journey. Once in the field, we skipped the walk up lookout, but took advantage of some of the unique photo opportunities throughout, including a flower arch, bicycle, oversized wicker basket and giant branded watering can, to name a few. The one downside was the mud. The previous day's rain made the ground soggy, and my sneakers sank in amongst the stalks once immediately off the main trail. Eckert's spread hay on some of the muddier areas, which helped absorb some moisture. Waterproof shoes or rain boots are a smart choice if there's been rain. I also recommend sunscreen, bug spray, hats and sunglasses. Pro tip: buy your tickets online ahead of time. I recommend going as early in sunflower season as possible. Quite a few of the blooms immediately alongside the trail had already been cut, despite signs asking visitors not to do so. There were still PLENTY of beautiful sunflowers to enjoy, along with a gorgeous field of colorful zinnias, but access was muddy overall. I know - it's a farm - and there will be dirt, but I hadn't recalled the field being so wet on previous visits over the years, so just tossing out a heads up on proper footwear and such. :) Although our wristbands gave us access to the peach trees also, we opted for picking them up from the Country Store instead! We finished the day with lunch at the restaurant, where I had some of the BEST fried chicken I've ever had. Perfectly coated and fried. It was a great topper on a wonderful day out with my mother. PS Because we were stuffed to the gills, we opted to take two slices of peach pie to go and that was one of the best decisions I've made all year. It's got a delicious homemade quality that is increasingly hard to find. It was stuffed with the freshest, sweetest peaches around. Don't miss out, dude.

Horrible people. They lie and accused you of stealing after you have been going there for years…read morepaying for every thing you pick. They think they can spot disabilities that aren't visible and accuse you of lying for making an honest mistake and assumption. (Driving to the trees as a handicap person with limited mobility) so the discriminate against the disabled and accuse who ever they want with no proof other then a supposed memory that never happened (or was with someone who looked like me but wasnt, so why not just kick every one who looks similar out right?) The old man thinks because he is a ex judge he is big boss and can get be a rude SOB to anyone and face no repercussions. (While he may be boss there at the store he can't just talk to people how ever he wants and accuse innocent people of stealing with out proof). So do not waste your money here unless you want to be accused of some wild accusations some time in the future and them thinking them banning you isn't going to hurt them. I hope all their tress get diseases and die.

Great experience here today at Knowlan Farms! The staff here is super friendly and helpful. They…read moretake the time to explain where to go and what types of apples they have to pick for that day. The goats for the kids are super sweet and friendly. The prices for the kids playground and wagon ride are super reasonable and takes you all around the orchard. They have an ice cream shop inside as well as many country store type products and decorations. Wonderful place to take your family for some fun!

I love when they have pies and cookies at Goshen market. Try the flax seed cookies. So good and…read moretasty.

Amazing people and a beautiful farm with delicious apples. Had a quick stop on a road trip and it…read morewas a perfect place to stretch our legs.

This place was a cute little place to check out and it was open on Memorial Day too. Plenty of…read moregreat locals came here for the ice cream and I have a bunch of great Jam that was featured here too. Prices here are actually really cheap for their ice cream and it features a few flavors as well. There's a good amount of parking here and we enjoyed that this place was dog friendly too. There's even great fresh produce as well. Solid place to check out along the road

I stopped by here with my mom to get peaches and we ended up leaving with not only peaches, but…read morealso donuts and shirts from the place. All the food we got was great and very fresh!! Bakery had a lot of options. Workers were very friendly and we got our donuts very fast. Area altogether is very aesthetic.

Last year I missed lavender season. This place is run by two sisters. The farm has been in their…read morefamily since 1863. It was a produce farm, switched to crops and in 2016 the sisters took over the farm and now it's a lavender farm. All of their products are handmade on the farm. They offer Pick your own or you can just shop. Delicious lemonade and popcorn to enjoy while you shop. The season is very short so I encourage you to get on their website.

I first met Ashley and Ethan at the Vincennces Farmers Market in Summer 2020. In my pursuit of…read moreeating local and healthy, they are the only local farm growing spinach, spring mix, and other leafy greens that I have found. I am excited to see the roll out of their online ordering Spring 2021.

Peach season is here and that means peach smoothies are back. Grab a smoothie and get your photo…read moretaken in the zinnia field or in from the of flag barn. Dont forget to stop and check out the chickens and goats. They are celebrating 150 years of a family farm. Add this to your summer bucket list.

This is one of my favorite places to enjoy all things fall! They have some of the best apple cider…read moreI have ever tasted, and they even offer apple cider slushes! As if it couldn't get any better, they bake fresh apple cider DONUTS on site every single day! When you walk into the store, you are greeted with a warm and sweet apple cider smell! They also have an excellent selection of pumpkins, flowers, and other fun fall goodies for all of the family to enjoy! I love visiting Rendleman Orchard!

We stopped by around 7pm on a Saturday evening. There's a sign out by the road with the business…read morename, but you end up driving up someone's driveway to their house. You can see the lavendar fields from the road. There is an old 1800s cabin across the driveway, so we went up there and it said it was the gift shop, but it was dark and closed. After wondering around for a bit, a gentleman came out of the house and opened the gift shop for us. He spent the next hour telling us about their business, showing us the lavendar fields and letting us shop in the gift shop. He was so kind and friendly. He said they're an LLC and used to live on a 3.5 acre property. They moved here 2 years ago for more space to expand. He and his wife run it. They hold a lavendar festival and "You Pick" each summer. Otherwise, they are hoping to open it up for weddings and events. They grow culinary lavendar and also lavendar that is used to put into the products that they sell in the gift shop. The gentleman distilles the lavendar himself on the property. They sell a variety of products in the gift shop, buy also have their products in some of the stores in New Harmony and Evansville. They have dried lavendar, essential oil, shampoo, bath bubbles, lotion, bug spray, bath salts, soaps, and more. All reasonably priced too. I don't think they keep regular hours for the gift shop since it's right on their property. So either call the phone # to ask about a visit, or just show up before dark and knock on the house door. They're french lavendar smalls AMAZING! I recommend their lavendar essential oil and the roller ball (which is lavendar oil mixed with coconut oil). Appathey also have the 2nd oldest tree in the US on their property (it was dated).