In Virginia, October means mouth-watering apples picked right off the trees, pumpkins plucked right from the vines, getting lost in corn mazes, and of course the amazing fall colors.  For my family, there is no better place to enjoy it all than Hollin Farms, located about an hour from Washington DC, off of Rt. 17 in Delaplane, Virginia.  A 4th generation family farm,  it is truly a wonderful place to spend a morning or afternoon.

My family has been making visits there since our daughter was just a baby, and we have enjoyed seeing their success over the past 10 years.  Unlike other overly-commercial pick-your-own farms,  there are no bells and whistles at Hollin...no food trucks, petting zoos, or items to buy.  But I prefer that.  On the other hand, there is no admission fee and the prices for all the fruits and vegetables are more than reasonable.  Visiting during the week is your best bet if you want to avoid crowds.  In the spring and summer months they have strawberries, peaches, plums, sunflowers, sweet corn, and pretty much any summer vegetable you can think of.

In the early fall months, their fields are transformed into pumpkin patches, dig-your-own potato and peanut fields, and a large variety of fall greens.

And of course the apples!  Their apple orchard overflows with over 2 dozen varieties of apples, from grocery store staples like Golden Delicious to the more heirloom varieties like the Albemarle Pippin.

And of course the views from the apple orchard are just absolutely amazing.

There are a few more weekends left in October, so if you haven't made it out to a local apple orchard or pumpkin patch, I highly recommend getting out there soon!  The sights, smells, and tastes can't be beat!