It's become a lovely tradition coming to Knapton's in the fall! They have such a great variety,…read morefriendly staff, and always a really great harvest! Will come over the summer to get raspberries, but we always make it a point to come in the fall for apple picking. Apple picking is one of my ultimate favorite fall activities, we went this past weekend hoping for some Honeycrisp apples, but they weren't quite ready yet which ended up being a blessing in disguise because we picked a bag full of sweet tango instead. Honeycrisp has always been my go to, but I think my new favorite is sweet tango because I love their little size. Usually, I can't finish a whole Honeycrisp on my own, but I'll find myself eating two or three sweet tangos in a day! My husband and I are obsessed, and we may be coming back at least once if not twice before the season ends.

Awesome experience. The pumpkins are amazing. So many different kinds. The gourds are also so…read morebeautiful. Love this place. Customer service is outstanding. Best experience ever. Highly recommend. You won't be disappointed.

My friends & daughter had a great afternoon here last month! The apples were delicious, and we…read morepicked a lot of Sweet Tango, which I highly recommend. We spoke with the owner who let us know that there was an early harvest & lots of apples on the ground because of the unusually warm weather we had this year, but they expect an even better harvest next year! This place is family-run, and they had a nice shop with pre picked or you-pick apples, cider, local honey, homemade chapstick and more.

I spent a short afternoon at this small, but beautiful, apple orchard near Stillwater. The day was…read moreperfect to walk around and pick some apples and this was the only orchard in the area that allowed picking apples on the weekend. What an amazing place to be! It was a smaller orchard but it made for a more personal experience. The only disadvantage that I could foresee would be parking if it were a busier weekend. On this day I was able to park fairly close to the main building to purchase a bag to hold apples. When I walked in to the mail shop area, the staff was extremely friendly and helpful! They were talking to everyone and helping everyone out with all their questions. The shop had a small variety of items such as jam, cider, apples (obviously ), and some syrup. I paid for a bag to pack apples into and headed out to the orchard. The orchard was organized and where I could pick was plainly labeled. They had plenty of apples to pick from and it was worth the price paid for the amount of apples I got. After, I sat around outside the main shop and watched others as they played yard games they were set up or enjoying a snack on the outside deck area. This was a wonderful experience and better than the big orchards where it's crowded and there more restrictions as to how to grab your apples. I would go back again and again. This is a great kid-friendly place as well!

I went with my wife and toddler to see the tulips here in May. While the farm and flowers…read morethemselves were quite nice, there were several factors that made this a negative experience. The primary one, that I'll write about here, was very poor line management and a huge lack of clarity. They have "Tickets" and "Wristbands" buying a "ticket" makes you eligible for a "wristband, but they are not the same thing. They had a terrible solution. Where you wait in an insanely long line (literally an hour long) to get a "ticket" then you have to go all the way back to another insanely long line to get a "wristband" in order to get in the hayride that takes you to the flowers (they would not allow people to walk). There was not clear signage which lead to a lot of confusion that really slowed things down. What made things worse is that we were there right at opening time, so we completed the idiotic process properly. But about an hour in the staff realized how bad their idea was, and tried to combine the lines which led to a ton of people being able to budge us, which was really unfortunate and frustrating. I certainly would never visit this place again on a weekend. It was such a poor experience. Maybe going during the week when visitation is not at peak could be feasible.

Went back after a few years. It was a lot busier which is to be expected however they can not…read morehandle how many people are going. There are no signs telling you where to get what. We bought tickets online in advance, but there was no sign for online sales. Then once we finally found the right line there's only one iPad so the guy had to walk away to get it to scan our tickets. Once you get out of the main area (we ended up walking because only two trackers were going and the line was super long) it was good. We liked the lower area but the front was a total mess and took way more time than it needed to. Pretty disappointed. Hopefully they can fix the front area before next season. Also, there were SO many bees.

Another Hidden Gem: Noerenberg Memorial Gardens Review…read more Noerenberg Memorial Gardens is another secret I should have discovered sooner! As someone who lives nearby I stumbled upon it while planning a bike ride and it felt like I found a hidden oasis. The gardens really do live up to being a place of tranquility and fresh air and are a far cry from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The accessibility of the Noerenberg Memorial Gardens is a big plus. Being close to the Dakota Rail Regional Trail makes it a great destination for cyclists. I highly recommend incorporating it into a bike ride. The ride itself adds to the experience, you get to transition from the activity of cycling into the peacefulness of the gardens. This seamless transition makes for a more immersive and rewarding visit. The garden itself is beautiful. The attention to detail in the landscaping is obvious and it's visually stunning and calming. What struck me most was the quiet. Being right next to a busy road and yet it's so quiet. It's amazing how well the gardens filter out the noise and you can fully immerse yourself in the sounds of nature: birdsong, rustling leaves and maybe the gentle lapping of the nearby lake. It really feels like stepping through a "portal of tranquility" and instantly washing away stress and feeling peaceful. The atmosphere is what sets the Noerenberg Memorial Gardens apart. It's a place for quiet contemplation, a space to breathe deeply and reconnect with nature. Whether you want to read a book, meditate or just wander and take in the beauty around you this garden is the place. Feeling surrounded by beauty is both uplifting and restorative. Beyond the aesthetics the gardens offer learning and inspiration. Discovering places like this is valuable learning regardless of whether school is in session. Seeing the different plant species, appreciating the artistry and just soaking in the peacefulness can spark curiosity and deepen your connection to the natural world. It's a reminder that learning can be found everywhere and not just in a classroom. The Noerenberg Memorial Gardens are more than a garden but it's an experience. It's a must see for anyone looking for a peaceful escape. Proof that nature can heal and inspire and a reminder to slow down and appreciate what's around us.

Located right by lake Minnetonka, the Noerenberg Memorial Gardens is a intriguing memorial which…read moreI had the opportunity to partake in a walking tour offered by Three Rivers Park. Through walking through and visiting the eye-catching boathouse architecture and the historic barn which is part of the estate, I learned about the history of the memorial which was originally developed around 1890 by Frederick Noerenberg, a brewer who was one of the first entrepreneurs to establish a year-round home at Lake Minnetonka. Although the family house was torn down and the will was to just preserve the estate the overall feel of the property is still defined by the non existent house. A little disappointed that there are no actual garden with flowers, but the landscape is still stunning and calming that I would like to revisit on my own time.