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.

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.

I can't say enough good things about this place but here's a start:…read more- The View: STUNNING! It is just a gorgeous place to be - The Location: Parking always available and very easy to get to downtown - The Mission: A place you can feel good about supporting (and volunteering!) - They Make It Easy: It's easy to drop in on a Saturday morning if you want to get your hands dirty and help harvest - Cool Events: You can go to yoga, chef's dinners, or just host your own event for an EXTREMELY low cost - The People: Good people know good people, and everyone who is associated with a beautiful project like this is bound to be kind, interesting, and forward-thinking

From the owner: At Urban Harvest STL, we don't just grow plants; we aspire to create a healthy city immersed in…read moreliving and thriving gardens. Our designs are intentional and exemplify the principles of placemaking to create community spaces surrounded by farms that engage people in the local food system in unexpected and delightful ways. Urban nature takes many forms - it can grow on rooftops, in vacant lots, on living walls and in orchards. As in nature, diversity is prevalent and essential for resiliency. We are growing a network of urban farms supporting the health and vitality of our community.

Randomly stopped through and no one was there so we respected the rules and didn't get out of the…read morevehicle near the animals. We just drove though - it was crummy out anyways started raining as we got closer. Nice place, very spacious and seemed to have a lot of animals

My companion and I had the most wonderful hour at Rush Acres Farm! We saw ducks, geese, a pigeon,…read morechickens, turkeys, goats, llamas, alpacas, miniature donkeys, and pot belly pigs! No appointments needed. Lexie showed us around and introduced many animals to us by name--impressive considering the size of the herds! She we got to pet and feed the alpacas. She didn't rush us at all as we took many photos and videos. We also pet turkeys name Simon & Garfunkel. We visited the farm store on our way out. The farm owners and staff make most of the own products. We'll be back!

My Grant's Farm experience has been limited to the Christmas light show and Christmas village…read moreexperience but recently I've added the Clydesdale tour which was fantastic and a one of a kind experience getting to meet these magnificent creatures. My brain wasn't working correctly and we missed our tour time but the guide was kind enough to take us along during their tour. Mind you, we got there an hour and a half early but the brain cells died or something. Anyway, we got to pet the Clydesdales and had a close encounter with one. These horses are huge and very beautiful. We got to see a couple of them getting bathed and they were so gentle and well-behaved, I was quite impressed! The tour includes a free adult beverage or water for those under 21 or those who prefers a water instead. Our tour guide was amazing. I think she said her name was Linda. She was very kind and didn't even want any gratuity explaining that her role is a volunteer one. She's a retired educator and you can tell with the patience she had with her rather large tour group. The ticket price for the tour was pretty reasonable for the experience you're getting. You do pay for parking but you can take the tram for free to the village area for more activities. Unfortunately, we ran out of time the day of our tour so we didn't make it up to the village. You can take the trails (bike or on foot) and visit the farm though! When it's nicer outside, I fully intend to do so.

A childhood summer vacation favorite was Grant's Farm. Now you can go for their summer evening…read moreevent series. I went on the 4th of July on the 250th anniversary of... well I guess it wasn't the anniversary of the first-ever July 4th, but the first one like I'm talking about. I was impressed with how uncrowded the event was. The crowds were less than on the average days in the summers of my youth. These days there are no elephants at Grant's Farm. I saw a number of animals including some really cute hens and several wallaby. I fed goats and some tread on my American flag dress. I was happy that Grant's Farm's biergarten had several non-beers on free offer. I thought it was beer and only beer! First I had a seltzer made with vodka blueberry flavor... I think it's called Nutrl. Yum! We could smell the blueberry from a couple of feet away. My second drink was High Noon vodka iced tea It was good, but if I get to make that choice again, I'd go back to the blueberry. My friend and I split a vegan bratwurst with sauerkraut and a side of mac and cheese. The mac and cheese was pretty flavorful and the temperature was right (we weren't expecting much). I liked the bratwurst, but my companion wasn't wowed. The 4th of July drone show was a nice alternative to fireworks. We liked watching and figuring out the formations. Our only tip to the venue: reduce the volume of the band. We were sitting as far away as we could, and maybe there were speakers near us, but no matter the reason: this was at least 40% too loud for all of us. Those hens were so darling!

For $20, my 6 and 7 year old kids were engaged and active for 3+ hours and could have gone longer…read more Staff was very nice. I wouldn't upgrade unless you have 10+ year olds, although the Apple launcher looked pretty cool.

Such a lovely ranch with miniature horses! We attended the free public tour that first started with…read morea presentation. It was very informative about how they rescued these horses and the work behind it to get them healthy. Very generous hosts and afterwards they let us tour the ranch and pet some of the horses. The measures they take to care for these horses is incredible. It lasted about an hour to hour and a half. Highly recommend as it is for all ages! Definitely would love to book a private tour and bring more people. It would be great for a group bonding experience as well.

Such a privilege to have been able to meet this herd of rescued ponies. The owner has such passion…read moreand love for these lil guys. Handsome the golden retriever is a great attraction himself. We loved our tour and the stories we heard today. If you've never seen a herd of rescue ponies I encourage you to email the ranch and set up a private tour. There are toddler tours, girl scout tours, any tour you can think of. If you love animals this is a great adventure. Several ponies and a bunny have their own book/stuffed animal you can purchase on-line or in the gift shop. They also visit nursing homes.

If your looking for a wedding venue this is your go to place. Everything is in one location. Amber…read moreand Pam are amazing to work with and the natural beauty of the venue makes decorating easy. We were even able to stay on-site the night of.

Employees were nice. The place wasn't too crowded. Prices are a little steep, but to be fair, one…read moreof my kids is a little old, and the other a little young, and I knew that going into it. What really bother me is there is no soap in the men's rest room. Which no male has washed their hands properly. Pretty gross, especially in these times.