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Your Midwest Fall Bucket List
The temperatures are dropping and fall is coming! 🍂 Personally, I am ready for cooler mornings, leaves crunching, and pumpkin spice everything. Fall is one of my favorite times of year to get outside as a family.
This year, I am particularly excited to explore Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan in the fall! My kids and I are taking an 11-day road trip!
It's not too late to plan an epic Midwest fall trip! Here's where you should go:
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My 3 Favorite Midwest Fall Destinations:
North Shore, MN
Not to be dramatic, but I think Minnesota’s North Shore along Lake Superior is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Our family loved taking the Lutsen Gondola to see the fall foliage.
The North Shore is the stretch of Minnesota between Duluth and the Canadian border along Lake Superior. It has beautiful pines, hikes, and waterfalls on one side of the road and on the other epic views of crystal-clear water. If I ever win the lottery, I will be buying a vacation house here.
Branson, MO
Branson is known for its popular shows, shopping, and great restaurants, but it is also full of natural beauty. I always love driving through this region because the Ozark mountains are stunning, and they really show off in the fall.
Lost Cave Canyon is an interesting spot to drive through caves, canyons, and past waterfalls in a golf cart. Silver Dollar City's Harvest Festival has over 20,000 pumpkins to fill your fall-loving-heart with joy. Dogwood Canyon is about 30 minutes from Branson and has trails, waterfalls, and a tram ride where you can see elk and bison. The foliage is amazing.
Weston, MO
If you’re looking for a spot to admire the changing leaves in autumn, Weston Bend State Park is one of the best places to see fall foliage in the Kansas City metro area. I personally love hiking the 2.4-mile West Ridge trail late October each year. The Harpst Trail is amazing too!
Stop at Weston Red Barn farm to pick apples, explore the corn maze, and see the farm animals. If you don't mind crowds, plan to go to Weston's Apple Fest.
All of these places and more are in my blog: 10 Best Midwest Fall Trips! Check it out and get more Midwest fall trip ideas!
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Can't Miss Fall Events
Faulkner's Ranch
I love Faulkner’s Ranch because it has so many fun family activities for toddlers through teens. There is good food, music, hayrides, slides, and more. It is always clean, well-staffed, and well maintained.
Open Thursday through Sunday October 2-31, with select Tuesday and Wednesday open dates too. Discount Code: OUTDOORFAMILY10 for 10% off admission.
Johnson Farms
Johnson Farms is the best pumpkin patch if you want to do everything fall-related in one place. You can pick apples, do a corn maze, pick pumpkins, sunflowers, and veggies, plus they have all the typical fall fun! They are open daily from 9 am- 7pm. Use code OUTDOOR26 for 10% off admission!
Dark Forest
I love Dark Forest because it's Powell Gardens made spooky. It's a 1-mile trail turned into a fun and immersive experience. I also enjoy it because it feels like being in a haunted house without worrying about someone jumping out at you around the corner.
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Fall Ideas from the Blog
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26 Fun KC Fall Activities for Families
Here's a list of 26 fall activities you can do around Kansas City with kids! It even has a free downloadable bingo board to track your adventures!
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Things to do in Weston
Weston is one of my favorite places to explore every fall. It has some of the best fall foliage and cute Hallmark small town vibes.
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10 Best Midwest Fall Trips
Here are my top 10 best Midwest Fall destinations. These spots have the best fall foliage in the Midwest.
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The Ultimate KC Pumpkin Patch Guide
The guide includes cost, dates and activities for each patch. There are also discount codes for my favorite pumpkin patches!
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What to Wear This Fall
Most of the year, I wear basic mom clothes, but in the fall, I like to dress like a walking pumpkin patch. If you also love embracing fall through your wardrobe, then you might love these as much as I do:
Ghost Pullover Sweater
I get so many compliments on this sweater. It is one-size fits all, which I was skeptical about, but it fit me great!
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Pumpkin Pullover Sweater
I like this sweater because I can wear pumpkins in November too. Plus, it is cute!
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Bat Tulle Skirt
I actually wore this skirt in our fall family photos one year! I love that it has spooky vibes, but it isn't over-the-top.
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Missouri & Kansas Maps
This is by far the easiest way to find cool and interesting places in Kansas and Missouri. There are over 1,500 pins. You can search by activity type, such as hikes, attractions, historical sites, playgrounds and more.
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I want to Hear from You!
What’s your favorite fall trip? I am already thinking about where to go in 2027! Give me all the advice please!
Happy Exploring,
Amy
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Thank you!
Thank you so much for being here and supporting me! It means so much to me that you’re here. I hope that I can provide value for you and your family, so you’re inspired to get out and explore more! Happy adventuring!
-Amy
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