The pumpkin patch

Going to a pumpkin patch to pick out the perfect pumpkins for Halloween is one of my absolute favorite fall rituals. No. It's one of my absolute favorite things to do all year! I love taking a drive out to the country, putting on cozy boots for the first time all season, seeing all the gorgeous fall leaves and bright orange pumpkins... it's just so much fun. We went last weekend and picked out some big pumpkins for our front porch and some small ones for inside. I can never have enough!

I've been to a few pumpkin patches in the Cleveland area, but my favorite is Sage's Apples Farm Market in Chardon. It's a long drive from our house, but fall is such a pretty time to get out of the city for a while. Being in the country, even just for an hour or two, really makes me feel at home, as much as I love my house in the city.

Sage's is also great because they have the best apples in town and are the only place I know of to find Spartan apples, which are my favorite (maybe it's the Michigander in me, but Spartans honestly are the best apples). Plus there's a really cute shop that carries a lot of local things like jams and cheese. We always leave with a lot more than just pumpkins (and a lot of pumpkins, too!).

I can't get over how gorgeous all the fall colors are this year. 

We're having some friends over for Halloween tonight, and I'm so excited. Between the Italy trip and my bronchitis, there hasn't been much time for planning or decorating, but we have our costumes ready and plenty of pumpkins! I can't wait to see my friends all dressed up in their costumes. It's the best part.

What's your favorite thing to do in the fall? Do you have a favorite place in Cleveland you like to go for pumpkins? And does anyone know why there aren't any cider mills with fresh donuts and petting zoos around here? Seriously. We need one of those.