Chasing Autumn in Rockingham County in Western Virginia

Friend Barb and I took Tuesday to chase autumn and spend time together enjoying the beautiful Shenandoah Valley where we both live. Besides the fun of back roads and stunning mountain vistas that we both enjoy, we found all kinds of fall décor for our houses.

Our first stop was Myers Pumpkins just east of Harrisonburg, a family-run farm that provides already-picked pumpkins and gourds, chrysanthemums, pick-your-own pumpkin patch, corn maze, and corn stalks ready for decorating. This was a new place for me that Barb introduced to me, and they were well stocked.

Happy Fall! First day of autumn 2015

Here’s a load of pumpkins to celebrate the first day of autumn in 2015.

Happy Fall!

The Great Pumpkin rises again at Cestari Pumpkin Fest

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Augusta County’s famous lawyer and sheep farmer Francis Chester welcomes visitors with a broad smile to celebrate fall at the Cestari Pumpkin Fest at his family’s central Shenandoah Valley farm in Churchville that runs this weekend, October 11-12, and next weekend, October 18-19.  Spend a day outdoors in the fresh country air, enjoy the Appalachian Mountain vistas and colorful autumn leaves, and take part in fun fall activities on the farm that include:

Life renews in the fall

By Lynn R. Mitchell

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”
–F. Scott Fitzgerald

Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell
September 23, 2014

Carter Mountain Orchard offers Virginia apples, pumpkins, and views

By Lynn R. Mitchell

Last night’s low temperature west of Staunton was 39 degrees so today seemed perfect to visit Carter Mountain outside Charlottesville. The mountaintop orchard offers not only apples, pumpkins, gourds, and country store goods but it also provides one of the most outstanding long-range views in central Virginia — east toward Richmond and west toward the Blue Ridge Mountains. Below is the city of Charlottesville and the University of Virginia. A cool breeze blew as SWAC Husband and my Richmond sister and I drove up the long, winding road for the latest chapter of our autumn adventures.

Pumpkins! Carter’s Mountain had plenty of these bright orange signs of fall available in all sizes from tiny decorative to pie size to jack-o-lantern size.